RE: Death of the AS/400 (was Death of the RPG Programmer, List Activity)

Hmmmm..... from what I have heard form headhunters, they have more positions
than they can find people to fill.   Even we are looking for a programmer
and we aren't getting much in the way of resumes.  But I do agree with the
money issue.  I think that the employers looking to hire, aren't looking for
the $55 and up programmer.  They are looking for someone more affordable.

Debbie

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com
> [mailto:owner-midrange-l@midrange.com]On Behalf Of DAsmussen@aol.com
> Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2000 4:45 AM
> To: midrange-l@midrange.com; consult400@midrange.com
> Subject: Death of the AS/400 (was Death of the RPG Programmer, List
> Activity)
>
>
> Folks,
>
> I'm not even going to quote a pertinent piece here, as so many
> were right and
> so many more were wrong on this subject.  AS/400 consulting and
> perm work is
> in the toilet right now, period.  Don't espouse JAVA to me, I've
> _GOT_ JAVA
> experience but cannot find work there.  ILE?  Yeah, right.  RPG?
> Fuhgedaboutit.  There _IS_ little to no work to be had for AS/400
> professionals right now -- contract _OR_ perm.  I am forced to swallow my
> earlier words about consultants not saving enough money to get
> through the
> annual "January slowdown", because said slowdown has now lasted
> until June.
> I saved enough for this, but I certainly don't expect everyone
> else to do so.
>  There are folks out there, just like you and me, that are
> working the census
> right now in order to feed their families.  So much for the much
> ballyhooed
> "high tech career".
>
> I (and most other industry analysts) figured that, with the
> dissolution of
> Y2K, that companies would be screaming for help to do the stuff
> that they'd
> put off for the past 2-5 years.  Perhaps the e-business trend would even
> further accelerate the latter -- WRONG.  Companies are still
> griping about an
> IT worker shortage, but it seems that they're only interested in
> _LOW PAID_
> IT workers when it actually comes down to having to hire someone.
>  H1-B folks
> around here earn around $55K per year -- good money, but it won't
> get you a
> trailer within an hour's drive of the Research Triangle for
> housing.  Forget
> owning a reasonably new car to navigate our complete lack of public
> transportation.
>
> Sorry, but contracts _AND_ permanent employment on the AS/400 seem to be
> pretty much dead.  If it makes you feel any better, it appears
> that the other
> midrange platforms are suffering equal problems...
>
> JMHO,
>
> Dean Asmussen
> Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
> Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
> E-mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com
>
> "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." -- John Wooden
> +---
> | This is the Midrange System Mailing List!
> | To submit a new message, send your mail to MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com.
> | To subscribe to this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-SUB@midrange.com.
> | To unsubscribe from this list send email to
> MIDRANGE-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
> | Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator:
> david@midrange.com
> +---
>

+---
| This is the Midrange System Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com.
| To subscribe to this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-SUB@midrange.com.
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
+---