RE: Iseries Education and marketing

Yes, but start your own company so you are selling your experience and not
your age. The HR type get very nervous about have too many older people on
staff regardless of what they know. The technical managers just love to get
help from contractors who have good sound knowledge regardless of their
years. This of coarse assumes that you are in relatively good shape from a
physical stand point.

Been there and done that for some 20 years.

Jack Derham
Direct Systems, Inc.

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of fbocch2595@xxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 1:43 PM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Iseries Education and marketing

And what's wrong w/the greys?  Aren't they better than the green peas?  It's
not like the greys are going anywhere, last time I checked avg. life
expectancy is going up...and they can probably pay less for us as time goes
on.   
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Vance Stanley <w_vance_stanley@xxxxxxxxx>
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 09:17:06 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Iseries Education and marketing


 Guys,

  I just had a conversation with my supervisor for about an hour regarding
the 
future of the
Iseries with our company. One of the sticking points that upper management
is 
using (to justify
phasing the platform out) is the "greying" of the Iseries workforce. There
has 
been discussions
about this on this board but, I thought I would just throw this in as just
more 
fodder. 
Amazingly, they all agree on  what a great platform it is. They can't
complain 
about its cost.
But, I guess any reason is as good as another.   I really think if IBM wants
to 
insure the
survival of this platform they will consider dropping some freebie systems
off 
at some colleges
(give aways are great for marketing. Just ask Microsoft). They need to do
more 
marketing to show
that they are educating a new line of developers (not just in Asia) but,
here 
where there will be
exposure.  Otherwise, the perceptions of the MBA's of the future will always
be 
tainted against
the platform. 

 Anyway, just my two cents. 

 Vance