Hi Guys
I'm an Aussie resident thinking about contracting for 2-3 years in the UK for a change. I'm UK born (Bournemouth), married with no kids, 54, and have 30 years mainframe experience. I've been contracting for the last 16 years in Aus, and I guess you'd call me a Mainframe Generalist. COBOL, PL/I, IMS DB/DC, and all the usual supporting stuff you'd expect, like JCL, IBM utilities, TSO, ISPF (including dialog development). I've never worked professionaly with CICS or DB2, but I can write an SQL "SELECT" if pressed. I've got a smattering of Assembler, can do a bit of IMS DBA work in need and so on... My PC skills are okay, but I don't wish to work on PC jobs. I dislike computers which plug into the wall!
For the last 5 years I've been involved in maintaining the Applications Development Environment for a large Aus Gov. Dept, with a special emphasis on replacing expensive ISV products with cheap or free alternatives and have eliminated Telon, Panvalet, and the ViaCentre suite of products, saving my employer around GBP200K per annum on an ongoing basis. As well I act as the "reference of last resort" for complex applications support issues and develop tools to assist the programmers become more efficient. In terms of Apps Dev experience I have worked in Insurance, Banking (I was consultant programmer on Australia's first EFTPOS project) and most recently on large government systems.
Would anybody like to comment on the market for somebody like me in the UK? Any guess at a likely rate? I'd be happy to work anywhere, but London or the south would be my first preferences. I'd be happy to correspond "off forum" if anybody wants a chat! And of course, if you're at a site which could use my skills a message would be doubly welcome!
Cheers
Ron
I'm an Aussie resident thinking about contracting for 2-3 years in the UK for a change. I'm UK born (Bournemouth), married with no kids, 54, and have 30 years mainframe experience. I've been contracting for the last 16 years in Aus, and I guess you'd call me a Mainframe Generalist. COBOL, PL/I, IMS DB/DC, and all the usual supporting stuff you'd expect, like JCL, IBM utilities, TSO, ISPF (including dialog development). I've never worked professionaly with CICS or DB2, but I can write an SQL "SELECT" if pressed. I've got a smattering of Assembler, can do a bit of IMS DBA work in need and so on... My PC skills are okay, but I don't wish to work on PC jobs. I dislike computers which plug into the wall!
For the last 5 years I've been involved in maintaining the Applications Development Environment for a large Aus Gov. Dept, with a special emphasis on replacing expensive ISV products with cheap or free alternatives and have eliminated Telon, Panvalet, and the ViaCentre suite of products, saving my employer around GBP200K per annum on an ongoing basis. As well I act as the "reference of last resort" for complex applications support issues and develop tools to assist the programmers become more efficient. In terms of Apps Dev experience I have worked in Insurance, Banking (I was consultant programmer on Australia's first EFTPOS project) and most recently on large government systems.
Would anybody like to comment on the market for somebody like me in the UK? Any guess at a likely rate? I'd be happy to work anywhere, but London or the south would be my first preferences. I'd be happy to correspond "off forum" if anybody wants a chat! And of course, if you're at a site which could use my skills a message would be doubly welcome!
Cheers
Ron
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