Reply to: IT not worth it anymore?

[Francko]

I think like anything if you're good you can do well, but the days where the average Joe made loads in IT because he knew his way round a phillips screwdriver, are gone.

Yes, but they will be back again. Let me build a simple model. People enrolled to IT courses less and less -> IT demand goes higher than ever ->outsourcing less available because India and China economies grow -> less resources to choose from -> what happens?

We'll talk about this in 5-10 years time. Let's save this post for memory.

[Worzel Gummidge]

IT Hah !

Personally, i work in three main areas of IT:

- Interim IT Management
- Project Management
- Consultancy

this means i can cherry pick jobs and generally my daily rate is between £300-£600 per day depending on location. You have to flexible though and be confident in your ability to deliver. A strong technical background is important as is exposure to diverse environments, and a willingness to learn and upskill. All of which takes time to achieve (over 12 years in my case). The reality is that now I am comfortable in what i do and sometimes I even enjoy it

IT is massive, but certainly in the areas I work you almost have to be jack of all trades and master of all. Always get the relevant qualifications to backup you up; in my case Prince 2, ITIL and MCP.

If you do it right, you could work for six months and have six months off; this presupposes the idea that you might have kids etc - they totally screw you plans up for life !!!

Not that I'm bitter..////

Good luck, although if given the choice i'd probably do marine biology or become a park ranger or summing like that

[Lucy]

Their rates are low, but so is their quality. I once worked for a US company that had to scrap $16million worth of Indian (and I don't mean Native American) development work, because it didn't work.

Then they imported two hundred Chinese coders into their Chicago offices to try again.

Then they went bust..........

Is that like adding insult to injury ?

[hattra]

What about outsourcing, doesn't that mean that india etc can do programming for much lower rates? What will stop all programming and work that can be outsourced from being outsourced?

Their rates are low, but so is their quality. I once worked for a US company that had to scrap $16million worth of Indian (and I don't mean Native American) development work, because it didn't work.

Then they imported two hundred Chinese coders into their Chicago offices to try again.

Then they went bust..........

[expat]

Yeah but that's not happening. They're being up front with rates for actual jobs from the start.

(Sorry for the change of topic here.)

You don't know that until you've got the contract.

[IanIan]

Yeah but that's not happening. They're being up front with rates for actual jobs from the start.

(Sorry for the change of topic here.)

[DaveB]

They lie?! Why would they exagerate the going rate?

Because they are agents. They will hook you with a promise of a high rate, get you into the client etc and at the last minute tell you the client has dropped the rate. This is in the hope that you will not be in a position to turn it down and be forced to take the low rate which gives them more commision and makes the client think the agent is good for getting them a skilled developer for peanuts.

Treat agents in the same way as you would treat the dodgiest of dodgy used car salesmen and you won't go far wrong.

[IanIan]

IanIan, are we talking about what is the case, or what agents tell you?

They lie?! Why would they exagerate the going rate?

[expat]

Persevering

Hexagram 32 Duration


Nine in the fourth place means:
No game in the field.

If we are in pursuit of game and want to get a shot at a quarry, we must set about it in the right way.

A man who persists in stalking game in a place where there is none may wait forever without finding any.

Persistence in search is not enough. What is not sought in the right way is not found.

At all times, the path into hexagram 32 is that of 50 - transforming. What this implies is that the change of any hexagram into 32 is forced to go through the characteristics of 32

At all times the path out of hexagram 32 is the opposite of the path in - in this case the path described by 03 - Difficult beginnings. Thus the process of hexagram 32 changing into any other hexagram has to pass through hexagram 03 to start.



No blame.

[AlfredJPruffock]

What qualifications do you need to do this? How did you start? What are the prospects like?

Hexagram 32 Duration


Nine in the fourth place means:
No game in the field.

If we are in pursuit of game and want to get a shot at a quarry, we must set about it in the right way.

A man who persists in stalking game in a place where there is none may wait forever without finding any.

Persistence in search is not enough. What is not sought in the right way is not found.

[Sockpuppet]

None as far as I am aware...

The route I took was: Uni -> Graduate Placement Scheme -> Contracting

On the placement scheme I worked as team leader, project manager, project analyst, account manager, lean consultant so was quite lucky. Unfortunatly its the kind of job where 90% of the time you need to start at the bottom and work your way up. You can go straight into this kind of work but you'd be looking more at the project side of the work which is nice.

The prospects are good. The logistics industry is expanding at a fast rate and living in europe we are a hub for the rest of the world so I can't see it stopping anytime soon. There is also not enough people entering logistics as its not seen as very "glamerous" ... well its not. Dusty tulipe stored in a warehouse doesnt get me all hot and bothered....but the chance to work abroad does.

Did you say you were pre-degree? If so look at Cardiff and the LERC and look at doing a logistics degree which is always a good start. Its management based as well so allows you to move and change as you like.

[rge]

Its a word I made up... sounds better than logistics gopher. I dont know, it might be a real word who knows.

Basically the roles I do are:

Lean Manufacturing,
Six Sigma Analyst,
PRINCE 2 Practioner,
Logistics Project Analyst,
etc...

I "design" logistics solutions. So thats where your warehouses are, transport links, how many people, layout of warehouses etc etc....

Why do I work so little? Well I can knock out stuff fairly quickly and its really not that hard...more common sense.

What qualifications do you need to do this? How did you start? What are the prospects like?

[premiere]

Considering he was born a Roman Catholic and has now joined
C of E...apparantly they welcomed him with open arms...Ooer!

Think he gets (eventually) a rent and bill free huge house out the back of his 'workplace' and a few quid in his bin.

All he has to do is marry unfortunate folk and then bury'em after they divorce.

[jenever]

How much does that pay?

God only knows

[rge]

What about outsourcing, doesn't that mean that india etc can do programming for much lower rates? What will stop all programming and work that can be outsourced from being outsourced?