Unsure of what to do with your life? I hope it isn't a white collar job...
Feb 18, 2009 at 1:35 PM Post #17 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by marvin /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Why do I have a nasty suspicion that the book will mostly be self reinforcing to already "R-directed" thinkers...


You'd be wrong.
tongue.gif
I suggest you check it out at your local library.
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 6:55 PM Post #20 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by amphead /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Thanks for the book recommendations. My recommendation is to be an entrepreneur in the mechanical/electronic field. Read, read, read up on techniques on the internet, while trying to develop a product that would have practical value. Take your time and build quality prototypes that are modular in nature. See where I'm going with this? Once you have perfected it, build it here in your own shop, or farm it out to China/India if you must. If you were thinking ahead, you would build up your cash reserves while farming it off-shore to then hire a few people in your home country to build it and create jobs. Edit: don't be afraid to team up with someone else of like mind to create synergy, such as mechanical engineering/electronic engineering combination. The shortage that exists currently is for people who develop useful products which in turn, create jobs.


been there done that...you have no idea how difficult it is to market your product when you have no money. Granted you can get VC money, I didn't, but know that VC will literally own your @SS and will talk to you like you know NOTHING; multiple 10min presentations in front of VCs and getting tossed out of the room is not good for your mental health. I made some money eventually, but that's a lot less than my opportunity cost had I just gone back to being an EE at one of your big computer companies. Also, both equity and debt financing are practically dead in this economy, so unless you have some collateral for creditor to take security interest in you are SOL.

So now that I have sold my biz I have practically forgotten most of my EE skills....F@#$... learning from your undergrad notes is NOT fun when you are trying to do a figure out a digital PLL!

So now, here I am back in school for few more years of torture.....oh I mean knowledge accumulation.

You are much better off starting a service business, but then again in this economy that too is a BIG risk.

Entrepreneurship is not a get rich quick scheme, and you are far more likely to lose than to win.

Now with that said, if you are successful at NOT funding with your own money, then I say go for it!
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 8:25 PM Post #22 of 46
It's been my experience that the exporting of programming jobs has been overblown. It's not because programmers in India and elsewhere can't do the work, but because most companies here can't get their act together enough to tell programmers in the same building what they want, let alone the other side of the world. I've got 29 years of programming experience and I've yet to work at a company that could out source their programming jobs overseas.
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 8:40 PM Post #23 of 46
It's not just about programming.... it's more about knowledge workers. Programmers, engineers, lawyers, accountants, anybody who deals with info all day. It can be done elsewhere, cheaper. Just because it hasn't happened to you yet doesn't mean it's not coming.
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 8:48 PM Post #24 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by cash68 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I suggest you read the book. You seem like someone who would benefit greatly from it.


another academic giving his normative view of the world and globalization.... oh joy....
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 8:53 PM Post #25 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by cash68 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
It's not just about programming.... it's more about knowledge workers. Programmers, engineers, lawyers, accountants, anybody who deals with info all day. It can be done elsewhere, cheaper. Just because it hasn't happened to you yet doesn't mean it's not coming.


Not in every case. Take my job for example. I work as a field engineer so I have to be out on the Alaskan North Slope every day for 2-3 weeks making quick decisions and changes based on what I learned as an engineer. Physical work is also involved, but it is primarily an engineering job. You'd be hard-pressed to economically outsource a job like this.

IMO, certain types of programming, engineering, law and accounting jobs can be outsourced because certain types of jobs can be done by a person with similar skill sets who doesn't have to be present in the region to do the work. But there are still jobs in all of these fields that it would be extremely difficult to outsource.
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 8:56 PM Post #26 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by cash68 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
It's not just about programming.... it's more about knowledge workers. Programmers, engineers, lawyers, accountants, anybody who deals with info all day. It can be done elsewhere, cheaper. Just because it hasn't happened to you yet doesn't mean it's not coming.


I can't talk to the other occupations, although I don't see exporting trial lawyers, but for programming, the only companies that can successfully export jobs are those who can define what they want the programmers to do. I know companies like this exist, but they're not as common as most people seem to believe. I've worked at 2 companies that tried to export programming and had to pull the jobs back.

Edit: I doubt that it will ever happen to me because I'm too close to retirement.
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 9:09 PM Post #28 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by appophylite /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Not in every case. Take my job for example. I work as a field engineer so I have to be out on the Alaskan North Slope every day for 2-3 weeks making quick decisions and changes based on what I learned as an engineer. Physical work is also involved, but it is primarily an engineering job. You'd be hard-pressed to economically outsource a job like this.

IMO, certain types of programming, engineering, law and accounting jobs can be outsourced because certain types of jobs can be done by a person with similar skill sets who doesn't have to be present in the region to do the work. But there are still jobs in all of these fields that it would be extremely difficult to outsource.


Dude, I'm not saying ALL of them will be outsourced, but the number and amount will only increase over the next few years.
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 9:10 PM Post #29 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I can't talk to the other occupations, although I don't see exporting trial lawyers, but for programming, the only companies that can successfully export jobs are those who can define what they want the programmers to do. I know companies like this exist, but they're not as common as most people seem to believe. I've worked at 2 companies that tried to export programming and had to pull the jobs back.

Edit: I doubt that it will ever happen to me because I'm too close to retirement.


No, not trial lawyers, but legal advice lawyers, help filling out forms, etc. A lot of that is moving overseas.
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 9:24 PM Post #30 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by cash68 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
No, not trial lawyers, but legal advice lawyers, help filling out forms, etc. A lot of that is moving overseas.


You can only blame ABA for their stupidity. AMA will never do such a thing -> how does outsourcing radiology to India sound?

Actually, some trial lawyers are getting outsourced; again, blame ABA.

As in turns out we don't have to worry about legal/accounting outsourcing these days because there isn't work to outsource anymore....oh..bitter sweet.
 
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