In my last post I talked about the challenges of working with a global team and some of the issues that arise from the practice of out-sourcing. While it is not directly on the subject, it might be helpful for some to know of a couple of good books on the subject of job hunting. And since nearly everyone will face a job change at some point, they are good resources for all of us.
The first book is “Ask the Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job” by Nick A. Corcodilos. This is an excellent look at how to break out of the old stereotypes of job hunting and interviewing and to focus on the things that will get you the job you want. The author’s web site is:
http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/
The other book is “What Color is Your Parachute” by Richard N. Bolles. This is probably the most popular book on job hunting ever written and for good reason. It has many good ideas and resources. His web site is:
http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Global Sourcing
It is not over-stating the point that the practice of businesses finding labor outside the traditional local markets is an emotional topic to many. This practice has many names — out-sourcing, off-shoring, global sourcing or labor arbitrage. It comes down to finding the best talent at the best price, no matter where the talent happens to live or what their nationality is.
I know that many, in the IT profession especially, believe this is a bad practice. There is no doubt that it has hurt many people’s careers in the US IT industry and put a strain on their families. I know of people who were out of work for as much as a year after losing their jobs. I understand their anger and frustration.
IT is a difficult topic. No one wants to see people displaced from jobs and struggling to make ends meet while unemployed.
The fact of the matter is that this is nothing new. In the last couple of hundred years humanity has defined the concept of a “job” to mean being in the employ of another for wages. Before that, most people were either what we would call today “self-employed” or they were serfs or slaves. The self-employed made their way in however they could. The serfs and slaves had job security of a sort — but no one wants that kind of security to come back.
Ever since the industrial revolution redefined the idea of “job”, people have gotten jobs and lost jobs at the whim of their employer. Cheaper labor from elsewhere have come in to displace them. Factories closed and moved to places where it was less expensive to do the manufacturing.
When you take a job in the modern sense, you usually have an unwritten contract to provide services in return for pay. You have the right to leave at any time and the employer has the right to terminate the employment at any time. Most of us are quite happy with this situation — so long as nothing unexpected happens.
Change is difficult to manage sometimes but it is inevitable. It has been said that we live in a time of rapid change. That may well be, but there have been many, many periods of rapid change in the past. Take the Great Depression of a generation ago, for instance.
When a person believes he is doing a good job and providing good value to his employer, it is hard for them to accept that they could be replaced by someone from another country who the employer believes can do the same work for less money.
In my years working in IT it has been a constant that good skilled people are hard to find. I should modify that by saying “at the right price”. Good skilled people can often ask and receive a premium price and if they are not getting rewarded well at one employer, they can move to another.
For a business to stay competitive in their industry they must do everything they can to create a quality product at a competitive price. Salaries cannot be unlimited.
In the current environment the ability to find good talent at good prices can now be extended around the globe. This is the competitive environment businesses and employees find themselves in.
I do not like to see my friends lose their jobs. I don’t like to see businesses fail due to cheap overseas competition. But it is going to happen. There is no way that protectionism will solve the problem — it would only shrink the nation’s economy.
I don’t like to just say “that’s the way it is and you’re going to have to live with it”. There are always ways to make a situation better. The number one solution has to be education. Keeping one’s skills up-to-date and diverse is the best possible insurance against joblessness. Every IT professional has to take his own steps to ensure that he has a broad range of skills that can help him succeed in a wide range of situations.
It is not an easy situation to solve. while the current era may not be unique in its rate of change, there is no doubt that change is happening. We can lie down and let it run over us or paddle hard and ride the wave. I think its more fun to surf.
As a project manager I will always want to put together the best possible team that will keep the project within its budget. It is easier to grab the resources you need from the immediate environment. But if you stretch your view to take in the World, you will find that good talent at the right price is just a bit easier to find.
Whether you are a project manager or work on a project team, all of us are going to have to get used to the fact that this is after all a small planet.
I know that many, in the IT profession especially, believe this is a bad practice. There is no doubt that it has hurt many people’s careers in the US IT industry and put a strain on their families. I know of people who were out of work for as much as a year after losing their jobs. I understand their anger and frustration.
IT is a difficult topic. No one wants to see people displaced from jobs and struggling to make ends meet while unemployed.
The fact of the matter is that this is nothing new. In the last couple of hundred years humanity has defined the concept of a “job” to mean being in the employ of another for wages. Before that, most people were either what we would call today “self-employed” or they were serfs or slaves. The self-employed made their way in however they could. The serfs and slaves had job security of a sort — but no one wants that kind of security to come back.
Ever since the industrial revolution redefined the idea of “job”, people have gotten jobs and lost jobs at the whim of their employer. Cheaper labor from elsewhere have come in to displace them. Factories closed and moved to places where it was less expensive to do the manufacturing.
When you take a job in the modern sense, you usually have an unwritten contract to provide services in return for pay. You have the right to leave at any time and the employer has the right to terminate the employment at any time. Most of us are quite happy with this situation — so long as nothing unexpected happens.
Change is difficult to manage sometimes but it is inevitable. It has been said that we live in a time of rapid change. That may well be, but there have been many, many periods of rapid change in the past. Take the Great Depression of a generation ago, for instance.
When a person believes he is doing a good job and providing good value to his employer, it is hard for them to accept that they could be replaced by someone from another country who the employer believes can do the same work for less money.
In my years working in IT it has been a constant that good skilled people are hard to find. I should modify that by saying “at the right price”. Good skilled people can often ask and receive a premium price and if they are not getting rewarded well at one employer, they can move to another.
For a business to stay competitive in their industry they must do everything they can to create a quality product at a competitive price. Salaries cannot be unlimited.
In the current environment the ability to find good talent at good prices can now be extended around the globe. This is the competitive environment businesses and employees find themselves in.
I do not like to see my friends lose their jobs. I don’t like to see businesses fail due to cheap overseas competition. But it is going to happen. There is no way that protectionism will solve the problem — it would only shrink the nation’s economy.
I don’t like to just say “that’s the way it is and you’re going to have to live with it”. There are always ways to make a situation better. The number one solution has to be education. Keeping one’s skills up-to-date and diverse is the best possible insurance against joblessness. Every IT professional has to take his own steps to ensure that he has a broad range of skills that can help him succeed in a wide range of situations.
It is not an easy situation to solve. while the current era may not be unique in its rate of change, there is no doubt that change is happening. We can lie down and let it run over us or paddle hard and ride the wave. I think its more fun to surf.
As a project manager I will always want to put together the best possible team that will keep the project within its budget. It is easier to grab the resources you need from the immediate environment. But if you stretch your view to take in the World, you will find that good talent at the right price is just a bit easier to find.
Whether you are a project manager or work on a project team, all of us are going to have to get used to the fact that this is after all a small planet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)