Posted on 09/15/2004 10:00:28 AM PDT by Mini-14
Not surprising, companies have been getting burned on promises for years.
How much of this is due to the technology itself, and not globalization?
I still have a great IT job, but I know if I ever lose it I'll never get another (over 40; fairly specialized industry knowledge; small number of potential future employers). It's been a good run, but I'm already looking for alternative career paths when it ends.
Do what I did - transition to being a business analyst or a quality assurnace analyst. Any knucklehead can program a computer, anywhere in the world. But business knowledge is very specific and also tends to be culturally isolated from country to country - you conduct business differently in Japan than you do here - and someone from India who doesn't live here and isn't familiar with American business would have a hard time being an analyst.
I already have done that to a certain extent - my job is about 50% business analysis/design - 50% programming/database. I'm in no danger of losing my job (yet) but I would probably have to take a huge salary hit to stay in the game if I do.
Raw curiosity - what kind of things are you looking into? It seems like career-transitioning will be a hot area soon (if not now).
Alot. This same article keeps getting written in different media every 2 or 3 months.
Hmmm, I should have thought of that. Got laid off from my Job last November. So what did I do? Changed to a totally new field - construction management.
Gets me out from behind a desk for a change.
Good idea, but what exactly do you do as a business analyst? For example, what's a typical day like?
bump
Health-related fields are positioned for the strongest growth due to the aging of the baby boomers.
"What would you say ya do here?"
"Well look, I already told you! I deal with the [gosh darn] customers so the engineers don't have to! I have people skills! I am good at dealing with people! Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?"
"Look, I already told you! I deal with the customers so the engineers don't have to! I have people skills! I am good at dealing with people! Can't you understand that? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!"
Great minds!
LOL!
I wanted to find the first part of that exchange, but couldn't find it on google.
:)
1st Bob: What you do at Initech is you take the specifications from the customer and bring them down to the software engineers?
Tom: Yes, yes that's right.
2nd Bob: Well then I just have to ask why can't the customers take them directly to the software people?
Tom: Well, I'll tell you why... because... engineers are not good at dealing with customers....
1st Bob: So you physically take the specs from the customer?
Tom: Well.. No. My secretary does that... or they're faxed.
2nd Bob: So then you must physically bring them to the software people?
Tom: Well.. No. ah sometimes.
1st Bob: What would you say you do here?
Tom: Look I already told you, I deal with the @#$% customers so the engineers don't have to. I have people skills! I am good at dealing with people, can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?!
That's it! Oh I may have to watch that tonight.
Brain-numbing confernence calls. Writing of change requests and functional specs. Meetings with developers to explain to them how things are supposed to work. Coordination with QA. Ad hoc data requests. Monitoring of operations. Complaints to the clients about all the invoices that are 90 days past due.
Fun stuff like that.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Do what I did - transition to being a business analyst or a quality assurnace analyst. Any knucklehead can program a computer, anywhere in the world. But business knowledge is very specific and also tends to be culturally isolated from country to country - you conduct business differently in Japan than you do here - and someone from India who doesn't live here and isn't familiar with American business would have a hard time being an analyst.
Did the same. Was a programmer in 1986. Now I do business analysis and requirements analysis. In my area a BA can do $60-90K; six figures if you have a big security clearance or are willing to go independent on a 1099.
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