Posted on 04/14/2002 1:56:04 PM PDT by SpyderTim
..inflation.... Is this a test? Did I pass?
I'm a software developer by trade, and was laid off from an Internet company. 3 years experience was just not good enough to get a foot into companies looking for candidates with 5+ years experience. So, I went it alone.
I swear, being in business for yourself is tough!
Your grandfather was right. In addition, my husband says that the way to create wealth is to take raw materials and add value to them, i.e manufacture a product that you can sell for more than the cost of the raw materials plus the labor. I think he's right on that one too.
Unfortunately our manufacturing base is slipping away. Last month I was in Chicago for a week at National Manufacturing Week (the largest trade show in America -- at least it used to be). It was down about a third in attendance and in number of booths from last year and only half of what it was 3 years ago. But there were more foreign firms represented there than ever, and they were aggressive in their marketing. Mexico brought a booth for every state in their country (about 25 booths, I estimate) and they were filled with bright, young professionals anxious to take our work home.
We are a contract manufacturer doing specialized electronic assemblies for OEMs, but my computer was filled with emails, when I got back from the show, from Asian and SE Asian companies wanting me to subcontract my customers' to them. In fact, one of my competitors had a booth right across the aisle from me, and we were astonished to find that they do not do ANY of their own work. They subcontract it all out.
Gives me an idea for a new marketing piece, "When you let a contract, do you really know who is building your assemblies? Come over to our shop and watch your assembly be built every step of the way! We will never send your precious assembly to Fly-by-nite Contracting in Huey's garage when you are not looking."
If the houses were not being built, then they would be making zero.
Because an experienced teacher was paid about $4000 a year in 1950. Do you know any teacher that works for $4000 per year today? Average teacher pay in my district is $63,000. In order to pay the average teacher $63,000, I (as well as a lot of my neighbors) have to pay $10,000 annually in property taxes + major state income taxes. That is a convoluted way to say INFLATION!
I hear ya! It's going on 1 full year in the NYC area for me. The job scene is horrible up here!
I've stated my position and indicated most wouldn't like it....I have nothing further to add....Regards
Count me among them. Looking to network in the NYC area right now. I have been doing temp work, but no one hires temps because of the finder's fee involved.
Anyone know of anyone accepting resumes??
25 years in the trades and i made more money as a rookie
than i do now. Everyone wants to pay the cheapest price
It's a cut throat business anymore..
I'm hanging it up and looking for something else..
The company I work for, a constuction equipment dealer, was just sold, and in a surprise move, the buyers packaged us with another company and sold the whole works to our biggest competitor. We all got to reapply and interview for our own long held jobs and, essentially, start over. We put the old, 96 year old company out of business two weeks ago, and I started in the new one on April Fools day.
As far as I'm cocerned, we, from the old company, are still in limbo. This year has been a wild ride for us so far.
Dave in Eugene
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.