Chapter 3
|
At least in the U.S., most workers’ expectations of long-term employment at a single company have changed. To be sure, many companies still see the high value of long-term employees but with the increased cost of benefits the use of temporary employees and consultants is more common than it used to be. As with many ”white collar” jobs (e.g., architectural design, evaluation of patient x-rays, staffing help desks, tax preparation, etc.), there has been major movement in outsourcing software development work to countries with lower costs of living (and therefore lower salaries).
This chapter is a brief discussion based on both my experiences and those who I have talked to on the subject of what computer professionals want and expect in today’s economic situation.
Professional programmers and engineers want the following from their employers (different people have different priorities, to be sure):
In business, we always strive for win-win situations. Consider what you company wants from you:
TBD
If you are a consultant, consider what is important to your customers:
TBD
Different people have additional desires for their career. It is important to understand our own priorities and to try to live our personal and professional lives in a way that meets our own priorities.
While it is important for workers to share their priorities with their bosses at work, this sharing of information does little good if it is not acknowledged and acted on. A good first step in planning for success in meeting professional goals is to write down your priorities and discuss them with family members and friends. We are all responsible for our own decisions in life but that does not mean that we should not seek advice and alternative ideas.
There has definitely been a change in the information technology (IT) industry since the dot-com bust. I argue that one very positive aspect of this bust has been that many people who looked at software development as ”just a job” have left the field. Like any career, it is important for IT workers to have a real passion for their work. (Exercise: do a web search on ”Joseph Campbell follow bliss” and read his philosophy on choosing a career.)
TBD
TBD