April 15, 2011 at 7:23 am
Although I finally attended a major training event on the company dime for the first time in three years (SQLConnections in Orlando) I would still have to say things are not better off than a year ago - no real potential for growth and the company and industry I am in (financial) is not making much headway. IT is still treated as a lead weight holding down the company rather than as an investment that could improve the overall situation.
...but somehow I doubt that will ever change.
There is the potential for some exciting enterprise-wide projects on the horizon (Enterprise BI warehouse; SQL virtual farms) but I have a feeling at the end of the day they will be squashed due to up-front costs, regardless of 3-5 year savings.
...and that's the way it is, Friday April 15th. 2011.
April 15, 2011 at 7:29 am
This time last year I was driving a School Bus because it was the best job I could find at the time. Not that this isn't an important job but frankly because it was only part time the pay wasn't enough to live on and I was really bad at the student management part of it.
I am much better off today. I am working as a "Computer Technician/Software" for a mid-small non-profit as the second person in a two person IT department. This means I am a DBA, database programmer, software developer, software support, trainer, and even on occasion get to dabble in the hardware side of things. I love the constant variety and challenge of what I do and I am making more money than I ever have in my entire life.
April 15, 2011 at 7:32 am
Do you feel better about your job and your career?
Job - No. Revolving leadership at the VP level in my company has made my role a nightmare. In fact, I'm not entirely sure what my role is.
Career? This is my third career (because I found it interesting). I'm not feeling great about it at the moment.
Do you have more security?
Lol!
Do you have better compensation?
Weirdly enough I do have better compensation.
Are your prospects looking better for the future?
In that my present situation is nearly untenable, I have to believe the future looks better.
April 15, 2011 at 7:34 am
Ah, well I suppose there are silver linings behind some clouds. I will be released from my job at the end of May. For the past two years, this company has been downsizing, basically gutting all of the IT department (which is quite large), support included. Three big vendors -- all stationed overseas -- were awarded contracts based mostly on how cheap they said they could get the job done. I think I can predict how this will turn out in a couple years...
This year, ironically, I received the first cost-of-living raise in four years. Perhaps with the reduction of personnel, the Demigods felt the working class could benefit from a 3% raise in salary, given the fact that they have made a significant amount of money for themselves during our "lean times".
So the silver lining is that I get a severance package and find a new job. The recruiters tell me that things are looking up, but I'm with the previous poster when he or she said that we're due for another economic slump. Whether or not this will negatively impact the IT community is yet to be seen, but I won't hold my breath.
So, I would say that I'm a bit soured on the state of things right now.
April 15, 2011 at 7:43 am
At my company, we are in year three of an enterprise wide project to consolidate all of the legacy applications, employees, and clients we acquired though acquisitions into a single platform. We did have three rounds of layoffs in IT, however, I personally have been more busy than at any other point in my career, and honestly the whole recession thing just blew over while I kept my head down working.
I subscribe to the theory that recessions are cyclical, it's basically the free market's way of shaking dead branches (failed business models and overstaffed departments) from the tree to make room for new growth in a different direction. Things like financial scandals and housing bubbles are just the catalyst that start the process moving along quicker. For those who have recently lost their job, it's important for you to understand why it was necessary and not take it personally. It's also important for you not to lose hope and believe in the thing you're looking for, because believing in something doubles the chance you'll recognize it when you finally see it.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
April 15, 2011 at 8:07 am
Things have certainly improved in my career from last year. I spent the last several years at one company that basically did an about-face and stopped taking its IT department seriously. It was bad enough for over half of the IT staff to quit (or let go) over a 2-year time span. Before that, the only ones who ever left were those who retired. So about 7 months ago I found a new job in a new area, and the change is like night and day. I've had to learn some new skills but thankfully I've been given enough time to learn them. I just hope my new employer continues to grow, or at least remains stable enough.
Tony
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Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?
April 15, 2011 at 8:14 am
I work in higher education. For me, payment is worse than it was 3 years ago, let alone last year. There is no money at all for training. No one can go to any conferences or seminars. And starting July 1, I'm going to have my pay cut, again, so that it will be worse than it was 5 years ago. There are two things I can say about this situation I'm in: first, everyone else is in the same boat; no one has gotten a pay raise in 3 years. Second, thank God I have a job.
Rod
April 15, 2011 at 8:20 am
Yes, much better! I switched jobs late last year and am much happier for it. I chose to wait out part of the recession and then saw that jobs were starting to open back up and decided it was as good a time as any to make my move. Better job, roughly same pay but much more comfortable and convenient and for a larger company with more opportunity and stability.
April 15, 2011 at 8:27 am
Am I any better off than I was in 2009/10? Hmmmm.....First, thank heaven, I am still employed. Here in the Pacific NW the recession and housing crisis were not as bad as some other parts of the USA, but we did get a little of it. Employment figures for WA are just a tad lower than the national average.
Working in county government, as some others have written, I have not had a pay raise in three
years. That's because I am at the top of my job grade, but others in the department who merit a raise have not gotten one either because the county froze all raises due to falling tax revenues. Cost of living increases were stopped two years ago as well.
Two years ago we had the first of two big layoffs in selected departments. IT was spared then, but there are few folks left to cut this year, so I'm not so certain of employment later in the year. It could happen to anyone in our IT section, so everyone is keeping a low profile and staying busy. Training? Ha! No training funds for the past two years.
The reserve fund we "used" to have has been nearly depleted, so there is no cushion for the Commissioners to rely on....so DC politicos are not the only ones that will have to make some tough calls in the coming months. Hopefully things will begin to improve as the summer months start.
April 15, 2011 at 8:30 am
Grant Fritchey (4/15/2011)
Frankly? I've died and gone to heaven. I won the lottery. I asked the prettiest girl to the prom and she said yes. My code compiled the first time. I dropped the toast and it landed butter-side up.Financially I haven't improved my situation. In some ways it's a little worse. But in every other regard it's night & day.
I know exactly what you mean. Money isn't everything (although it does account for a lot)! I actually make a little less than I did before but everything else is better.
To everyone considering an employer change, keep in mind that you don't always have to chase the money. The non-financial benefits often outweigh the extra money that you may have made somewhere else doing a job that you hated. If you hate your job then your overall quality of life will suffer and a few extra $ won't fix that.
Happy Friday!
April 15, 2011 at 8:32 am
Walterkurts (4/15/2011)
The unemployment picture has not gotten better and the latest economic indicators point down again.
I agree and believe the long term picture is bleaker than many are willing to admit.
Am I personally better off this year than last? I got a raise in 2010 (first since 2007) and expect one again in 2011 so purely on a wage standpoint could say "Yes" (FYI, no raises in the intervening years were because there was no significant wage inflation, and because of high performance, previous raises pushed me to the top of my salary bracket). But my personal costs (health care premiums, insurance, expenses, property and other taxes) have also gone up. If I factor in job security I would emphatically say "No." All it will take is another major economic downturn (or a series of calamaties that drain the economy [Katrina, midwest flooding, Haiti, Japan come to mind]) and I could easily be without a job. I envy those of you in Europe and Asia as an objective look at our economic picture shows a very bleak outlook while your's looks much brighter. To those who have replied as government employees I say "I feel your pain."
In 2010 the dilemma in the US economy was that no-one would hire because no-one was consuming while no-one was consuming because no-one was hiring. We were in a classic chicken and the egg situation. But 2010 saw a 30% gain in the stock market, driven largely by healthy earnings (mostly from tight cost control and a need to restock inventory). This provided some confidence so that consumption started to occur. This has resulted in hiring again but at a very slow rate. But if I lost my job right now, with 25 years of professional experience, I do not believe I would be able to replace it at my current salary or level of responsibility. It has nothing to do with a lack of skills or ability (I wouldn't even have maintained my job for the past 10 years if those were an issue); it has everything to do with business pressure to contain costs by hiring or outsourcing to lower compensated individuals.
I heard on the radio yesterday that hiring of new college grads was significantly up (the ratio is now 1 job per 20 graduates whereas it was 1 job per 40 graduates in 2009) while hiring of the long term unemployed and unemployed college grads from 2009 has remained stagnant. Until that phenomena changes the economy in the US will not turn around. Until the economy turns around, tax revenues will continue to decline and the cost of government (as a percentage of GDP) will continue to rise (government borrowing to maintain spending is only accellerating this).
Higher tax rates will only discourage investment (that is like reducing your kids allowance and then asking him why he isn't saving more). The reason we had a "surplus" was that employment was full and wages were being driven up (n.b.: we never actually had a cash surplus only a "budget surplus," i.e., we <ul>expected higher revenue</ul> than we <ul>budgeted</ul> for the following years).
The bleak view is that business will continue to DE-INVEST in the US and RE-INVEST in more favorable business climates. The optimistic view is eventually the US will become the most favorable climate to invest in (however before that happens we are going to go through a lot of uncomfortable changes in our standard of living).
To those of you in government jobs, welcome to what we in the private sector have been living with for 20+ years: a steadily increasing personal burden for health care costs; a steady reduction or elimination of pensions with 401K taking over; a lack of funding for training, especially in IT; an increasing pressure to outsource IT for cost control. Most of us who are professionals have never had a union that could protest.
April 15, 2011 at 8:35 am
I would say I am not better pay wise but I do have a job! I to work for a local government and for the past few years we have not received a merit increase let alone a cost of living increase. We were not supposed to receive anything this year but a decision was made to offer up to a 1 percent merit increase. Our CIO was able to not lay anyone off by making a deal not to fill vacant positions, nice but guess who gets to do the work? I still have a good sense of security (I have been here 16 years) but the amount of work keeps increasing and compensation is not keeping up. However, there are not many IT jobs avaliable in this town and with four years to go until retirement I plan to stay right here regardless. It is not as bad as it could be.
April 15, 2011 at 8:36 am
Kenneth Wymore (4/15/2011)
Money isn't everything (although it does account for a lot)! To everyone considering an employer change, keep in mind that you don't always have to chase the money. The non-financial benefits often outweigh the extra money that you may have made somewhere else doing a job that you hated. If you hate your job then your overall quality of life will suffer and a few extra $ won't fix that.
Happy Friday!
I agree with Ken. That is one reason why I went to work for my local county. The challenge was there; interesting work; great people to work with....and a livable salary. The work environment is busy, but not pressurized as in some businesses. It was a nice change from my consulting days.:cool:
April 15, 2011 at 8:52 am
Jack Corbett (4/15/2011)
Ask me how I'm doing in July because until then I really won't know. I've been in my current position for almost 4 years and it is ending at the end of May by my choice, so I'm currently looking for work. If I had been looking in 2009 I think I'd have been worse off as there just didn't seem to be much available, but right now I'm regularly contacted by recruiters about positions they are trying to fill.Overall I think things in the SQL Server world are much better than in 2009. As a PASS user group leader in Orlando (OPASS) I can say that my user group did not have recruiters attending meetings in 2009 and now we have multiple recruiters every meeting and they are fighting over sponsoring the meetings. They all have SQL jobs to fill and are struggling to find qualified candidates.
I'm looking for work in New Hampshire and there are SQL jobs available there as well. Not as many as in the Orlando area, but there is work available.
You brought up an interesting point, Jack, and that's the number of recruiters contacting you, trying to fill jobs. A few years ago (I don't remember if it was in 2008 or 2009) I had a recruiter contact me at least monthly. During the last 2 years and up to today, I've not heard from any recruiters. It's kind of creepy, really.
Rod
April 15, 2011 at 9:04 am
Doctor Who 2 (4/15/2011)
You brought up an interesting point, Jack, and that's the number of recruiters contacting you, trying to fill jobs. A few years ago (I don't remember if it was in 2008 or 2009) I had a recruiter contact me at least monthly. During the last 2 years and up to today, I've not heard from any recruiters. It's kind of creepy, really.
I saw the same thing and then late last year I started getting recruiter calls and emails again. Seems I am getting a lot more through LinkedIn now though. I would say overall it is still less than it was in 2008 but a heck of a lot better than 2009-2010.
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