[TriLUG] Linux / Solaris Position (OT Alert)

[Mike M]

On Wed, Feb 18, 2004 at 02:37:56PM -0500, Scott Chilcote wrote:
> The part that bothers me is that a lot of the positions I'm seeing are 
> providing compensation at or below what significantly less skilled 
> employment provides.
> 
> I have seen software development positions that require a BS/MS degree 
> (engineering preferred) plus six or more years of industry experience 
> offering at or below $50K per year in recent months.
> 
> Compare this to the salary of the manager of a medium sized specialty 
> store, a certified electrician, HVAC tech, or nearly any medical 
> position requiring an AAS degree and a bit of experience.  The salaries 
> all occupy the same band.

I don't think engineers were always as special as they were in the late
90's.  I remember in the 80's that UPS drivers were making more than I
was at the time and I was paying off school loans too.
> 
> Why go through the trouble to learn how to compute eigenvectors, 
> convolve wave functions, develop microcode, resolve bus timing 
> conflicts, and compare pipelining strategies if you can make more money 
> driving a semi?  The hours are about the same, and the scenery changes 
> more often.

I've looked into driving semis.  I think it's pretty brutal and the
music is, well, a bit repetitive isn't it?
> 
> I know a number of engineers who have been patiently waiting it out, to 
> see if US industries will want them back.  Some have begun transitioning 
> to new career fields.  Some died-in-the-wool types continue to take 
> classes and keep up on developments, not wanting to waste their 
> credentials...  But for how long?
> 
> I hope that US corporations get over the hit they took during the dot 
> com crash and decide not to tar all non-medical technologies with the 
> same brush.  Other countries are filling in the void they've left. 
> While there's no law that says we need to be a technological leader, it 
> has been a big part of this nation's image for decades.

This med-tech thing is worrisome to me.  I can't figure who's going to
pay for the nice new remedies.  I'll be hopping on a plane to India
myself for any surgery I'll be needing.
> 
> --
> Scott C.
> 
> 
> -- 
> TriLUG mailing list        : http://www.trilug.org/mailman/listinfo/trilug
> TriLUG Organizational FAQ  : http://trilug.org/faq/
> TriLUG Member Services FAQ : http://members.trilug.org/services_faq/
> TriLUG PGP Keyring         : http://trilug.org/~chrish/trilug.asc
> 

-- 
Mike

Two hundred years ago, we note mischievously, the average American or 
European had a standard of living not very much superior to that of the
average man in India or China. -- dailyreckoning.com