Stop Complaining
According to an Aussie contractor, IT Contractors should stop complaining so much.
From Aussie contractor site www.Brainbox.com.au
This is something that’s been annoying me for a while now, so I thought I’d send you a mail.
I’ve been working in the IT industry for 2 years now. It’s amazing the amount of complaining I hear about the state of the market. It reminds me of the sounds a baby makes when you wean them.
From some of the stuff I’ve been reading on your website, and hearing elsewhere, anyone would think they’ve dropped a nuclear bomb that only killed IT workers.
Yes, it’s harder than a few years ago to get a job, and yes incomes are down a little. However, not so long ago, IT professionals were enjoying by far the best employment opportunities in the history of the world. Even today, I reckon they’ve got it pretty good.
Other Professional Jobs
I actually started in another industry, so maybe I can compare IT to other professional jobs better. As regards qualifications, I have an MBA and worked for 8 years in marketing. I got into IT when my company wanted to set up a website.
We didn’t have anyone to do it, so I taught myself web development. As the requirements got more advanced, the company sent me on Java and J2EE courses.
It was difficult, but no more so than some of the financial units I did at uni.
We got in some expensive consultants to look at our web set-up a couple of years ago. I was amazed to discover that I knew more about J2EE development than they did.
They were just know-little scam artists in suits.
Pulled Out of Australia
The company pulled out of Australia in 2001. They wanted me to go and work in their main office in Frankfurt. However, I wanted to stay here so I looked for another job.
I decided to try and find an IT contract at the same time as looking for another marketing job.
Two months later, I had my first contract.
I’ve had two contracts since then and have never been out of work for more than a few weeks. If I can do that with no IT degree and only three years experience, then I think the market’s not too bad.
Well Off Contractors
Most IT people don’t realise that what they consider a tragedy is situation normal in most industries.
I once had 7 months out of work when I was working in marketing and had to take a pay cut when I finally got a job. I have a friend who’s a corporate lawyer with American and London experience and he’s been out of work for almost a year.
That’s why most white-collar workers don’t leave their jobs even if they hate them, because it’s difficult to find new ones with the same pay.
While I have sympathy for your readers who find themselves unemployed, the press attention given to this in IT gives an unrealistic view of how bad the situation really is.
Contractors on Good Money – Stop Complaining
All my contracts have paid over $60 an hour.
This is good money!
Almost none of my friends earn as much.
I think there are a lot of people working in IT who think they’re more important and smarter than they are.
Often I meet people who think they’re the new Einstein, just because they can knock together a few lines of code!
I know some people will think I’m being offensive, but I think the present situation is a wake-up call for all the overpaid prima-donnas.
Easy money is hard to come by, and the easy-money days in IT are over.
Reality bites!
So, stop complaining IT Contractors. There are many others in worse situations than you are.
Gary
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