Started in 1980
I started as a programmer back in 1980 and worked for a number of companies as a systems developer up to 1982 when I joined DEC. I worked for them up to 2004 when I was made redundant. My role was pre and post sales account support for a number of major client companies.
I managed to get a new position in ERP pre-sales up to 2002 when I was made redundant again.
My experience since then is that, although there are hundreds of jobs posted on the various job web sites, many of them are duplicated, some don’t actually exist and even if they do they employer can stipulate such a tight requirement for technical skills that the soft skills gained by experience, such as business awareness, communication and interpersonal skills, seem to carry little weight.
Need for Certificate
Nowadays the only acceptable proof of ability appears to be a certificate.
There seems to be a demand for people with knowledge of Microsoft Business Solutions i.e. Great Plains & Navision but no way of gaining that knowledge unless you work for a Microsoft business partner, and no way of getting that job without the product knowledge, Catch 22 prevails.
I am now approaching my 53rd birthday and feel it is increasingly unlikely that I will ever be employed in the IT industry again. That is over 30 years experience down the drain, multiply that by all the other people in my position and that represents a huge waste of talent.
