Hi,

I have had several people PM me asking about jobs and careers, since they see I work in the IT field. Most of these folks are just starting their careers and are asking for some suggestions and advice. I, being a person who tries to give the straight goods, told them that probably they may want to re-consider IT, since many of the jobs are either being offshored or eliminated all together, as technology continues to allow-end users to become self-sufficient and not require as much technical assistance, as say, 15 years ago. Yesterday, one of the long-standing members of my team moved on to a new job, and she was one of the people I first hired, so obviously I had mixed emotions - but her job pretty much was phased out due to our client's budgetary requirements, so it was inevitable, I suppose.

This leads me to think about the others who have gone before, who were part of the team. All of them are over 30, and want to get out of the industry, even if there are jobs available. But of course, for those who have families or those who are the sole providers for their families, entertaining a career change at this point is difficult, since that would require retraining/schooling, which will likely cost money, and then you start out in your new field in an entry level job, paying less than what you're making now, and saddled with education debt once again. I know a guy in my company who is really struggling with this as he has two kids, but constantly tells me that he is stuck in the wrong job. I try to be as encouraging as possible and mention that not all is lost - there are many options for him, not the least of which is staying with the same company, starting to take on (want or solicit) additional responsibilities in other area, and then gain expeirence in-house and potentially move to something else in-house, keeping the same salary.

One interesting scenario over the years that people have told me is that many companies no longer reward you for hard work the traditional way. What I mean by this is that in my Dad's working days many years ago, he would show up on time (if not early), do a good job, go the extra mile and he will almost be guaranteed a raise when the time comes. These days, you can do a great job, but still get let go due to cost reductions. But that is just the way today's world is, I suppose.

My own thoughts - I think I have a different view of jobs/career than a lot of people. I really see a job/career as a means to an end, the end being helping to put food on the table and provide for my family. It really doesn't matter what I am doing, and as a result, I don't get stressed over offshoring or industry changes. I could be in management, not in management, in senior management, or simply a standard worker - it doesn't matter to me. I simply adapt to the changes, and continue to work the best that I can. I think having a optimistic attitude is infectious, so I really try to ensure that my team at work sees me as a person who doesn't badmouth the company or complain in general. There are too many complainers, so I don't need to add to that number. I spend a lot of time helping staff develop their careers, find out where the roadblocks are, and assess their own development and where they are in their job satisfaction, knowing that there are many factors out of their control. I never thought this would be a key part of my job, but it has been, but it's really rewarding to help others recognize where their skills are and potentially move them towards their career goals, helping turn a negative into a positive.

Not sure where I'm going with this - sorry if this bores anyone. I guess the point I am trying to make is that it is never too late to change a career, if you want to. And even if you are stuck in a job that you don't like, there are some things you can do about it, and one is just to try your best to remain positive. Management in most companies like positive people and if there's one consistent thing that is rewarded, it is people who show perseverance through difficult times. I know of a fellow - a really nice guy, who is 45+, whose wife finally found a job last year after being unemployed for two years. He doesn't work either. I talk with him and tell him that I have seen lots of help wanted signs in restaurants and he says, he doesn't want to be a burger flipper. That was disconcerting to hear, since I would think anyone who needs to support their kids would do whatever it takes. I certainly would. I probably wouldn't hire him, even if I had the opportunity.

For people considering changing careers (and I've talked with many over the years), the number one question I get is, "how do I know what I should be doing?" I obviously can't tell anyone that since I am not in their shoes, and I don't know themselves better than they do, but in my opinion, the number one thing I tell people is to do two things: 1) what are you good at and what interests you, and conversely, 2) what are you not good at and does not interest you? Likely the latter assessment will eliminate a lot of potential jobs. The first assessment will point you towards certain jobs. Also consider your financial situation - if getting reskilled will cost you $75,000, and you don't have $75 bucks, it will be an easy decision. Consider the impact to family, potential relocation, etc.

As for me, I am sure one day my job will be offshored to India, as the rest of my team's roles have been slowly drifting towards outside of North America, in order for companies to save costs. That's OK, since I have enough experience and skills in my field that I would not have difficulty finding something else. But even for myself, I am re-assessing whether I want to even stay in this industry. If I don't, the good thing is that I have met so many people along the way that I've worked with who can put in a good word for me at their companies. My Dad has always told me in business, never burn your bridges. I never have, and I'm sure one day these relationships I've made over the years will prove to be very beneficial.

Again, sorry if this has put anyone to sleep. I figured with the PMs that I received, along with some recent developments at work, coupled with my own reflection, I just figured I'd just regurgitate some thoughts... If anyone else is in this situation, feel free to add your experience and views.

Once again, I apologize if this seems like a boring topic.

I see exactly what you are saying and being in IT and seeing the developments not only in India but other upcoming countries, I can also see that the future of IT in the UK is not too bright although at this moment we are seeing good times.

Even though I don't have first hand knowledge of this, I believe that the Indians are not quite up to standard although it's only a matter of time before they learn. On the other hand, as their standard of living rise, so do their wages and as a result blunting their competitiveness financially speaking will not be as great as they are today. So it's not all doom and gloom for the locally base IT industry. Moreover, there are some sectors which will never be able to outsource IT operations e.g. military.

Having said that I am seriously thinking of changing careers and becoming a translator. It may not pay as well but the atmosphere in IT is very sterile but at the moment it puts food on the table and that's why I am sticking with it.

Thanks for the response. It's interesting, because I was chatting with the lady that I hired whose last day with our account was yesterday - I took her out for breakfast and we discussed all manner of stuff. She's actually from China and came to Canada for work in IT - she has done very well for herself, since we first hired her as a co-op student and she has then gotten on full-time and has excelled. We talked about China/Hong Kong/Canadian job markets and she told me this:

1) If I were to move to Hong Kong and teach English, I would make a lot more than working in IT in Canada. Actually, she said, any job in Hong Kong pays well, whether it is general labour or office job. She said she knew people who were working in a factory who packed boxes - they sold their middle-income place and moved to Canada, and the first thing they wanted to buy was a luxury car, since they had the cash on hand. So sort of going back to one of my previous posts, the money is not really from wealth - Hong Kong just pays more overall, from what she told me. However, she said Hong Kong is very crowded, and it is mostly apartments and condos, so you feel very squished very fast.

2) China, on the other hand, is far different. She said that no one really owns exorbitant amounts of property there, and as a result, the job pay is on par with Canada, but as a foreigner going in, I would have a distinct advantage, since they treat foreigners much better than their own people. The cost of living in China is very low, she said. She mentioned that a lot of people live in compounds and are treated fairly equitably, though it's an unspoken rule that you "owe" the government your allegiance through working there and staying there. Foreigners are excluded from these unspoken rules.

I wonder how many of us who are not from Hong Kong / China / Korea / Japan and other Asian countries have considered getting a job there, using our North American / European / Australian language skills to land a job there. I heard jobs in Seoul and Tokyo pay very well, especially language type jobs like teaching English and being a translator. I'm not sure I want to move away from Canada, though, since I like the environment here very much - it's not as continuous non-stop work as those cities. A friend of mine told me that when he worked in Japan, businessmen there were expected to not only put in their 8 hours + of work every day, but then spend the evenings socializing with their co-workers, essentially more or less working at those times. I wouldn't be able to adjust to this.

Interesting thread, im not in the IT but telecommunication field, ask anybody I bitch about my job more than anything! Since my job requires fluency in English and high degree of in-person customer contact, it’s highly unlikely that my job would be send to India. Nonetheless, I regret investing almost 12 years in my field. Job sucks! But like Jeremy says, it puts food on the table so I hang around longer hoping for better tomorrow. Since the telecommunication deregulation, there have been some changes, some good and some not so good. I knew passage of law meant more competition and layoffs so I enrolled in college and got myself a bachelor’s degree at company’s expense. It’s not much, but it’s something for me to fall back on just in case.


IT field is not what it used to be. I understand frustrations of highly skilled IT professional, but when company is shipping $75 an hour job to India to cut cost, how do you turn negative into positive? You’re fighting a losing battle Jeremy.
Why is it disconcerting for you hear that your friend is refusing to be a burger flipper? Maybe he has pride in what does, and flipping burgers is below his standards. He’s better off getting government assistance.


People change careers all the time, 7 lifetime careers on average. It’s better to be proactive than reactive when it comes to career change for sure. Those good O-days of define pension, good wages, job security, and longevity is gone forever. It used to be that you get a job and work there for 30 years and receive comfortable retirement not no more! I wish I gotten a job with Feds, anybody out there have hook up?

Hi, thanks for your response. True about shipping the 75 dollar an hour jobs to India. But I am saying I remain positive because who's to say that I will be in that same job? I have seen it before - by remaining optimistic and keep working hard, I can move laterally in the company, and that will be the impetus of a career change. I figured that if I think of this as an opportunity to show what I can do, when my job goes offshore, I will have other skills, assets, and abilities that will be highlighted, which will allow me to move elsewhere, albeit slowly. That way, a career change is possible, but doesn't require expensive retooling costs and starting over at a lower wage.

As for my friend and the refusal to flip burgers...well, in my view there is nothing wrong with flipping burgers. It's an honest job, and when you're complaining at how you're 45+ and it's so hard to find work, and your wife is unemployed as well and you have two kids, and yet you refuse to flip burgers...well, what can I say. Swallow the pride and work; otherwise, don't complain about not being able to find work. The only job that I would say is rejectable, other than illegal stuff, is telemarketing. I think anything else is fair game and honest work, and yes, I include flipping burgers. Nothing wrong with it when you're down on your luck and need some money.

Not sure I could ever live like that, we spend bulk of our time sleeping and working... It does consume our lives to a great degree...

I started my university years as a Computer Science major, I got into it for all the wrong reasons... I was a computer wiz in high school, early 80's I was programing in basic and pascal, eventually C+ etc... The teachers at the time, knew little about computers and programming in high school, most teachers took summer courses in the 80's to be eligible to teach a computer lab class... They would often pull me out of my regular class to ask questions etc... I taught myself when my folx bought me an apple clone in 83... ok, I'm rambling...

Anyway, mid way into my first year as a Comp. Sci Major and pulling in a perfect grade btw... lol... I realized this isn't what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, there was no passion in me for this...

My criteria simply was, would this career motivate me to get out of bed each morning? The answer was simply no...

I changed majors and school after the first year... I've never regretted it...

It's served me well, I'm doing what I love and something I have a passion for...

Having said that, I also don't stick around one place or another for very long, as I find the challenge would also dissipate... So I would move on to the next challenge... The longest I've been at one place is 3 years, it's actually been 3 years and one months now! I've been looking and had a couple of offers, which I've turned down... I'm now in talks about partnering up with an existing firm, so this will bring a new set of challenges and I think a pay cut... lol and more stress... oh well.. it will be interesting non-the-less...

The point is, least for me... if I can't be doing something I truly love to do, I would likely shrivel up and die... lol...

I know so many people, who make good money, but have little job satisfaction... they count the time to the weekend... It can't be healthy to ones body and soul to live like this... I got enough crap going in my personal life right now... I don't really need a career that would add to it...

As for IT guys in the various companies I've worked for in all my years... there is only a few in management and there are a room full of tech. support guy swith university degrees and a blank, lifeless stare in there eyes...

Only STUPID and IGNORANT people find me offensive!

Some good points, Chewie2007. It reminds me of what my Dad told me once about work - it's time to quit when you don't want to get out of bed every morning to go into the office or wherever your place of employment is. I am happy to get out of bed to go to work - I suspect that when it ceases to be like this, I'll have to think long and hard about that one.

You had the opportunity to switch interests while you were still relatively young, in school, etc. For my friend who is 40+ to do the same (he has two young kids, and a wife who works part time) would be much more difficult - I know he doesn't enjoy what he is doing (he's a network engineer - his group's jobs are all going to...surprise, surprise, India...). However, he enjoys some web programming, but programming jobs are a dime a dozen these days, and there is a push for them to all go offshore as well.

I knew a guy who also had a philosophy that he needs to move companies every three years in order to keep things interesting and push himself towards a challenge. While I can see where he's coming from, I also see it from a management point of view - if I were to hire that guy, I'd be expecting him to bail in 3 years, so I'd have to go through the rigamarole of hiring someone else and retraining again. Not much consistency that way as an employer. And I wonder whether employers still regard company loyalty with any degree of preference.

Since you are not a programmer, what field did you switch to, if you don't mind me asking?