Taverner
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Fri Apr-09-10 06:44 PM
Original message |
To be a techie today - means suicide |
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Again, any profession does at this point....
Welcome to the dark ages of the USA....
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Manifestor_of_Light
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Fri Apr-09-10 08:47 PM
Response to Original message |
1. Our country has thrown away millions of talented and educated people. |
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All in the name of saving money and destroying our R&D base, our manufacturing base, our artistic base, you name it.
(B.A. in biology and J.D. (law degree) here, never got a job with either one of them).
I wish we had a huge New Deal jobs program and that it included ARTISTS OF ALL KINDS.
I would love to be painting murals.
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RKP5637
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Sun Apr-11-10 01:34 PM
Response to Reply #1 |
hunter
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Sat Apr-10-10 10:09 AM
Response to Original message |
2. I make stuff out of trash. It keeps me sane. |
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Art, computers, cameras, all sorts of stuff...
The techie in me has to make stuff.
With a pile of trash, some solder, welding rods, portland cement, epoxy, open source software, etc., I can make all sorts of things.
My computer is trash, my cars are trash, my clothes are trash, my cameras are trash, and my art is trash.
I'd love to see a new age of innovation, of art, of education, of high speed rail, of high quality medical care for everyone... but until that happens I'm not going to sit around getting rusty,
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Odin2005
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Sat Apr-10-10 11:22 PM
Response to Original message |
3. I'm dreading that right when I get my Biotech degree they are going to outsource the jobs. |
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Edited on Sat Apr-10-10 11:22 PM by Odin2005
I'm thinking of switching majors and turning my linguistics minor into a part of a Foreign Language major.
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Taverner
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Sun Apr-11-10 12:27 PM
Response to Reply #3 |
10. Wouldn't surprise me - we Americans require things like OSHA and overtime pay |
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Rather than slave labor...
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LibDemAlways
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Sun Apr-11-10 01:52 AM
Response to Original message |
4. The only jobs in my area are in retail. New stores popping up |
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Edited on Sun Apr-11-10 01:53 AM by LibDemAlways
here and there as others close. The question of who is supposed to buy the stuff those stores are selling remains a mystery.
Husband lost his software engineering job in January due to the closure of an entire division of his company. He's a first rate systems/software architect. Any organization would be lucky to have him. He's also pushing 60, and finding a job at his age is made doubly hard by the gray hair. The blatant age discrimination is sickening. One major company seeking to hire people with his qualifications and experience held a job fair recently. He first spoke with a recruiter over the phone who told him "You seem to be just the person we are looking for. Come see me at the fair so we can discuss where you might best fit." At the job fair the same recruiter wouldn't even look him in the eye. Took his resume and mumbled "We'll review this and call you if we're interested." Translation: We don't care about your experience or your expertise. We'll take our chances with someone younger and cheaper and hope they don't screw up too bad.
My daughter is in high school and is under tremendous pressure (school-imposed) to take the most challenging courses and get into the best college so that she can get the best possible job. And then she comes home and sees her hard-working dad out of work and disspirited. Talk about mixed messages.
You're right. This is, indeed, the dark ages.
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Skittles
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Sun Apr-11-10 04:13 AM
Response to Reply #4 |
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currently I have to work with the cheap overseas fucks who replaced people like your husband - let me tell you, there is NO COMPARISON in quality - they simply lowered the standards
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unhappycamper
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Sun Apr-11-10 06:32 AM
Response to Reply #5 |
6. I was working at Verizon for 21 years before leaving in 2002. |
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The company was very proud of its new Verizon University in Mumbai, as well as all the cheepo H-1B imported help and the number of outsourced applications.
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LibDemAlways
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Sun Apr-11-10 10:23 AM
Response to Reply #5 |
8. What my husband does requires government security clearances, so they |
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Edited on Sun Apr-11-10 10:25 AM by LibDemAlways
can't hire cheap outsourced labor. Instead they hire young kids right out of college and basically command the older guys to train their replacements. Then they let the older, more expensive guys go. Then, because the young kids don't know what the hell they're doing, they screw up and projects become hopelessly behind and way over budget. Ultimately, most of the work gets cancelled. Tremendous waste of taxpayer dollars. And the recruiter at the job fair admitted they were looking for 200 new grads to hire. Apparently the few older workers they invited were there strictly to cover the company's ass in case anybody sued.
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Taverner
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Sun Apr-11-10 12:26 PM
Response to Reply #5 |
9. Despite the fact that its causing these comapnies to hemhorrage money |
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They are shipping their engineering departments to China and India
All in search of cheap labor
makes me sick
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LibDemAlways
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Sun Apr-11-10 12:41 PM
Response to Reply #9 |
12. Also bringing in H-1B Visa workers they don't have to pay a decent wage. |
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Edited on Sun Apr-11-10 12:41 PM by LibDemAlways
Given the current unemployment rate, that practice ought to be outlawed immediately, but it will never happen. The sick repuke fucks who own the country don't give a shit if Americans starve as long as they are turning a profit.
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RKP5637
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Sun Apr-11-10 02:07 PM
Response to Reply #9 |
17. So true. Initially it was manufacturing, of course, and they tried to sell us the |
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story it was just manufacturing, etc. I never ever fell for that line of crap. IMO this place is now on the road to sinking lower and lower. The exceptional knowledge base in this country will be history, and that is not something anyone can turn around overnight.
We are destroying our core competencies for this country. One of my friends, EE, MBA now flips burgers at McDonald's and feels fortunate to have found a job. He was well over 100k/yr for years. And I have many others in the same boat...
And if the RW fools gain a strong foothold again, this place is history. I guess we can all sit around selling hamburgers to each other and working as clerks at Walmart and the like.
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Skittles
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Sun Apr-11-10 05:33 PM
Response to Reply #9 |
24. I have to deal with folk in China, India, Spain, Brazil, Panama, etc etc |
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Edited on Sun Apr-11-10 05:51 PM by Skittles
you have no idea how sickening it can really be - seeing coworkers walked out the door and knowing who is replacing them
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Taverner
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Sun Apr-11-10 06:33 PM
Response to Reply #24 |
25. Oh man - I can only sympathize |
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I'm in sales, because they will be the last man standing - hoping to make it long enough to either retire or get an OK job at Starbucks while I wait until 65.
But honestly - if our data centers and manufacturing are totally overseas - what's left? Honestly - it seems like our current batch of legislators is dealing with the branches, rather than the root of the problem
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IDemo
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Sun Apr-11-10 08:00 AM
Response to Original message |
7. Both sides of the story exist where I work |
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There was a large layoff last year and the manufacturing side has gone away, likely for good. But a couple of new divisions show promise and have been hiring for firmware and hardware development positions over the past year with no letup in sight.
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stray cat
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Sun Apr-11-10 12:34 PM
Response to Original message |
11. Those without an education are doing far worse.... |
WinkyDink
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Sun Apr-11-10 01:21 PM
Response to Original message |
13. Oh, I'll bet there are jobs in insurance, private prisons, educ. testing, and Dollar Store retail. |
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Edited on Sun Apr-11-10 01:28 PM by WinkyDink
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Taverner
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Sun Apr-11-10 04:07 PM
Response to Reply #13 |
19. Funny you should say that |
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I keep getting recruiters trying to offer me jobs as an insurance salesman, despite me having NO EXPERIENCE or DESIRE
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RKP5637
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Sun Apr-11-10 01:55 PM
Response to Original message |
15. This period will go down in history as The Modern Dark Ages or something like that, and |
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I fear it will be many years, decades before this country recovers if ever, because the county is devouring itself with greed, cult religion, RW politics and many not giving a damn about people. And, the global competition is far different today.
There are, of course, very very capable people in other parts of the world not encumbered by the nonsense in this country. I think this country is going to be left behind financially, educationally and socially.
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Initech
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Sun Apr-11-10 02:03 PM
Response to Original message |
16. My parents think I'm nuts for not going into the tech sector. |
Taverner
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Sun Apr-11-10 04:09 PM
Response to Reply #16 |
21. If you want to live in Mumbai its a great carreer choice |
paulsby
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Sun Apr-11-10 03:06 PM
Response to Original message |
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have you considered law enforcement?
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Taverner
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Sun Apr-11-10 04:08 PM
Response to Reply #18 |
20. Nah I'm 40 now, and NEVER EVER wanted to do law enforcement |
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Even though I could - I come from a long line of cops (and preachers)
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paulsby
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Sun Apr-11-10 04:31 PM
Response to Reply #20 |
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in that it's all about talking a good game.
communications skillz
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Taverner
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Sun Apr-11-10 04:38 PM
Response to Reply #22 |
23. Yes but I don't think I could exist in the "Blue Man's Group" if you know what I mean |
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The Sales Group is tough enough
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Sun May 12th 2024, 10:58 PM
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