Jobs @ Career Consulting Limited
Return to career-consulting-limited.com
People |
|
|
 |
How I Joined the Outsourcing Revolution
Mention "outsourcing" to a programmer and you may as well be uttering profanity. The word suggests all the evils that have befallen the Information Technology sector since the Internet bubble burst a few years ago. We've been endlessly regaled with tragic tales of American companies who have closed up shop for many of their I.T. positions, only to "offshore" those same jobs to programmers overseas working for less pay than their American counterparts. A brain drain is taking place in the once highly secure computer programming profession. Rather than cursing the darkness, however, I found myself recently lighting a candle (or making the problem worse, depending on your perspective). You see, just over six months ago, I joined the outsourcing revolution. I am therefore writing this article partly as a confession, my own personal "mea culpa" of complicity. No, I haven't put myself up on the auction block to work for Indian rupees. What I did was stumble upon several "reverse auction" web sites for outsourcing talent. If you haven't heard of them, they go by the name of Elance.com (the largest site to date) or Guru.com. Both of these sites give companies an opportunity to outsource their projects to freelance workers like programmers, graphic artists and writers. Freelancers from all over the world compete for open bid requests, offering to do these contract jobs for a fixed price. I happened upon a site called Rentacoder. Unlike the two sites mentioned above, Rentacoder didn't require a subscription fee. Their take was a straightforward commission out of each project cost. Within minutes I posted my resume and profile. Then I had a choice to make. Which projects to bid on? In addition to programming projects, they also listed writing jobs as well. I decided to bid on some of the writing jobs first, just to see how it went, and because I had always wanted to do some freelance writing on the side. Within my first week, I won a bid to write a document on Policies and Procedures. I completed that assignment, got paid, and then won another bid-a series of articles on stock market investing. Very soon I was addicted. I kept doing more writing?a technical white paper?web site content?economics articles?sales letters?a chapter in a novel?on and on. My payments were electronically transferred to my bank account, in New Economy style. This addiction has grown into a decent part-time income for the past six months. I've worked for clients as far away as Australia and Turkey, in addition to clients in the East and West coasts in the United States. I became fixated with how easy it was to do business this way over the Internet, where the whole world became my market. Then I got hold of a book called Free Agent Nation, by a fellow named Daniel Pink. It was about how "teleworkers" such as myself are transforming America by doing business this new-fangled way, working for "gigs" instead of permanent commitments to one employer. I was part of another Big Thing. Don't misunderstand, I haven't quit my day job just yet. Am I getting rich? Hardly. I make a few hundred extra dollars a month, and yes, I do get competition from workers in India. But now I am competing with them. The winning bid, in this case, doesn't always go to the lowest bidder. Writers from America have an edge in this arena. Some buyers of writing services prefer native English speakers. As I said, however, there are programming jobs posted on most of these sites too. Can programmers from the United States make a living strictly off these sites? Probably not. But programmers who choose to freelance can use these sites to supplement their income while contracting through normal staffing channels. They might make some meaningful connections in the process. So there it is. I got it off my chest. "My name is Nader Ghali, and I joined the outsourcing revolution." I feel much better. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go make some more bids. Nader Ghali is a programmer living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he writes on a variety of issues. He may be reached at mrnader1@go.com, and a sample of his writing portfolio can be seen at http://www.topwrite.net
MORE RESOURCES: Employment opportunities Department of Taxation and Finance Careers and Jobs at CRS Catholic Relief Services Jobs and careers | Veterans Affairs Veterans Affairs Your career level Continental Governor Newsom releases new framework to create high-paying career pathways with and without four-year degrees Office of Governor Gavin Newsom Looking for work? These industries are expected to see major growth in Tennessee - Commercial Appeal Careers UNCO News Central Jobs- Legacy Energy.gov California nixes degree requirements for 30K state jobs Higher Ed Dive US Department of Labor announces latest actions to secure sustainability of Job Corps program US Department of Labor Careers | Career Opportunities West Virginia University Jobs, inflation, and the Fed: How they're all related Yahoo Finance Working for ICE U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Newsroom Careers at TWU Texas Woman's University Jobs City of Rochester (.gov) Calif. Master Plan for Education Includes Digital 'Career Passport' Government Technology Careers | Home USDA.gov Careers with the City of Palo Alto City of Palo Alto US Department of Labor awards $99.3M in grants to support training, job services to prepare young people to succeed in high-demand careers US Department of Labor Employment | Department of Corrections Governor Tom Wolf Jobs and Training at FDA FDA.gov Start your career journey with Illinois, a top leader in research, teaching, and public engagement University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Draw your own chart game: how well do you know the jobs market? Financial Times Careers at Willamette Willamette University Jobs at Liberty University Liberty News Aligning workforce development with changing industry needs World Economic Forum Career Opportunities UMHB Careers at University of Missouri Health Care | University of Missouri Health Care jobs University of Missouri Health Care Careers at Union | Human Resources Union College Careers Washington State University Healthcare Jobs at Novant Health | Novant Health Novant Health Nursing jobs VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs Work At Chess.com Chess.com Work at DHS: Career Opportunities Wisconsin Department of Health Services Our People: Associate Experiences and Paths to Opportunity Walmart Corporate Careers at Prairie View A&M University Prairie View A&M University Work for Us (U.S. National Park Service) National Park Service US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown The Associated Press UF Health Careers UF Health - University of Florida Health Careers with Lexington Police Department City of Lexington, Kentucky (.gov) Working at Siemens Energy: Careers & Job Opportunities Siemens Energy Job Opportunities Bellevue School District Careers Medline Careers S&P Global Internship Opportunities | BCG Boston Consulting Group India's job market projected to grow 9% in 2025 The Economic Times Student Resources American Physical Society Mayor Adams Launches Multi-Pronged Effort to Connect More New Yorkers to Jobs and Training, Reduce B nyc.gov Careers at Jacobs Jacobs Careers at Air Liquide Air Liquide Jobs report on eve of election will be among the most muddled in years The Associated Press Job vacancies at the EUDA European Union Students and graduates JPMorgan Chase Constellation to Launch Crane Clean Energy Center, Restoring Jobs and Carbon-Free Power to The Grid Constellation Energy Careers Freedom of the Press Foundation Tourism to see 61 lakh new jobs in 10 years Deccan Herald US employers added just 12,000 jobs last month as hurricanes and strikes sharply reduce payrolls The Associated Press Highest-Paying Engineering Careers in 2024 University of North Dakota How To Use AI To Find A Job Forbes Mental health at work World Health Organization Careers Gwinnett County Public Schools Current opportunities Turner & Townsend Statement by Acting Secretary of Labor Su on January jobs report US Department of Labor Careers City of Norfolk (.gov) JobFeed NSW Department of Education Careers at King County King County ANU council members say Bell’s second job was never mentioned The Australian Financial Review KCMO Career Center | CITY OF KANSAS CITY | OFFICIAL WEBSITE City of Kansas City (.gov) Apply for a Job - The City of Vancouver, WA Careers City of Somerville Careers Penn State University IT sector to witness 15-20% growth in job opportunities in 2025: Report Business Standard Careers UTSA Today Careers City of Fort Worth Employment University of South Carolina Careers @ UO University of Oregon ADM Job Openings Unlocking Nature. Enriching Life. | ADM Careers at the ICR The Institute of Cancer Research Career Opportunities University of Houston Careers at Florida State | Office of Human Resources Florida State University Jobs | DCU People Dublin City University UH Careers University of Houston Career Services Wake Tech Newsroom |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
You Should Interview the Interviewer, Too I know what you are thinking. You're thinking, "Wait a minute. What Do Accountants And Doctors Have In Common? Freshly qualified accounting graduates when asked by the interviewer "Are there any questions you want to ask?" usually respond with "What are my duties and responsibilities"Be careful. Some interviewers intentionally do not mention anything about duties and responsibilities to test the reaction of the candidates. Vocational Experts 7 Proposals to Solve the Unemployment Problem The subject is constantly in the news and may decide thenext national elections - the infamous jobless recovery.More than 8 million Americans are out of work with another 4million underemployed or no longer looking for work. The Changing Values Landscape of the U.S. and How It Impacts Midlife Job Searchers, Part Two The values landscape of our nation is changing, and with it your personal values landscape is changing as well. What does this mean and what does it have to do with midlife? Researcher Dr. Free Resume Examples: Use Them, But Dont There are lots of free resume examples (or free resume samples) on the web.Try searching for "free resume example" at Google and take a look at the almost 5 million pages that come back (the less restrictive "resume example" gives you 7 million pages, if you've got more time on your hands). What To Do When You Get Caught Surfing By The Boss! It has been a long morning and you need a mental break. You start thinking of your weekend plans and jump on your messaging program to make plans with a friend. Personal Grooming: 8 Top Reasons Why You Can't Take It For Granted In Your Career Most people when they landed "the dream job" after an interview or even got "the deal" of the lifetime in their businesses, sadly to say tend to slack on their grooming habits and it even goes to the point that they are wearing their pajamas going to the office. It seems that's very extreme but it happens. Negotiating Skills: How to Obtain the Salary You Want Salary negotiating is an important topic that must be addressed prior to your initial interview with a prospective employer. Knowing your bottom rate, and being able to live with it [or on it?] is an important thing for candidates to uncover before the first interview. Whats Stopping You from Getting Your Next, Good Job? This question comes up often when I'm working with someone to help them move forward in finding their next job.What is it that compels people to stay "stuck"?1. Should You Lie On Your Resume? Warning: Lying on your resume could cost you your job and your freedom.Picture this. Job Search 101 The whole job search effort is completely exhausting and at times just plain pathetic. It is what it is and if you are unemployed know that the job search experience is one familiar to everyone at some point and time, so don't feel alone. 5 Interviewing Tips To Get That Job! Anyone who is a jobseeker knows that looking for a new job or career is a job in itself. Once you have completed the laborious task of writing your resume and submitting it to various companies, you now have to pass the screen test to get the job. 20 Powerful Tips For Advancing Your Career You don't want to stay in your current position forever.. What Turns Potential Employers ON; What Turns Them OFF? According to an annual survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, these are the most important qualities that employers are looking for in a job candidate, in priority order: (1) Communication skills; (2) Honesty/integrity; (3) Teamwork skills; (4) Interpersonal skills; (5) A strong work ethic. Be sure to highlight those skills in your resume, during your interview, and in your thank-you letter. Network Now Have you ever been to a networking event that was awkward, frustrating and nothing more than a business card exchange? In his book MANHATTAN SOCIETY: The Art & Spirituality of Networking, Chris London says "Networking with integrity creates a greater willingness of all parties to be part of a human conduit to serve as energy and resource to one another. Sometimes you will give more than you receive and sometimes you will get back more than you give. Image and Style Count When I was a child, there was a pool nearby and every year my parents bought us season tickets. My brother and I swam there everyday. Career Strategy When Your Boss is a Bully Q. Right after I accepted my new position, the manager who hired me quit. Hiring the OverQualified Employee or Mining for Gold I am having a hard time understanding why a valuable resource such as the "over qualified employee is having such a hard time getting a job. Something seems to be out of whack here. Career Change Is Not For Wimps! 3 Powerful Steps to Do Work You Love Tough words.. Gray Hair, Black Prospects If you're reading this article, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that discrimination has become much more sneaky than in the past. No one comes out and say, "We're not hiring you because you're too old.
|
|
|
| © Career Consulting Limited.com 2011
|