It seems that in my line of work, there is always some sort of “reorganization” going on. One week we hear one rumor, the next another. Things are always in flux. Over the last eight years at my J.O.B., our department has been officially reorganized three times. We’ve gone from 30 staff members to 17, and our workload of active computers on the network has doubled. When things get hairy during roll-outs or upgrades and we start whining, the boss always brings up the fact that our jobs could be outsourced.
How incensed we are to hear that! My job outsourced? No way!
But when you look at it, unless you can offer something unique and irreplaceable, you are ultimately at risk of having your job outsourced. We maintain our tenterhooks on our IT responsibilities through only two things:
1. We have the ability to be first responders due to our location on-site.
2. We are the corporate knowledge for our organization.
If this balance shifts at any time, we are vulnerable to being outsourced right out of our jobs. As an IT worker with a commitment to our organization’s mission, and more importantly, to my department’s mission, it behooves me to always keep in mind that only these two things keep me in my job.
This is why it is critical as an IT worker, from my perspective, to maintain my training, keep my finger on the pulse of new technology and tech solutions, and to look for new ways to be useful. There are things I’ll never be able to do (computer programming is not my thing), but there are plenty of things that I can, and should, be learning how to do.
Anyone who thinks they can’t be outsourced in this economy is deluding themselves, no matter how specialized their skills or job description.
I am so sick of companies threatening Americans, like you mention. I am also sick of supposed “citizens” sending viral email around saying that it is the Unions who have caused companies to go offshore.
No, companies can pay 10 cents on the dollar in Indonesia or So. America; they do NOT have to pay for health insurance offshore; they do NOT have to pay pensions.
In my local area, our county gave gigantic tax breaks to a company, because it said it would leave the US if they did not get a break. Pr. Wm. County gave that big tax break. The company took the tax break, stayed a couple months and MOVED offshore!
Disgusting!
Well, oddly enough my company got purchased by an Israel one a few summers ago.. and they sent me there to train. I also went there on my own cuz it was sorta fun (and the women are great).
But for a number of reasons they’ve recently scaled back and all but shut down our division there.. why??? Well I think alot has to do with the fact we deal in dollars and are facing off against a much stronger shekel.
It seems even the ‘medium’ outsourcing of (usually) more eloquent English speaking and far more intelligent people has become too costly. (its a shame to see Attorneys & Harvard graduates in a call center) India and other poor countries will always remain cheap, however. I notice when the dollar drops it barely puts a dent in the rupie or the Egyptian Pound.