A Rochester Institute of Technology professor argues for the preservation of American technology jobs. The professor also discusses the major trends in moving highly paid jobs in technology across the globe.

Cost cutting is the name of the game. But at what price for the country?

That appears to be the central argument of public policy professor Ron Hira from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Hira is an outspoken opponent to major offshoring trends in higher-paying technology and financial jobs. His argument? It’s not only about low-paying manufacturing and distribution jobs. In the long run–it’s about a shift from becoming a rich to poor nation.

Hira details his views in an article in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle:

“The narrative is offshoring doesn’t affect the total number of jobs in the U.S., what happens is the change in the mix,” said Hira, who wrote a chapter about the offshoring of research and development for Manufacturing a Better Future for America, published in July by the Alliance for American Manufacturing. “The problem with that is it’s not clear it’s only low-level jobs moving offshore. What it doesn’t talk about is the fact trade can be win/lose. When China gets better at the things the U.S. is good at, the U.S. can get Read more…

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Laid-off? There may be no better time than the present to develop that product you’ve been daydreaming about or launch that consulting firm. Here are some tips to get you started.

Many people think about starting their own business. Most, however, get comfortable with the salary coming in and regard it as madness to give that up on a gamble. So the loss of a job might actually represent an opportunity to make that long lost dream a reality.

Of course, there is always the fact of having to pay the bills. That causes most people to engage in a frantic search for something, anything to get some money coming in. But why take some poorly paying IT gig when you could be running your own show and possibly making more within a year?

Divide and Conquer
For those lucky enough to have a supportive spouse or partner, one good strategy could be called divide and conquer. The concept is this: One person (who is still employed) agrees to support the home, pay the bills, and so on, while the other attacks the establishment of a new IT business with vigor.

In some cases, this is easily manageable. In others, severe cutbacks in expenses will be required. But the sacrifice could be worth it in the end.

For this to work, it is best to set a timeline of around a year (i.e., you have a year to give it your best shot). Without that deadline, the years can drift by and the amount of money poured into the business can just keep multiplying. A year also provides enough time to see how well you do and adds some necessity level to get into gear rapidly.

Arranging Your Time
If you don’t have the luxury of having a partner who can support you while you launch your idea, there are other options. Your parents may help, for example, or you can get a job and spend time on the new business during your off-hours.

That can only succeed, though, if you apportion your time. If you have a day job, set a clear-cut schedule to work on the business plan — perhaps 7 pm to 10 pm Monday to Friday and all day Saturday. If you are doing software development to launch a new application, such a schedule can certainly make sense. But if your new activity requires interfacing with clients, potential clients and suppliers during office hours, you are going to run into a time constraint that will likely cripple the embryonic venture. In that case, take a job evenings or weekends, and leave the days to your chosen career path.

Whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of sleeping in until noon and dabbling at it. Set your clock early, get started by 9, no fail, and Read more…

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Despite what many people neatly ignore and categorize as “hype”, cloud computing is slowly but steadily gaining ground. Surprisingly, a recent Rack Space survey indicated that 67% of small business and 47% of mid sized businesses in the U.K. were not familiar with the term “cloud computing”. I am guessing here but, I think the reason that so many IT professionals are not yet familiar with this technology shift is simply down to the fact that they are swamped.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the current economic headwinds haven’t dampened the insatiable appetite for computer storage space and resources and with tighter budgets many I.T. folks are running flat out on daily tasks and are thus fully occupied in maintenance mode, this doesn’t leave any time to take a step back and consider strategic directions for the medium and long term. I have also seen some evidence to suggest that cloud computing is actively being resisted or ignored because some I.T. practitioners see it as a threat to their jobs. I can certainly understand the sentiment, after all, would you walk into your boss’s office and say;

“hey boss!, you know all this money you pay me to keep all these systems going and all the money we spend on technology, what would you say if I told you that you don’t need to pay me any more and you can buy the same services for a fraction of the cost using this thing called cloud computing?”

Interesting scenario, huh?

In reality this situation is nothing new in I.T., as always, the technology keeps changing and getting cheaper, and tasks that start out requiring specialist I.T. skills to complete soon become mainstream, get packaged with proper user friendly interfaces and are passed off to consumers and end users to take care of themselves. In the greater scheme of things, its not that long ago that I.T. professionals Read more…

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People can be hard to get along with, and it is likely that your coworkers are no exception.
Monica has to be the center of attention at all times. Matthew has feedback or criticism on everyone else’s work. Brian is nice to your face, but you know he gossips behind your back.

But what can you do if your colleagues are insecure, selfish, depressed, mean-spirited, needy, or exhibit any other difficult personality trait? Even though it is an overused cliche, treat others how you would like to be treated.

For as many bad behaviors that exist, there are equally as many bad reactions. No matter what someone has said or done, take some time to think before you act. Consider the most respectful, mature, and professional way to handle the situation. People make mistakes, and so do you. It is how you handle them that will set you apart.

Here are some rules of thumb to keep in mind when dealing with difficult coworkers:

Make allowance for coworkers’ faults. This certainly does not mean that you have to accept the affects of their behaviors. It simply means that no one will be perfect and that you yourself are not perfect. Let the little things Read more…

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5-MUST HAVE LEADERSHIP TRAITS

 Leadership should be borne out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it. Leadership also has a lot to do with you.

Accept all realistic challenges and deliver them on time to be a good leader.

“Leadership should be borne out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.” 
- Marian Anderson. Read more…

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