Economy is doing real well?

Dr. NO · Post by **Dr. NO** » May 24th, '06, 16:19

Cityskier wrote:
Steve wrote:outsourcing may suck, but it's a reality of life.
If you're not prepared to deal with it, it's your own fault.
You say some really stupid sh*t.

It does sound Stupid, but when you work for a very large corporation, Rule #1 is to be prepared to go elsewhere. May not be out sourcing, but they may eliminate your job or simply tell you that you need to find something else. Good ole Jack Welch said that when he took over. If you are not ready to move on, then you are not ready for the changes in the company.

Dr. NO · Post by **Dr. NO** » May 24th, '06, 16:22

Bubba wrote:
ski_adk wrote:I was talking about this issue the other night with my girlfriend. I was arguing that globalization is bad and she's kinda in support of it. I lost the argument b/c she is right that outsourcing is making it cheaper to buy goods here in the US. Yet, that's a paradigm to me, b/c if the goods are cheaper to buy since they're being produced elsewhere, how are we coming up with the money to buy them if our jobs are leaving the country.

In other words, are we seeing quality, decent-paying jobs replacing the manufacturing jobs that are rapidly disappearing. What are they? What industry is filling the employment void left behind when companies move overseas? How are we able to buy those foreign-made goods when our jobs are high-tailing it out of the country?

My gut feeling is that globalization and outsourcing is bad, but I can't seem to come up with a decent reason as to why. Anyone know how to help me figure this one out?
You're having trouble coming up with a decent reason why because your girlfriend is right.

To answer your question, however, "are we seeing quality, decent-paying jobs replacing the manufacturing jobs that are rapidly disappearing" the answer is yes. The nature of manufacturing jobs is changing and becoming more technologically driven. We no longer have as many jobs demanding physical labor done by high school graduates - we have manufacturing plants now that require fewer hands-on workers and more workers with the technical expertise to run the machines. This is good for the economy but also means that workers need to be more educated to succeed in the future.

Plumbing or Mortician. Everyone will sh*t and piss, and everyone will die ! Job security.

One is semi educated, the other requires a degree !

Steve · Post by **Steve** » May 24th, '06, 17:10

Dr. NO wrote:If you are not ready to move on, then you are not ready for the changes in the company.

Interesting quote - in that it is exactly that attitude of the higher-ups at my company.

Dr. NO · Post by **Dr. NO** » May 24th, '06, 17:20

Steve wrote:
Dr. NO wrote:If you are not ready to move on, then you are not ready for the changes in the company.
Interesting quote - in that it is exactly that attitude of the higher-ups at my company.

Not a quote, but a para-phrase. I am sure Eric can quote ole JACK word for word on such topics. I am just one of the grunts in the trenches and do my job.

DMC Freeride · Post by **DMC Freeride** » May 24th, '06, 17:41

Steve wrote:
Dr. NO wrote:If you are not ready to move on, then you are not ready for the changes in the company.
Interesting quote - in that it is exactly that attitude of the higher-ups at my company.

Yup...

I've found myself in the middle of a small company - and I've been pushing my skillset to the max... I'm definatly one of those "jack of all trades - master of none" on all this new stuff I'm learning... But I can speak to it and am learning in the heat of battle... Small companies are great for learning new sh*t...

I need a vacation... :)

Steve · Post by **Steve** » May 24th, '06, 18:05

DMC Freeride wrote:Small companies are great for learning new sh*t...

Yeah they are..

medium-sized companies like mine are great for that too - not so big that you're pigeon-holed into a single task, but big enough to be able to afford the resources for your experimentation. servers, software and such.

DMC Freeride wrote:I need a vacation... :)

Me too, and no fair! You had tucks, after all. (:

St. Jerry · Post by **St. Jerry** » May 24th, '06, 18:26

Bubba wrote:
XtremeJibber2001 wrote:
ski_adk wrote:
Bubba wrote: You're having trouble coming up with a decent reason why because your girlfriend is right.

To answer your question, however, "are we seeing quality, decent-paying jobs replacing the manufacturing jobs that are rapidly disappearing" the answer is yes. The nature of manufacturing jobs is changing and becoming more technologically driven. We no longer have as many jobs demanding physical labor done by high school graduates - we have manufacturing plants now that require fewer hands-on workers and more workers with the technical expertise to run the machines. This is good for the economy but also means that workers need to be more educated to succeed in the future.
Actually, I've always been against the concept of globalization and outsourcing. It's just that she was able to counter every bad point I could come up with against the practice.

The bold part of your comment I guess is something that irks me because even though the economy is growing, working-class folks are the ones bearing the brunt of it. Education and training is an expensive burden that will put the replaced workers either into debt or further into debt. It's like the owning class has basically said "Thanks for the hard work, good luck starting over."

I guess my problem with outsourcing and globalization is something that falls an emotional plane, rather than a spreadsheet.
A'men....just started looking at MBA programs.....$40-80K
I got mine. Now go get yours!

A lot of $ and effort, but well worth it (as long as you're focused and go into a field where your higher income can pay-off the tuition loans).

Notning comes for free. It's like any investment, but it's an investment in yourself.

XtremeJibber2001 · Post by **XtremeJibber2001** » May 24th, '06, 21:41

RipeBanana wrote:
SPORE wrote:
RipeBanana wrote:
Bubba wrote:
XtremeJibber2001 wrote: A'men....just started looking at MBA programs.....$40-80K
I got mine. Now go get yours!
I'm taking the GMAT's this summer. Blech.
Get yourself a good job that will pay for you MBA....taking the GMAT's and getting my MBA at no cost to me
Yeah, I need to find out if the new job will chip in at all, otherwise I'll just end up tacking loans on top of my loans.

Meh...I know the job will pay for a good portion of the MBA. If I stay in Philly I'll be looking at only paying maybe 3K a year after company reimbursement...if I go where i WANT to go....it's going to be much more tthan 3K

RipeBanana · Post by **RipeBanana** » May 25th, '06, 06:21

XtremeJibber2001 wrote:
RipeBanana wrote:
SPORE wrote:
RipeBanana wrote:
Bubba wrote: I got mine. Now go get yours!
I'm taking the GMAT's this summer. Blech.
Get yourself a good job that will pay for you MBA....taking the GMAT's and getting my MBA at no cost to me
Yeah, I need to find out if the new job will chip in at all, otherwise I'll just end up tacking loans on top of my loans.
Meh...I know the job will pay for a good portion of the MBA. If I stay in Philly I'll be looking at only paying maybe 3K a year after company reimbursement...if I go where i WANT to go....it's going to be much more tthan 3K

I think most MBA programs are looking for some work experience as part of the admission requirements, at least that's what I've found.

St. Jerry · Post by **St. Jerry** » May 25th, '06, 06:42

[/quote]

I think most MBA programs are looking for some work experience as part of the admission requirements, at least that's what I've found.[/quote]

Yes, while not a requirement, most programs look for at least 2-4 years of work experience.

SPORE · Post by **SPORE** » May 25th, '06, 08:20

XtremeJibber2001 wrote:
RipeBanana wrote:
SPORE wrote:
RipeBanana wrote:
Bubba wrote: I got mine. Now go get yours! :lol:
I'm taking the GMAT's this summer. Blech.
Get yourself a good job that will pay for you MBA....taking the GMAT's and getting my MBA at no cost to me :lol:
Yeah, I need to find out if the new job will chip in at all, otherwise I'll just end up tacking loans on top of my loans.
Meh...I know the job will pay for a good portion of the MBA. If I stay in Philly I'll be looking at only paying maybe 3K a year after company reimbursement...if I go where i WANT to go....it's going to be much more tthan 3K

Look for a better company...there are companies out there that will pay 100% of Tuition....mine will even pay for books on top of that!

XtremeJibber2001 · Post by **XtremeJibber2001** » May 25th, '06, 08:31

SPORE wrote:
XtremeJibber2001 wrote:
RipeBanana wrote:
SPORE wrote:
RipeBanana wrote: I'm taking the GMAT's this summer. Blech.
Get yourself a good job that will pay for you MBA....taking the GMAT's and getting my MBA at no cost to me
Yeah, I need to find out if the new job will chip in at all, otherwise I'll just end up tacking loans on top of my loans.
Meh...I know the job will pay for a good portion of the MBA. If I stay in Philly I'll be looking at only paying maybe 3K a year after company reimbursement...if I go where i WANT to go....it's going to be much more tthan 3K
Look for a better company...there are companies out there that will pay 100% of Tuition....mine will even pay for books on top of that!

I know what you mean....I still have a few years....hopefully we can work sumthin out

yeti · Post by **yeti** » May 30th, '06, 08:37

I'm in technology. If I'm outsourced, I'll find another job. Quickly.

Ha. Haha. HAHAHAHA..... ahem.

Sorry. (heehee) No, seriously - hopefully you have a better plan than that.

Any job that you can do sitting in front of a computer is Not Safe. Yes, that would include each on every one of us reading this for the most part. Tech is the first sector to take advantage of this, but it is pervading other areas as well. Accounting. Finance. Journalism. Medical. Legal... all are being outsourced.

Tell me again how this MBA is going to help? In the showers at Auschwitz the bodies would form a pyramid - the strongest would fight and claw their way to the top standing on the weaker to avoid the gas (which was heavier than air).

Tell me - is it better to be on the top of the pile or the bottom?

These days it seems furthering your education will simply delay the inevitable. But like the strong ones in the showers, we all will eventually share the same fate.

It would be a better deal if outsourcing were done on a level playing field... but it is not. Manufacturing in China - they don't have to deal with pesky EPA and OSHA regulations. Minimum wage? Ha! The cost of my lunch would buy two weeks worth of groceries in India.

Much of it we do to ourselves: a year or two ago a GM plant on Broening Highway here in Baltimore closed down. Some workers who were laid off got *two years* full pay and benefits. WTF? Is this part of the plan to make us more competetive on the global marketplace?

Hard to say either way what the best way to protect yourself is.

XtremeJibber2001 · Post by **XtremeJibber2001** » May 30th, '06, 08:53

I can't speak for Steve, but an MBA would/will help those in the Tech field in my opinion (of course acknowledging that I am only now beginning my entry to the work force).

I want to be diverse, have several directions I can go, and be able to cross into different sectors either within my company I work for or within industries/sectors in the market.

Like DMC said, he's a jack of all trades. That's something I feel most tech companies want...he's good at every task that the tech shop needs him to do, but he's certainly not a professional in one of those technologies.

Same goes for education experience in my opinion. I want to have experience and education in several areas so I can be utilized in several ways and become more valuable to my organization. The same goes for my own personal growth. I want to have other career oppurtunities lined up in the case I'm outsourced, laid-off, or even if tech starts to spiral downward.

If we look at DMC, he does a little bit of everything. That means if he's fired, laid off, etc he has several career paths he can take because of the plethora of skills he possesses. Sure he doesn't know one of those skills 100%, but nowadays who does? People that engage in one technology and one alone are doomed to be jobless.

In tech you have to stay on top of the game. You have to be familiar with new technology, watch the markets, read blogs, be an activist. At least those are my thoughts when it comes to being successful in tech and in the general job market.

Once again, I'm not in the market yet, so forgive me if I'm too green

DMC Freeride · Post by **DMC Freeride** » May 30th, '06, 08:57

XtremeJibber2001 wrote:Like DMC said, he's a jack of all trades. That's something I feel most tech companies want...he's good at every task that the tech shop needs him to do, but he's certainly not a professional in one of those technologies.

If we look at DMC, he does a little bit of everything. That means if he's fired, laid off, etc he has several career paths he can take because of the plethora of skills he possesses. Sure he doesn't know one of those skills 100%, but who nowadays does? People that engage in one technology and one alone are due at some point to be jobless.

Acutally I'm a professional at everything i do...
What I'm becoming is a solutions architect.......