IT Jobs - Outsourcing Continues...

I was down-sized in the fall of 2008 and was out of work for eight months before landing back to back contract jobs in the IT sector for the big financials in the NYC/NJ area. I currently have four weeks left after getting a two month extension on this current gig. All that exists is temp or contract work - whether you're a Developer or in Support. To even land an interview for a full time position is next to impossible. On top of it, most of the people in IT are on work visas from India. They either support remotely from Chennai or Bangalore or send them here for a period of time. I have no problem working with them, but there's no American guys/gals moving up the ranks or coming in entry level at all. None! It's like they don't exist.

There are currently about 100 people on the floor and there are four Americans including myself. To the companies making a hefty profit: can you at least try and give the American guys and gals a shot first since you ARE a U.S based company? If you can't stomach the thought of hiring us full time (shudder), can you at least give us unlimited contracts? We promise not to mess up your bonus structure and will strictly book the time we worked to the absolute minute.

As long as the outsourcing continues, the economy will be anemic and none of us, I can assure you, will ever invest in or buy your products. And to the Senior Managers, regardless of the fact that you have a hefty title, you really add no value. Keep outsourcing and cutting costs; before you know it, your job will be outsourced as well.

Depressing. I know a senior programmer who works for a large corporation and he manages a few programmers in India. I think the good American jobs are becoming more that way - i.e., keep a few on to manage the workers in some foreign country. Maybe if enough people stop buying/investing in American companies, something will be done. I think it has to hurt the higher-ups in their wallet before they'll do anything to change it, because appealing to their morals isn't going to work - they have none.

On a different note, I'm curious about why there isn't more activity on the unemployment forums I've visited. Maybe people are just tired of talking about it at this point.

I work in healthcare. Our company was bought by a company and they changed the company name. They told us at the time that they did have IT people in India. That raised a red flag with me but I put it out of my mind. Then last week there was a meeting. Looks like a large portion of our work is going off-shore! How can they do this to Americans in this horrible economy? Why doesn't the government do something about this? This really makes my blood boil. Americans NEED JOBS!!