>>>>> If you are not near retirement age you may not get my message. You may not care. You can say what you like as you have your reality and I have mine. I would suggest I am closer to my reality then you are. :) <<
>>>
>>>Of course. But it's clear that the main difference in realities, as you have stated yourself, is geographical. You are at the epicenter of the so-called "new economy" (what a pipe dream that turned out to be!), and is now the epicenter of the dot-com meltdown. Tech jobs are tight everywhere but nowhere is it nearly as bad as in Silicon Valley.
>>>
>>>I don't think anyone has their head in the sand or is refusing to listen. And who knows, you may in fact be right that most of us will have to find work in other fields. All I'm saying is the outlook isn't nearly as bleak out here. (Any more than employers were giving us signing bonuses and cars to fill positions 2 or 3 years ago).
>>>
>>>Call me a Pollyanna but I think any software developer who is flexible (including relocation if necessary) and willing to stay up to date with new technologies will have good job prospects for the foreseeable future. Unless terrorists manage to wipe us all out first, anyway....
>>>
>>>Mike
>>
>>Mike;
>>
>>I have this vision of programmers as gypsies in horse drawn wagons or cars traveling around the country looking for work ? as agricultural workers have done for decades. Yes, go where the jobs are ? that you do for survival but it does not seem like a stable life for a family. But who needs a family if you are a programmer? You have your computer and deadlines to meet. :)
>>
>>For what it is worth Silicon Valley still produces 25% of the nations export income. This has been true for at least the last 10 years. Perhaps that will change as everything else does in life.
>>
>>Tom
>
>Tom,
>Programmers as gypsies! During the last five years I ran my consulting business I traveled A LOT! I was usually called in to help in projects that failed to meet their production date. As a consequence the companies usually hired two or three outside consultants to help out the in-house programmers and set up a 'drop dead' date. The schedule was grueling - 12hrs/day 6 or 6 1/2 days per week for 6 to 8 weeks. I usually had 1 to 3 weeks between contracts. It wore me down. One day my wife suggested I restrict myself to local jobs only, so I could come home nights and weekends and I was more than willing. I was burned out and was more than happy to do something else. So, I renewed my teaching certificate. It took a year and a half of subing to realise that I was too old (and foggie) for the teaching profession, and I missed programming. I returned to consulting and after three months of doing odds&ends programming jobs, hardly enough to make a decent living, I had a three
>month contract here at revenue. A month after I started they created a full time position for me and I've been here every since. There were lots of aluring offers from dot.com's but I resisted the tempation to jump jobs for the extra money. Several did, nearly doubled their income, but are now laid off or doing jobs well below their necessary income level. I really don't know how long I'l hold on to this job. The state is $300+ million behind projected revenues and the gov is slashing services and jobs like crazy. The midwest job market is non-existant and its a game of musical chairs for everyone, especially programmers. The only areas I see that haven't been affected are the professional health services (Drs, Nurses & pharmacists). Walmart greeter openings are generating long lines and fast food places have removed their perinneal 'help wanted' signs from their windows.
>
>Everyone is pulling their belts up several notches and some are falling over from job starvation.
>JLK

Jerry;

Look at the bright side! You and I have to put up with this for only a few more years. Others have only just begun! :)

I am in discussion with Chico State University (Northern California) about a teaching position. I might do this in a year or two. Thank God I went back to college to get degrees in History and Political Science after I completed engineering college. Having more than one skill is not a bad idea.

You know what I mean when I say, “Survival is the name of the game”. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”.

If things get real bad I can always teach piano and flamenco guitar full time instead of part time.

Tom