[PJUG Javamail] Is software engineering in the US dead?

[Dean Pierce]

As time goes on, the demand for programmers is only going up.  The days of
sitting back and writing a kloc every week without doing any actual thinking
and getting paid 120k per year is pretty much gone though.  Those sorts of
hight paying jobs are now only given to specialists with expertise in the
set of fields required for the position.  This usually means being a
commiter on one or more of the open source projects that the company is
building off of for their particular solution.

With a masters degree, you might be able to demand maybe 10% more
compensation for the work you do, but it will not likely make you more
qualified to do any particular job.  However, getting a masters degree will
allow you to experience cutting edge research, and can give you a good in
for working on some up and coming open source projects, which will look
great for those specialist positions I was talking about earlier.  It also
gives you a few years for speaking/networking at conferences etc.

If you hate computers by now, your best option might be to get that MBA
:-D  The pay is usually better, but with the massive influx of communication
and collaboration technologies, holding meetings to schedule meetings etc is
becoming far less viable.  There is also the threat of developing pointy
hair syndrome.

Keep in mind that these countries are getting all this extra work because of
a significant economic scew.  As more money flows out of the US and into
other countries, the economies will become more balanced, and if a coder
over there feels like the American companies aren't paying them enough, they
will start their own company, and will likely be able to pay their employees
significantly more than American companies could.

   - DEAN


On Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 10:36 AM, <steve.j.hall at tektronix.com> wrote:

>  Is software engineering in the United States dead?
>
>
>
> I am currently working in Java and Java EE creating and maintaining
> applications that support global manufacturing and service.  I have been
> with this company approaching 4 years.  I have recently been notified that
> the manufacturing facility in which I work is being moved to China.  Accordingly,
> my current job will end sometime in 2010.  This is the second company in a
> row that has notified me that my services will no longer be necessary as
> they are moving this job function to over seas providers.
>
>
>
> I have contributed significantly to some great projects during my career.
> However, looking back over the 11 years I have been involved in software it
> seems to me my career has been anything but upwardly mobile.  In fact,
> looking back it is evident that four organizations in the past ten years
> have been filling a role, while planning on consolidating to another region
> either within or outside the United States.  Naturally career growth and upward
> mobility in such an organization is non existent.
>
>
>
> To provide a more complete picture, below is a summary of my background:
>
> B.S. in Computer Science
>
> Sun Certified Java Programmer
>
> 11 years in software development, 8 years focused on Java and Java EE.  I
> work in all layers from the database to the user interface, full SDLC
>
> Lots of other skills: team lead, team building, interviewing, management,
> project management, and the like.
>
>
>
> I have seen the resumes of the candidates we are hiring in China; the
> resumes are generally peppered with the names of American corporations going
> back at least 5 or 6 years.  I have had discussions with former colleagues
> who have shared their experience when their employer has outsourced to
> India.  In short, there is strong evidence of a shrinking industry here in
> the United States.  None of this makes me mad, as I don’t believe that I
> am somehow more entitled to a job than someone in India or China is.  However,
> it sure would be a lot easier to navigate the global economy if there wassome type of road map.
>
>
>
> I am interested in PJUG member’s opinions on whether software engineering
> as a career direction in the US is still viable, or whether this is a d
> ying industry as software engineers cannot compete in a global economy?
>
>
>
> I am also interested in opinions of where I should focus my efforts if I do
> stay in software engineering: Additional certifications in the Java EE
> platform; learn Spring and Hibernate, EJB3, something else?
>
>
>
> Will a Masters Degree in software engineering be necessary to be viably
> employed in this industry in the United States?  Would an MBA be a better
> idea?  Should I give up and become a homeless bag man?
>
>
>
> Please be candid, you will not hurt my feelings.
>
>
>
> As a service to PJUG members, I will consolidate responses and post back to
> the group unless the response specifically requests that I not do so.
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Steve Hall
>
> stevejhall at verizon.net
>
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