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Subject:RE: Job Market in the USA From:"Swallow, William" <WSwallow -at- courion -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 14 Aug 2001 14:14:46 -0400
Ah, what the hell...
August 1998 to April 2000 I worked for a telecom convergent billing and
infrastructure software company. We were doing well until we were bought by
some boneheads in Austin, TX. They botched the biz and tanked the company. I
was downsized that April, along with a good chunk of the company.
Job hunting and private contracting until...
June 2000 to January 2001 I took a job with a software shop that put
newspapers online - true web sites with great revenue potential. They
thought page views were more important than true revenue and began to tank.
I was downsized this past January, just after the holidays, along with a
good chunk of the company.
Job hunting and private consulting until...
Landed a job with my present employer in late April of this year. So far so
good. :)
In general, the market - at least in the Northeast USA - is tight.
Contractors I know are having a hard time drumming up business, and FTEs who
are looking for work are finding it tough. I was lucky to land this job.
There are people out there looking for tech writers... you just have to keep
your eyes open and be ready to pounce. But many companies are tightening the
purse strings and their belts to stay afloat these days. Plus, with all the
dot-bomb "alumni" out there, upper management ain't as smart as it used to
be... many dot-com founders are now upper management in other companies,
either via acquisition or through conventional assimilation (job hunting).
If you can wait - if you have a good job and like where you are - wait.
Analysts have been predicting this "dry season" will continue for about
another 6 months, at which time crops will slowly start to grow back.
*****************
BILL SWALLOW
Technical Writer
C O U R I O N C O R P O R A T I O N
1881 Worcester Road
Framingham, Mass. 01701
T E L * 508-879-8400 x316
F A X * 508-879-8500
www.courion.com
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A landmark hotel, one of America's most beautiful cities, and
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