Next Move 2

[esearing]

I am at a crossroads in my Carrer. I have spent the last 5 years improving my skill sets from analyst to programmer/analyst into management. I now manage a group of developers and analysts but have recently evaluated my upward mobility to be nil at my current company. I am a good manager but enjoy coding too. I am trying to determine which would be the more profitable path in the long term. Middle Management or Contractor positions. What is your feeling for the economy the next few years for contractors? My area of experise is information management, I build automated reporting systems from data warehouses and other resources.

Languages - VBA, HTML/javascript, Focus, SAS
Applications - MS Access, Paradox, TSO, WebFocus, Oracle Client, Crystal Reports.

PS also seeking mentor like "Crystalized".

Eric Searing
eric.searing@wcom.com

 

[Zelandakh]

By career do you mean money? If so, go for contracting.

If you mean how many people you manage (and by inference how senior you are), middle management is the way.

If you mean how happy are you and how much do you enjoy your job, stick to the one that lets you go home at a sensible time, doesn't give you ulcers and just about pays the bills.


Zel

 

[Alt255]

My sentiments. Zel drove a large nail with the only hammer we will ever have in our hands.

Do what feels good. Life is short and other considerations are secondary.

Alt255@Vorpalcom.Intranets.com
​

 

[Zelandakh]

To put this into perspective:

I'm 30, make a fair living (I can pay the bills), have a modest house, a wife and a boy. I can get to work when I like within reason, but supposed to start at 9.30am. Supposed to finish at 5.30pm but if something happens I can go early or stay late depending whether it is personal or business. I enjoy what I do, but I could take my skills and go contracting for about $120,000 a year. That is a lot of money in the UK at the moment.

I have a younger brother. He makes about 3 times what I make. Starts at 6am from home, goes to work around 8 or 9am working all the way. Works until at least 6 and probably more like 8 or 9, then has to go and get lashed to wind down.

He collapsed last year with a suspected heart attack and is unable to sit still at home.

His pension will be 5 times mine, but I'm more certain of seeing mine.

As Alt says, life is short. Find a job you enjoy. If it pays the bills then stay.

I really hope my boss doesn't read this!!!

Zel

 

[Karl Blessing]

heart attack, must have been a high stress job, my job I enjoy coding (programming) of course, I'm 19 , so I pretty much got my life ahead of me, not too in tune with my current employer, but I figured by the second year of employment(if things dont lighten up) I'll move to another state find something up there, be closer to the rest of my family. But like you said, is whats the point of making a whole heck of alot of cash, if you cant live to enjoy it. I currently work 44 hour weeks (thats um approx 8.8 hours each weekday) and for that I make a reasonable salary (although people tell me it's pretty high for my age) It would be nice to be on a higher hourly (then you get paid for what you work) but there has to be a balance with me, I will not take up a job just because of high money offered, even if I could do the job.

I'll basically be in peace when I find a job that fits my area of interests, and has an employer I Can get along with.
Karl
kb244@kb244.com

http://www.kb244.com

Experienced in : C++(both VC++ and Borland),VB1(dos) thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, HTML, Visual InterDev 6(ASP(WebProgramming/Vbscript)

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