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India frustrated with H-1B Visa taxes

Webmaster — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:54:02 -0600

When the Indian SMS-based social network GupShup polled Indian workers in that nations technology hubs, it got quite a surprise. Tech workers in Bangalore, the biggest technology outsourcing hub in India said they felt that they understood the anger of American workers at losing their jobs to outsourcing. According to the companys Senior Director and Head of Marketing Vishal Nongbet, 45 percent of Indian workers polled understand the American sentiments, but nevertheless are proud of the jobs they do for American companies.

SMS GupShup is Indias largest social network, and unlike social networks in the United States, is SMS-based because a large percentage of Indians have cell phones, but relatively few have access to the Internet through a computer or smartphone.

To many Indians, and to many American workers, the issue of outsourcing and the issue of foreign workers coming to the United States on temporary work visas are closely tied. Many people see both issues as vehicles for giving jobs formerly done by U.S. workers to workers from other nations. In fact, Nongbet said most Indians expected the current attempt to pass an immigration bill that, among other things, would raise the cost of H-1B visas to $2000.00 will proceed.

Skills required for jobs in 2020

Webmaster — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:22:02 -0600

In the year 2020, technical expertise will no longer be the sole province of the IT department. Employees throughout the organization will understand how to use technology to do their jobs.

Yet futurists and IT experts say that the most sought-after IT-related skills will be those that involve the ability to mine overwhelming amounts of data, protect systems from security threats, manage the risks of growing complexity in new systems, and communicate how technology can increase productivity.

Data Analysis - Demand will be high for IT workers with the ability to not only analyze dizzying amounts of data, but also work with business units to define what data is needed and where to get it. These hybrid business-technology employees will have IT expertise and an understanding of business processes and operations. They are people who understand what information people need and how that information translates into profitability.
Risk Management - Risk management skills will remain in high demand through 2020, especially at a time when business wrestles with growing IT complexity. Think of IT problems on the scale of BP's efforts to stop the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, or Toyota's work to correct sudden acceleration in some of its cars. Businesses will seek out IT workers with risk management skills to predict and react to these challenges.
Robotics - Robots will have taken over more jobs by 2020. IT workers specializing in robotics will see job opportunities in all markets. Robotics jobs will involve research, maintenance and repair. Specialists will explore uses for the technology in vertical markets. For example, some roboticists might specialize in health care, developing equipment for use in rehabilitation facilities, while others might create devices for the handicapped or learning tools for children.
Securing information - Since we're spending more and more time online, verifying users' identities and protecting privacy will be big challenges by 2020, because fewer interactions will be face-to-face, more personal information may be available online, and new technologies could make it easier to impersonate people. Teleworkers will also represent a larger portion of the workforce, opening up a slew of corporate security risks.
Running the network - Network systems and data communications management will remain a top priority in 2020, but as companies steer away from adding to the payroll, they will turn to consultants to tell them how to be more productive and efficient based on predictions from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Career path for IT professionals

Webmaster — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:54:54 -0600

Pure computer programmers are going the way of the typing pool. So are one-dimensional technology specialists like network engineers. Deeply technical professionals with multiple certifications in virtualization, networking and security technologies work primarily as component engineers and IT architects. Job titles include cloud architect, cloud capacity planner, cloud infrastructure administrator and integration architect.

CIOs and IT employment experts, including Janco Associates, Inc. predict that this bifurcation of IT roles will vastly accelerate, with most professionals falling into one of two major categories: technical specialists and business specialists.

The people who work in these roles design and maintain the underlying framework or architecture. On top of this architecture sits a shifting inventory of cloud services, plug-and-play Web-based applications and easy-to-use proprietary software components that together represent the key source of a company's competitive advantage.

Technical Specialists

Technical specialists are the people who work in a They kinow about data standards, information standards, virtualization, networks, mobile technology and IT architecture, among other things.

Organization will have far fewer people than today's IT department, but these workers will have an extremely rich set of technical skills, and they will understand precisely how their business makes and loses money and how all transactions flow through the enterprise.

This is where the enterprise's overall business process and technology architecture will be maintained. The infrastructure will be made up of multiple services furnished by a variety of outside suppliers, coupled with software components that were designed both externally and in-house and that are extremely intuitive and easy for various business functions to assemble and use competitively.

All indications are that by 2020, a big chunk of technical specialists' work will involve integrating a broader array of technologies and services into the overall enterprise infrastructure, CIOs say. That's why a broader set of networking, software, virtualization and other skills will be required.

Business Specialists

The work of business specialists is matching the right IT tool to the business need at hand. These are super-IT-savvy business experts who understand how the business works, how transactions flow, what makes and loses money for the company, and where and how technology can help or hinder the business.

This is where the upwardly mobile career action is, as well as the greatest coolness factor.

IT's future revolves along three interrelated dimensions all of which converge in the IT career track. They are:

Innovation, which he defines as the ability to convert ideas into money;
Business analytics, which involves operations research, data mining, data integration, reporting and statistics; and
Risk management, which requires a keen knowledge of business processes.

By 2020 technology will be easier to use and it will be more prevalent in other parts of the business and not just the purview of IT. It is about having employees who are versatile and who know various technologies and business processes. It makes us more flexible and reduces risks. Rotation creates versatility.

The CIO role becomes much more about how to use technology to help the business rather than how we provide the technology.

H-1B and L Visa application fees increased

Webmaster — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:11:34 -0600

The U.S. is reviewing whether the new $600 billion border security law for improved surveillance of illegal immigrants on the U.S.-Mexican border that increases visa fees on H-1B visas is compliant with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. Visa fees on H-1B and L visas paid by these foreign companies by roughly $2,000 per visa application.

The new law will affect Indian and other outsourcers outside the U.S. who bring staff in large numbers to do work in the U.S., but it will not affect U.S. tech companies who also use workers from abroad. As U.S. tech companies are based in the U.S., their staff from abroad are typically less than 50% of their total staff in the U.S.

The total cost to all Indian outsourcers from the new measure could be collectively as much as $250 million a year. That is not a very large cost for Indian outsourcers to bear, considering that their revenue runs into billions of U.S. dollars, an analyst at a major research firm. But the same analyst is worried that the visa fee hike could be just the beginning of other protectionist measures by the U.S.

The new border security law has been criticized as discriminatory by India's National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom), as it singles out companies that have more than 50% of their staff in the U.S. on these visas. The Indian outsourcing model involves deploying a large number of staff temporarily on customer projects in the U.S.

H-1B Visa program tied to Border Security in the US Senate

Webmaster — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:17:33 -0600

Senators will seek to restrict visa program, saying H-1B use has created 'multinational temp agencies' that discourage U.S. students from entering the tech field. Job Descriptions are required for H-1B employees that show these positions can be taken by recent college graduates.

One key Senator says that the H-1B program has created "multinational temp agencies" that undercut U.S. wages and discourage students from entering tech fields.

Speaking on the Senate floor in advance of its approval Thursday of $600 million for border security that includes an H-1B visa fee increase, said the H-1B program has morphed into program used to hire foreign tech workers "willing to accept less pay than their American counterparts."

The border security bill imposes a $2,000 fee increase on those firms that have 50 percent or more of their U.S. employees on H-1B and L-1 visas. That bill, which funds 1,500 new border officers and unmanned drones, awaits the president's signature.

The Senate had previously approved the border security bill, but when it included the visa fee increase further House action was needed, and the Senate had to act again.

Never Write Another Job Description From Scratch

Webmaster — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 07:55:50 -0600

If you plan to add new IT positions or re-organize your IT department in the near future, the IT Job Description HandiGuide will save you many hours of research. Detailed job descriptions are the best way to communicate the responsibilities and requirements to both prospective candidates and to the remainder of your organization and they are already written for you!

Janco and eJobDescription.com have compiled complete descriptions for the 230 most .IT positions. Each multi-page description contains a detailed description of the responsibilities and of the recommended requirements for each position. The documents are in Microsoft Word format and can be easily customized to fit your unique needs.

You will save hours of time for each position you're hiring with this handy resource.

How to succeed in IT in tough times

Webmaster — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:33:57 -0600

The best way to show that you're valuable is to be valuable. Focus on how you can deliver the most benefit to your employer, not on making sure everyone notices how hard you're working or what you've achieved.

The most reliable way to keep your career moving forward is to build a track record of consistent success. Things that you should do to standout in these tough times include:

Impress the CIO and your key users - IT reputations are built from the ground up. While you should always try to meet your manager's expectations, your day-to-day working relationships with colleagues are just as important. Assist your peers whenever you can without spreading yourself too thin. After all, they're the ones who can step in and help you meet a tight deadline.
Work longer hours smarter - Hard work is a prerequisite for most IT positions, but that doesn't mean "the more hours, the better." An extreme work schedule can actually lower your overall productivity by wearing you out and leading to burnout. Regularly working late also might be a sign that you're not managing your time well.
Become a specialist with a skill that is in demand - CIOs will always rely on experts in specific technologies, but succeeding in today's environment also requires an ability to expand beyond your job description as needed. Don't pass up training opportunities or projects that can help round out your skill set. By demonstrating that you're eager to expand your core abilities, you make yourself more likely to be considered when a chance for advancement arises.
Take charge and accept new responsibilities for things that you can do - A can do attitude won't move your career forward if you take on work that you can't, in fact, do. Indiscriminately volunteering for projects that extend beyond your current abilities can create headaches for the entire IT team. Ask yourself whether you have the appropriate skills and experience for the job. Instead of volunteering to lead a project, would it make more sense to play a supporting role in which you can learn as you go?
Focus on promotions that are meaningful - It's easy to be blinded by a loftier title and higher salary, but before you accept a promotion or a change in your current role, consider all the ramifications of the change, including your work/life balance. Also think about the tasks you most enjoy: Will you be able to devote as much time to them? All advancement entails some uncertainty, but accepting a higher-level role just for the pay and prestige can sap your satisfaction and lead to a career dead end.
Get the right certifications - In a highly competitive IT job market, the urge to enhance your résumé in any way possible is understandable. To bolster your qualifications, you may be tempted to earn new certifications - any new certifications. But these credentials carry their full value only when they're paired with experience. Choose training opportunities and certifications that realistically enhance your ability to help your current or next employer.
Do not engage in gossip and rumor spreading but be social and network - Spending a little time every day to maintain personal connections with people throughout the organization is essential to the health of your career. These informal relationships strengthen your network and may open the door to unforeseeable opportunities.

IT Professionals react to continue economic downturn

Webmaster — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:00:55 -0600

(SHRM) - As the economic downturn worsens, employers are scrambling to trim discretionary spending and, increasingly, to reduce payroll. Layoffs are on the rise in the U.S. workforce, with 651,000 jobs cut in February 2009 for a total of about 4.4 million jobs lost since December 2007. The overall national unemployment rate was at 8.1% in February 2009, the highest monthly unemployment figure since 1983. Even currently employed individuals are feeling the effects of the weakened job market and cost-cutting measures - both within their organizations and on a personal level.

The Society for Human Resource Management conducted a poll in January 2009 to gauge workers perceptions of the job market and the impact of the economic downturn on employer benefits and personal financial behavior. The summary results are:

Although one-half of workers felt that their jobs were not currently at risk, only about one-third felt that their jobs would not be at risk if the economy continued to decline over the next six months.
Nearly one-third of workers are likely to begin a job search or intensify their job search when the economy and job market improve.
The most frequently reported action employees have taken in response to the downturn in the economy was decreasing the use of credit cards and/or cancelling credit card accounts.

The making of an effective CIO

Webmaster — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:45:12 -0600

CIOs need to position themselves with their enterprises in order to be successful. They need to not only know where their clients want them to go but also to communicate how they are achieving those objectives. The objectives they need to meet and the metrics that can be used are:

· Understand requirements and objectives Frequency and number of requirements and objectives discussed with multiple people at customer organization.

· Establish company credibility and interest - Company viewed as a leader with known corporate, technical and project management teams in addition to solid past performance and experience.

· Preview preliminary solution with customer - Well-developed solution with features linked to objectives and approach vetted with customer to get buy-in and solution validation.

· Achieve acceptance of win strategy (technical, management, past performance, teaming, price) accepted by customer - Win strategy well established, previewed and accepted by customer.

· Influence the request for proposals - Procurement strategy, proposal instructions, and evaluation criteria favorable.

IT layoffs continue

Webmaster — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:03:33 -0600

As part of a large downsizing effort of its labor force in 2010, Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly is cutting 340 information technology jobs, according to an internal announcement.

Eli Lilly--which manufactures and markets drugs that fight cancer, diabetes, fibromyalgia and erectile dysfunction, among others--announced last year it was planning to cut costs of $1 billion in 2010, and the elimination of 5,500 workers is part of that cost reduction effort.

Eli Lilly has already seen about 140 layoffs, retirements and resignations in IT in 2010, according to the The Indianapolis Star. John Russell, a reporter for IndyStar.com, wrote the following on the latest round of layoffs:

"But it means 200 more information technology workers will lose their jobs this year. The company said 115 of those cuts will take place this month. Workers who are affected--or 'reallocated,' in Lilly parlance--are given several months to look for another position within the company. But openings for reallocated workers typically are extremely limited" Eli Lilly reported $5.486 billion revenue growth in the first quarter of 2010 -- a 9 percent increase from the first quarter of 2009. The company expects to see large costs associated with health care reform legislation that passed Congress and signed by the president earlier this year.

"Lilly delivered strong operational performance in the first quarter, even as we experienced continued weakness in the U.S. dollar versus prior periods and began to account for the impact from recently enacted U.S. health care reform," said the CEO in the quarterly earnings statement "Our volume-driven revenue growth remains solid and we are making the investments necessary to accelerate the flow of potential new medicines through our pipeline."

Eli Lilly announced on July 2 that it entered a definitive merger agreement to acquire Cambridge, Mass., biotechnology firm Alnara Pharmaceuticals, which has been developing a drug to help combat pancreatic deficiencies and those affected by cystic fibrosis.

Layoffs at Eli Lilly have not been isolated to IT; scientists, marketers, public relations representatives, sales professionals and others have all been let go from the company this year. Eli Lilly has roughly 40,000 employees globally and claims to be the 10th largest pharmaceutical company in the world.

Department of Labor mis-classifies IT PRofessionals

Webmaster — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:15:13 -0600

The Department of Labor does not specifically identify millions of IT professionals working in business lines, corporate departments, and in various enterprise strategic and operational functions. These jobs require skills well beyond technology; for instance, precise industry, customer, product, and solution knowledge and expertise. The fact is, the IT profession has undergone radical changes over the past several years, blending seamlessly into the enterprise.

20 million U.S. IT pros? Of course there are far more than 4 million people who use extensive IT skills to do their job, people who would not classify themselves as anything like a software engineer or computer scientist. But consider that there are about 51 million total managerial, professional, and related workers in the U.S. Up to half of them are IT pros?

When will the DOL get this right ?

Tech is on the comeback

Webmaster — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:14:12 -0600

Job demand and salaries are up in California's capital city, according to the Sacramento Bee. Not known as a technology hub for jobs, it is a sign that about smaller cities like Sacramento see an uptick in demand for technology talent.

At more than 500 open information technology positions for Sacramento, the numbers are up by half from the same time last year. The tech job market in Sacramento has improved significantly. There is solid demand for engineers, project managers and programmers.

Officials at SARTA, the Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance, seeing an uptick hiring. Other areas of the country like Austin, Texas and Raleigh, North Carolina are also seeing technology job demand increases. Austin and Raleigh are known for being smaller tech hubs due to the proximity to universities and colleges. Companies in these cities are vying for talent as hiring heats up in Silicon Valley, New York and other large metropolitan areas. Job opening postings rose even more dramatically in traditional tech centers such as Washington, D.C., New York and Silicon Valley, where job postings increased 68 percent from the same time last year. The three metro areas represent nearly a third of the website's available tech jobs.

IT Professionals are satisfied in their jobs but are looking

Webmaster — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:26:52 -0600

The vast majority of IT professionals are satisfied at work with 40 percent are satisfied with their jobs. Indeed, Janco finds that there is a direct correlation between job satisfaction and the salary. Since more money equals greater job satisfaction, one could infer that for some, money does buy happiness.

However, more than 60% of IT Professionals feel they should be making more money.
Though the majority of IT professionals seem to be satisfied with their current jobs, it is not preventing almost 40% of them to start looking for new opportunities. Nearly 1 in 5 are either actively looking or will be looking within the next three months.

CFOs say IT salaries remain flat - recession is not over

Webmaster — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 01:40:23 -0600

Grant Thornton recently surveyed chief financial officerson a number of economic and business topics. Almost half of surveyed "national" 496 chief financial officers said they believe the economy will not come out of the recession until 2011, and a quarter predicted that the recession will last longer than 2011. Only 15 percent of tech CFOs surveyed said they think the recession will be over after 2011. Forty-seven percent said they think it will end in 2011, one-quarter expect it to end in the second half of 2010 and about 10 percent said they think the recession is already over.

Tech CFOs were more positive across the board. The 53 in that group were feeling pretty decent about their budgets and hiring, but don't expect much of a raise or bonus in 2010. Only 11 percent of respondents said they plan to give raises this year, with 32 percent actually decreasing them this year.

In terms of hiring, 37 percent said they expect to increase headcount in the next six months, compared with 29 percent in all other industries. Only 2 percent of tech CFOs said they expect to lay off employees, compared with 9 percent in every other industry. Over 80 percent of tech CFOs are keeping headcounts flat. IT Salaries have remained flat. From the report:

"Fifty percent thought that the U.S. economy would improve over the next six months (versus 44% for their counterparts in other industries), 60% thought their own company's financial prospects would improve (versus 52%), and 37% thought the economy would come out of recession in 2010 (versus 28%). In terms of inflationary pressure, only 17% were planning to raise prices in the next six months, versus 24% for other industries."

Colorado Inflation Adjustment Lowers Minimum Wage

Webmaster — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:22:12 -0600

Colorado's minimum wage will drop slightly in the new year - the first decrease in any state's minimum wage since the federal minimum was adopted in 1938.

Colorado's wage is falling 3 cents an hour, from $7.28 to the federal level of $7.25. That's because Colorado is one of 10 states that tie the state minimum wage to inflation. The goal is to protect low-wage workers from having unchanged paychecks as the cost of living goes up.

But Colorado's provision also allows wage declines, and the state's consumer price index fell 0.6 percent last year, so the minimum wage is going down.

The lower consumer price index, attributed to lower fuel prices, would have forced the wage down 4 cents an hour, But no state can go below the federal minimum of $7.25.

Thirteen other states and the District of Columbia will keep a minimum wage higher than the federal minimum, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Alaska will join them Friday when its minimum wage rises 50 cents to $7.75.

Colorado's drop is small - but those among the estimated 48,000 residents earning the minimum shook their heads at the possibility of pay cut.

Keeping a positive attitude improves CIO performance

Webmaster — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:44:43 -0600

With hard times, CIO often find it difficult to enjoy the success that they have had. There are things that top IT executives and IT managers can do to get the joy and enthusiasm back in their lives. They are:

Take pride in your team and what it can do
Look for new challenges that can be met within the limitations of your staff and budget
Keep pet projects going even if it means putting in more effort
Let others know what you have done and are doingGive yourself rewards for the good work that you do
Delegate your dirty work and work that does not
Reward you to others on your team
Revisit your career choices and validate that you are in the right field

High tech jobs continue to suffer according to government report

Webmaster — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:13:31 -0600

Silicon Valley's decline has been charted over an eight-year period between 2000 and 2008 in which venture capital investment meant big gains for technology workers' wages in the beginning, but those IT wages have since diminished. The recovery will be slow and gradual, according to government economists. On the whole, high-tech industries in Silicon Valley declined sharply in employment and wages from 2000 to 2004 but increased gradually in both respects from 2004 to 2008.

From 2000, when high-tech employment and wages peaked, to 2008, Silicon Valley's hightech industries lost more than 108,400 jobs, or 19.9 percent of their employment.8 High-tech industries in the rest of the Nation lost 6.2 percent of employment. In addition, real wages fell by 13.5 percent among Silicon Valley's high-tech industries, while high-tech wages grew by 1.3 percent in the rest of the Nation.

Job Market Looking Better for IT Professionals

Webmaster — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:23:03 -0600

In a soon to be released IT Salary Survey, Janco Associates, Inc. says the IT Job Market is finally starting to improve.

Janco's Summary observations for the 2010 Mid-Year IT Compensation Study are as follow:

Some recovery is occurring in compensation and hiring. The total mean compensation for all IT Professionals has increasing to $78,210 from $77,690. There still is softness in the executive ranks of mid-sized enterprises.
Executives other than CIOs in mid-sized companies continue to feel a salary crunch with Chief Security Officers and heads of internal consulting seeing the greatest pressure.
Companies have continued hiring and spending freezes in addition to laying-off of staff. This has been augmented by extensive outsourcing, bonus reductions, and elimination of IT contractors -- which has decreased the demand for IT professionals and in some cases lowered wages, with higher priced positions being eliminated.
Companies are continuing to reduce the benefits provided to IT professionals. Though benefits such as health care are available, IT professionals are now paying a greater portion of that cost.
Flexible hours and work schedules are becoming more available as the recovery begins to take hold and is viewed as a low cost high value benefit by both employers and employees.
As a result of outsourcing and layoffs, hiring for new positions has remained flat for several quarters.
CIOs compensation has increased over the last 12 months. The mean compensation for CIOs in large enterprises is now $181,533 (an increase of 7.52%) and $169,303 (a 3.73%) in mid-sized enterprises.
In mid-sized enterprises, the mean total compensation for all positions has fallen slightly from $73,905 to $73,439. At the same time in large enterprises, the median compensation has risen slightly from $82,475 to $81,652.

HP to cut 9,000 jobs

Webmaster — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:02:59 -0600

Hewlett-Packard is spending $1 billion and cutting 9,000 jobs in a restructuring its enterprise services.

The company announced that it plans to spend the money to invest in a series of commercial data centers that will offer enterprise customers a more integrated platform on which to run their businesses. The initiative will also consolidate HP's data centers, networks, and applications. But as a result of the increased streamlining and automation, HP expects to eliminate around 9,000 jobs, or about 3 percent of its work force, over the next few years. HP has approximately 304,000 employees worldwide, according to a Fast Facts page on its Web site.

To pay for the enterprise restructuring, HP will take a charge of about $1 billion over an unspecified number of years that will be included in its financial results. Once the restructuring is complete, the company said it expects to save around $1 billion each year before taxes and between $500 million and $700 million after taxes and reinvestments.

Networking Tips for IT Professionals

rss@ejobdescription.com — Thu, 27 May 2010 15:05:20 -0600

Before anyone starts to look for a job they need to see that their professional network is in order and that they have game plan of steps that they will follow. Included are:

Belong to professional groups in your industry and be active - To get the most out of networking opportunities, arrive on time for events or 15 to 30 minutes early if the event is a conference, lecture or trade show where your early presence won't impose on a host. When you show up early, you will meet the movers and shakers at the event. In addition, you never have to worry about having to break into other people's conversations. If you're one of the first people in the room, others will begin to congregate around you.
Treat networking events as ways to meet other professionals not sales opportunities. Trade shows, conferences and parties are opportunities to meet people, to create likability and commonality the two cornerstones of networking. No one at a networking event is going to offer you a job right then and there. So don't try so hard to sell yourself. Instead, find common ground with the people you meet. Break the ice by asking people about their interests outside of work.
Give out your business card only if it is asked for or after you ask for the individual you are talking to.. When you immediately hand your business card to people to whom you're introducing yourself, the action suggests that you're interested only in selling a product or service to those people
Networking is not a numbers game, aim to make meaningful connections with a manageable number of people.
Talk about what you would like to do and never be negative. Job seekers should state what kind of job they're seeking, as well as the industry and any specific companies that interest them.

CIOs remain cautious - salaries to remian flat

Webmaster — Sun, 23 May 2010 09:29:35 -0600

Park UT CIOs in 57% of the 243 enterprises survey remain very cautious about the economic prospects of their companies. The CEO of Janco Associates, Victor Janulaitis said, The general belief of most CIOs is that the recession is not over as of yet and that as they begin the budgeting cycle for 2011 they will take the lead from their enterprise operations management on salary increases. CIOs do not want to be in the position as the ones calling for increases in salaries as companies continue to trip costs. He added, A number of the CIOs surveyed say they are not looking to have any increased hiring until the 2nd or 3rd quarter of 2011. They feel they can still squeeze more productivity out of their existing staff and applications. On the bright side they are beginning to upgrade older hardware to improve efficiencies and reduce operating expense by getting more green equipment.

eJobDescripion.com in conjunction with Janco Associates will be releasing its mid-year IT Salary Survey June 21st and will include a forecast of the job market in that survey. The current survey can be found at http://www.ejobdescription.com/IT_Salary_Survey.html . eJobDescriptions.com said, Enterprises that purchase the current survey will be eligible to download the new survey at no cost when it is released.

Janco disagrees with ADP forecast of job market

Webmaster — Tue, 11 May 2010 11:25:46 -0600

Janco has just conducted a series of interviews of CFOs and CTOs in large and mid-sized enterprises. Janco finds that the job forecast for IT professionals remains poor for the short and medium term. Janco finds that most large enterprises are continue to consolidate and cut costs. Especially impacted are firms based on the West Coast. The CEO of Janco, Victor Janulaitis said, "Many firms are continuing to reduce the size of their IT staffs as smaller layoffs continue. Few enterprises are hiring where there is an increase in head counts." He added, "Looking ahead to the next budgeting cycle, many of enterprises interviewed do not see any new hiring until 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2012 as they expect a dip in the economy in the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2011."

This is in contrast with a recent ADP report which says that layoffs are down, hiring is up and cautious optimism is the rule of the day when it comes to employment figures. Payroll numbers show the most job growth in April came from the services sector and from medium to large businesses.

The news from ADP is that 32,000 new jobs were created in April, predominantly in the services sector and mostly by medium to large businesses. Small businesses were only responsible for 1,000 of the 32,000 total jobs added.

One More Proposal to Alter H-1B

Webmaster — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:52:52 -0600

A new proposal in the US Senate would stiffening of the regulations surrounding H-1B and L-1 visas, including restricting the number of H-1B and L-1 employees that U.S. companies of a certain size could hire.

A visa program would be added - H-2C. H-2C visas would give workers the ability to change employers after one year, and allow them to earn lawful permanent residence if they meet sufficient integration metrics to demonstrate that they have successfully come part of the American economy and society.

Included in the proposal employers would not be able to hire an H-2C worker before an employer takes affirmative steps to recruit and hire American workers, including through Americas Job Bank and recruiting through State Workforce Agencies.

This proposal would add fraud and abuse protections for existing temporary high-skilled work visas. It will amend current law regarding H-1B employer application requirements to: (1) revise wage determination requirements; (2) require Internet posting and description of employment positions; (3) lengthen U.S. worker displacement protection: (4) apply certain requirements to all H-1B employers rather than only to H-1B dependent employers; (5) prohibit employer advertising that makes a position available only to, or gives priority to, H-1B [non-immigrants]; and (6) limit the number of H-1B and L-1 employees that an employer of 50 or more workers in the United States may hire.

H-1B Visa holders may want to avoid Arizona

Webmaster — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:04:39 -0600

Federal immigration law requires that all non-U.S. citizens, including H-1B workers, have documentation showing that they are in this country legally, but visa workers are rarely asked to produce their papers at any time or place.

Most H-1B holders are not likely to carry valuable and hard-to-replace paperwork on them at all times for practical reasons -- they could be lost or stolen. Under the new Arizona law, though, every police officer becomes, in effect, an immigration enforcement agent that can demand the paperwork at any time.

Legal experts said that an H-1B worker questioned by a police officer that has "reasonable suspicion" about his or her immigration status could be arrested while doing nothing more than going to a restaurant, grocery shopping or even taking a walk around the block if they don't have their H-1B papers at the ready.

Creating Job Descriptions

Webmaster — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 04:23:33 -0600

Never Write Another Job Description From Scratch!

If you plan to add new IT positions or re-organize your IT department in the near future, the Internet and IT Job Descriptions will save you many hours of research. Detailed job descriptions are the best way to communicate the responsibilities and requirements to both prospective candidates and to the remainder of your organization and they are already written for you!

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Hiring on the Upswing in Large IT Tech Firms

Webmaster — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:40:16 -0600

Has hiring started to improve? For some large companies it has. Google, Intel, Cisco Systems and others have increased their headcounts in the first quarter of 2010 and all three say they will continue to hire throughout the remainder of the year. Oracle and Hewlett-Packard - which cut back some full-time positions due to acquisition redundancies with the Sun Microsystems and EDS deals - have stated that they are expecting to hire more workers this year.

Google saw a nice 37 percent jump in profit in the first quarter and added 786 new employees to its roster in the first three months of the year, the company said April 15 on an earnings call.

H-1B employees face employment risks

Webmaster — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:55:03 -0600

Federal prosecutors filed extortion-related charges against two Illinois men both of whom were employees of an IT staffing company. The U.S. Department of Labor determined after an investigation that a H-1B employee was owed back wages.

Complaints from H-1B visa holders about non-payment of wages by IT consulting firms is a fairly routine matter for the Labor Department, but most are civil matters and are handled administratively. A criminal case puts this wage complaint into a different league. The two suspects face 20 years in jail, according to prosecutors.

Federal prosecutors said the two Illinois men arrived unannounced at the H-1B employee's residence and ordered him to get into a car. The employee said he thought he would be hurt if he did not comply. After entering the car, the employee was told that if he did not recant his statements to DOL he would "take care of" him.

A number of day's later, federal officials said the defendants allegedly entered the H-1B employee's residence without permission through a closed, but unlocked door, and "struck him in the chest and shoulders to awaken him." Later, the employee again met the defendants at a restaurant where he was offered $5,000 to recant his statements. He was also told that if he didn't accept the offer he would lose his H-1B status.

The IT consulting company is being investigated by the Department of Labor and owes some $142,000 in back wages to four of its employees, including the money owed to the man in this case.

Nearly 2,000,000 IT jobs lost

Webmaster — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:09:18 -0600

The Hackett Group found nearly 630,000 back-office jobs will be lost at the worlds largest companies in 2009, over three times the average number lost annually from 2000 to 2007. The number includes nearly 300,000 IT jobs. This is a dramatic spike in the long-term trend, and points to the potential for an extended jobless recovery in IT, finance, procurement, HR and other general and administrative (G&A) areas.

Longer term, some researchers estimate that nearly 3.6 million G&A jobs in North America and Europe will have been eliminated between 2000 and 2014. More than half of these losses, or nearly 2 million of these jobs are in IT, making it the largest back-office area to be hit by a wide margin.

Effective project managers follow this road map

Webmaster — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:44:40 -0600

Project Mangers responsible for teams should follow these guidelines in order to be successful

Build support for the team and the project with the right people at the right levels
Established guidelines for team and project success
Create meaningful performance goals, scope, objective and metrics
Define and communicate the decision-making process
Establish appropriate norms for performance
Create effective communication channels
Focus and utilize diversity of team members

Employ America Act would limit H-1B Visas

rss@ejobdescription.com — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:50:58 -0600

The proposed Employ America Act has H-1B hiring restrictions that would bar any firm that lays off 50 or more workers from hiring guest workers. This legislation could potentially affect a broad swath of tech firms that have laid-off large numbers of workers but continue hiring.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics high-tech industry overall has laid off more than 345,000 workers (see job descriptions) since August 2008, according to the two senators in the unveiling of what they called the Employ America Act.

The proposers of this legislation said that with the unemployment rate over 10%, companies that undertake mass layoffs shouldn't need to hire foreign guest workers when there are plenty of qualified Americans looking for jobs.

In February, these same legislators moved to prohibit any financial services firm that received money from the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) from hiring H-1B holders. That blanket restriction on hiring wasn't adopted, but Congress did agree to automatically make any firm receiving TARP funds "H-1B dependent."

A company is considered H-1B dependent if more than 15% of their workers are on the H-1B visa, but the TARP restriction applies regardless of the percent of visa holders on the payroll. Companies that are H-1B dependent must, among the things, make good faith efforts to hire U.S. workers first.

With the Senate expected to receive an immigration overhaul bill early next year, the prospects for any H-1B-related legislation is uncertain and probably unlikely to pass.

Proposed earlier the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2009 would set a number of restrictions on H-1B use, including the so-called 50-50 provision that would prohibit any firm with more than 50 workers from having more than half workforce on H-1B or L-1 visas. That provision is aimed at Indian outsourcing firms. The legislation also sets higher salary standards for visa workers as well as anti-fraud provisions.

Other proposed legislation that would to increase the H-1B cap and that would exempt foreign graduates of U.S. Ph.D. programs from counting toward a cap on H-1B visas.