Storm Clouds Rise Over H1-B

eWeek ^ | June 24, 2002 | Lisa Vaas

[ThePythonicCow]

Two years ago, IT vendors and other proponents of the controversial H1-B visa program were generating about as much sound and fury as a raging storm on the high seas. Lobbying groups such as TechNet insisted the chronic IT skills shortage would sink the industry unless the annual numbers of H1-B visas

[ThePythonicCow]

Another H1-B discussion, in part more fallout from some unhappy ex-Sun employees.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

Americans will just stop studying technology, that's what will happen.

[Tuco-bad]

Americans will just stop studying technology, that's what will happen.

Already has happened.

[DrDavid]

What's the point of studying technology? You work hard to get a Ph.D. in Physics and then find out you can't even get a job as a computer programmer anymore.

It seems that message therapists get more and better job offers now.

[Mr. Jeeves]

"There will always be IT jobs, but a big chunk of them could leave."

Large companies will probably outsource more large-scale IT development projects, but IT will always be around. IT people without significant business knowledge and experience will become an endangered species.

[Tuco-bad]

What's the point of studying technology? You work hard to get a Ph.D. in Physics and then find out you can't even get a job as a computer programmer anymore.

You're not kidding, I know someone in exactly that category.

[Billy_bob_bob]

I knew a couple of young people in the Silicon Valley area while I still lived there. As a grizzled old vet with over twenty years industry experience, my advice to them was to stay far, far away from engineering because they would never be able to compete with the engineers from China and India.

Engineering has become a sort of "serf" occupation, Dilbert isn't really a comic strip, its a documentary. My advice to both of these people (both technically oriented, mind you) was to minor in a technical discipline and major in marketing. A good marketing person with a working understand of technology is worth their weight in gold, and will earn many times what the average engineer will earn.

The general rule of thumb in Silicon Valley for who does what jobs is: Indians and Chinese for engineering, Caucasians for marketing, Hispanics for food service, janitorial and landscaping, and Black people get to work in Human Resources.