On Thu, Nov 06, 2008 at 04:00:03PM -0500, Gabe Goldberg wrote: > Do people plan to work as long as they're able? Because of enjoyable > jobs? From necessity? For other reasons?
Yes. While it IS enjoyable, even the off hours, the main reason is I got caught in the dot.com crash, especially because I was over 50, and burned through all my assets except for home equity (which is now also quickly disappearing). > Are folks being downsized/outsourced? Not directly. Management decides whether or not to replace retiring employees with contractors. > Retiring voluntarily or otherwise? When projects finish or ... certain > ages are reached? Or companies migrate off the mainframe? Or youngsters > are available for lower salaries? I'm a contractor myself. My job will go away if they ever succeed in migrating every application off the mainframe. There is some chance they might decide to utilize my other skills. > Regarding "dump the mainframe projects" -- have you stayed with a > company after migrating to another platform? How has that worked out? > Have you seen "dump" projects fail or simply continue forever with > mainframes chugging along productively? This is the first situation I've been in like that. This one is going very slowly. They've been at it for the better part of a decade and still have apps waiting for resources to change. However, I believe they are comitted to doing it. > Has the skill set required for mainframe work changed during your > career? How have tools evolved to support skills required? I entered the field in the '70s, so I guess so. Network tools have definitely gotten better. > What are boomer mainframers doing in retirement? Are you taking new jobs > and "double dipping"? Becoming consultants? Trainers? Writers? With > former employers? In locations you've worked or moving? > Or starting new careers in other fields? I don't know. > With decades of experience and perspective -- and considering > contradictory trends of organizations migrating to other platforms AND > the general resurgence of the mainframe -- what recommendations are > offered for the mainframe's future? It looks like mainframe shops have to grow their own work force. I don't think your average college is going to start teaching this stuff. > Are younger-generation mainframe staffers joining your companies? Have > you helped recruit any (including family members!)? How are they > integrated into your data centers? Are there inter-generational issues > (training, collaboration, communication, work habits, whatever)? What > should employers do to smooth the process? I don't have any experience with this, save I recommended learning COBOL to my son who just graduated, but he's not interested thus far. > Have you worked for younger bosses/managers? What's that been like? Are > there challenges communicating mainframe benefits, mindset, practices to > them? No. -- May the LORD God bless you exceedingly abundantly! Dave Craig - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "'So the universe is not quite as you thought it was. You'd better rearrange your beliefs, then. Because you certainly can't rearrange the universe.'" --from _Nightfall_ by Asimov/Silverberg
