Search390.com Expert Question of the Week August 13, 2001 ===================================== SPONSORED BY: Storage Decisions 2001 ===================================== Storage Decisions 2001 brings together the top storage industry analysts and expert technologists to give you specific how-to advice to set storage strategy, make key decisions and manage storage effectively. This exclusive conference is FREE to those who qualify. Apply today at www.StorageDecisions2001.com. ===================================== ===================================== FEATURED TOPIC: USS vs. Linux ===================================== Many thought that Linux would never compare to UNIX as a viable, enterprise-wide operating system. However, with IBM's blessing and millions of Linux believers worldwide, that thought may be changing. http://www.search390.com/featuredTopic/0,290042,sid10_gci760522,00.html -------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to Search390's Expert Question of the Week newsletter. Remember, no question is too simple for Ask the Experts! If you have a 390-related question, send it to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Selected questions will be answered by our experts. This week's question was answered by Rick Nashleanas, search390's Career Expert. THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Q: I've been in this mainframe arena for more than 20 years. I am an MVS OS/390 Systems Programmer, and for the last five I worked through my own company, and my last contract lasted two years. After I elected not to go to work for them as an employee, they terminated my contract. This was in September 2000. I can't seem to get a contract or a job anywhere. What do you think? A: The good news is that you are fortunate to be on the systems programming side of the house. My guess is that long-term demand for systems programming specialties will remain strong. (Applications programmers with exclusive mainframe experience are not as lucky). The bad news is that there are several trends working against you at the moment. Even though unemployment is staying exceptionally low, the weary stock market and massive layoffs are making this a very bad time to look for a new position, even in IT. Employers *are* hiring, but they are being much more picky. >From where I sit, contracting never picked up as expected after the end of Y2K. Contractors have taken as much or more of the layoffs as permanent employees. Contracts are much more tenuous. The chances that a contract will go through the entire term is significantly less. With requisitions harder to get and the hiring process being more selective, hiring managers that I have talked to are very wary of hiring a long-standing contractor for a permanent position without the professional having a very good reason for leaving contracting. Hiring managers are wary of contractors who are seeking safe haven in a permanent position until the contracting market picks up. If you would want to accept a permanent position and stay there for the foreseeable future, you must make sure that your intention is clearly communicated to the potential employer. You might also want to modify your objective on your resume to make it very clear. If you would also consider another contract, developing a separate resume specifically for contracting could also assist getting that first interview. With the layoffs from both the dot-com companies and the large traditional firms, IT professionals who are working seem to be concerned about holding on to their current job and not looking for anything new. Those who are not working are finding it unusually difficult (compared to recent years) to find an appropriate position. Recruiting is a leading indicator of economic health. From my desk, I haven't seen the uptick in demand yet that would indicate that the economy has hit bottom. You'll need to work hard to find another position, but be prepared to potentially wait until the economic climate is less gloomy. -------------------------------------------- If you have a question for Rick, submit it here: http://search390.techtarget.com/ateQuestion/0,289624,sid10_tax285449,00.html ============================================ search390 OPERATING SYSTEMS DISCUSSION FORUM ============================================ Can anyone help search390 user "judithflkwok," who posted the following question on our search390 Developer Discussion Forum: "Hi. Does anybody know how to dynamic allocate a file in OS/390? Is Assembler program a must?" To post feedback for "judithflkwok" or check out other hot topics for discussion, go to http://search390.discussions.techtarget.com/WebX?50@@.ee83ff7 ============================================ search390 TIPS CONTEST ============================================ Have a great tip of your own that you'd like to share with the rest of us? Then send it in. Our tip of the month contest has been extended through the end of August, so there is still time to take home the fabulous T-Rex remote control dinotronic dinosaur. To submit your tip today, go to http://search390.techtarget.com/tipsSubmit/1,289485,sid10,00.html ======================================================== If you would like to sponsor this or any TechTarget newsletter, please contact Gabrielle DeRussy at [EMAIL PROTECTED] ======================================================== If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter simply reply to this message with "REMOVE" in the subject line. Or, visit http://search390.techtarget.com/register and adjust your subscriptions accordingly. If you choose to unsubscribe using our automated processing, you must send the "REMOVE" request from the email account to which this newsletter was delivered. Please allow 24 hours for your "REMOVE" request to be processed.
