Re: how bad is the job market?

[Deborah Hemstreet <dvora -at- tech-challenged -dot- com>]

There are no easy answers to this question. There is a saying about 
China: Everything you hear about China is true - somewhere.

The same can be said about the job market in the US. If relocation was a 
realistic option for my family, I'd be working for a company by now, 
with a decent salary and benefits. However, in Michigan, good tech com 
jobs are few and hard to come by. The current economy and questionable 
business practices do not help.

There is one company that I admit to begin kind of glad I didn't land a 
job with (as a contractor). They are a HUGE company that has a policy to 
only hire management and contract out everything else. In addition, 
after x months, they let the contractors go and never take them back, to 
avoid having to hre them. So, every year around this time, the same job 
posting appears, and I've applied 3-years running and still not gotten 
it, because they want the moon with only 5 years or less experience (did 
I mention they don't want to pay either?).

On the other hand, I've been blessed, and I stress the word blessed, to 
find work through the most unlikely of forums: ODesk.com. Who would 
think that bidding against an international work-force, where the 
majority of postings for work only want to pay $1 for a 500 word 
article, I'd be supporting my family via clients in Australia, 
California, Minnesota, and Ohio on a fairly reasonable hourly rate that 
is one of the highest on ODesk... The amazing thing is, at least half of 
my clients found me and approached me first. I did not find them through 
an application process.

Companies ARE finding out that you get what you pay for. Those who care 
still want US-based writers. My Australian client said he prefers US 
employees because he believes we are more up-to-date in our profession 
than Aussies. Who am I to argue the point?

So, in answer to how bad the US job market is? It is good, and bad. Just 
depends on where you live...

Just my 2 cents worth

Deborah
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