eddie21leeds Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 hi to all. i was wondering what you think about the amount of work that is gettin outsourced to cheaper places like india etc through the likes of elance.com. does this mean that the skills im now learning will become worth less and less as people from the UK/US start to outsource all their development work? also what related skills can i learn to stay ahead of the game? as in stuff that cant be outsourced? i was thinking along the lines of database administration / networking stuff that people in the UK will need done on site. im worried that as more and more clients cotton on that the work will steadily decrease and de-value. what are your thoughts on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel0 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Strictly speaking there is no IT work that cannot be outsourced apart from jobs where you have to physically do something at a particular location. As for development, it can always be outsourced. I don't think it's too much of an issue though. If you're good enough then you can find a job. There are also people who prefer programmers who are native in their own language and who will be able to show up at their office (or vice versa). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie21leeds Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 yeah i suppouse so... so it's all about getting on top of your game? would you still agree that alot of potential work is lost through elance etc and that this can only increase? i am jut worried that m investing all this time etc and by the time i know it all i will have "missed the boat"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel0 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I don't think elance, getafreelancer, odesk, rentacoder, etc. are good sites for finding freelance jobs. Their primary function is, as I see it, outsourcing work to Asian countries. For the most part, western developers will have a hard time competing with the prices on those sites. You're probably better off by improving your skills, building a portfolio and establishing connections. Word-by-mouth advertising is by far the best; if you did a good job for someone then they'll likely recommend you to whomever they know. You'd probably want to aim for small businesses. They'll know, unlike some private individuals, that getting something done takes money. The projects won't be too big either so you'll be able to build experience and respect and gradually move onto bigger targets if that's what you wish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie21leeds Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 yeah... that's sort of the stage i'mat now.... just spreading the word!! ive done a few small projects for people and i wanted to look to l=the likes of elance for work but as you say it's hard to compete... i suppouse if i can get good enough then the work will follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcombs_31 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I think Daniel pretty much nailed it. There is lots of work out there and a lot of companies would not feel comfortable outsourcing to places like India, but it is certainly a tough market and you need to somewhat become a salesman and really network as best you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynew Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Agreed. The person I'm working for now literally hunted down somebody who lived close enough for him to meet with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.