[The Manage IT Newsletter]

A briefing on the state of offshore outsourcing and the coming job boom in the IT space.

Welcome to this months issue of the "Manage IT Newsletter." This monthly publication is dedicated to helping IT managers enjoy a richer career experience so they can reach their full potential.

Please share this newsletter with your network, friends and colleagues. If you are an HR professional or senior IT executive, please pass a copy of this newsletter on to your IT managers. A FREE subscription is available by sending a blank email to:
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With warmest regards, Joe Santana,
Co-author Manage IT
http://www.manageitbook.com

P.S. For instructions on how to get a free copy of my mini ebook, send email to freeminibook@joesantana.com
***************************In this Issue ****************************
* Focus Topic - Offshore Career Threat and the coming Job Boom in the IT Sector
* IT Management News & Trends
* Free Gift of the Month: A list of questions to ask yourself to determine if your current job can be shipped offshore
* Closing Comments and Announcements
*********************************************************************

--------------------------- Focus Topic -----------------------------
The Offshore Career Threat and the Coming Job Boom in the IT Sector

The recent rush of companies outsourcing to offshore suppliers is presenting many IT professionals with a huge unprecedented career challenge. Since 2001, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than 500,000 IT professionals in the United States have lost their jobs. Preliminary analysis by Gartner Group indicates that another 500,000 IT jobs may disappear by year-end 2004. All told, according to Gartner by the end of 2004, one in ten IT jobs in IT companies and one in twenty IT jobs at non-IT companies will have moved offshore.

The good news, however, is that projections by the Business Labor Statistics (BLS) coupled with a recent Aspen Institute study indicate an upcoming dramatic shrinkage in the members of what is called the "prime-age work pool (People between the ages of 25 and 54)" that are properly trained and educated to address the growing demand for IT professionals. According to these collective projections a huge shortage of IT workers will result due to the retirement of millions of baby-boomers with only a little over half of these openings being filled by suitable replacements entering the "prime-age work pool." According to the BLS the seven fastest-growing occupations this decade will all be in technology. Experts also tell us that India, China, the Philippines and other newly industrialized countries simply will not have enough capacity to fill these US IT labor shortage gap. Translation: The current slump in IT positions due to the economy and offshore outsourcing is not slated to last for a very long time.

So what can you do to offshore-proof your career, at least for the short-term? How can you make sure that you are prepared to weather this storm? What should you do if you've been are out of a job as a result of your job being sent overseas so that you can effectively re-engage in the short-term? The answer to these questions is the subject of my new seminar "Offshore proofing your IT Career." I strongly urge you to register and join us if this topic is of interest and value to you.
To register visit http://www.joesantana.com/offshore.htm

In this months tip sheet (www.joesantana.com/tip9.htm), I will share with you the results of a recent survey on what positions are most likely to go offshore as a tools for you to gauge your own exposure. I realized that many of you are IT managers and may wonder how you can use this information to gauge your own exposure. Simply put, when the individual contributor positions in a given category go away, so will the management position that supervises these roles.

In the "News and Trends" section of this issue, you will find useful articles on the topics of offshore outsourcing. Finally, in the "Announcement" section, you will find additional resources to support you and some of your key initiatives.

JS

-------------------- IT Management News and Trends -------------------
This month, we have a wide collection of articles that contain various perspectives on offshore outsourcing as well as the coming job boom, which is expected to be very significant in the IT sector.

Outsourcing 2.0: Collaborative Development. An article that focuses on how the Internet has made it possible to cut IT costs by 50% or more by employing outsourcers in jurisdictions with low labor costs and poses the question "What's the next wave, and what are the implications for corporate IT departments?"

http://www.computerworld.com/careertopics/careers/story/0,10801,83980,00.html?nas=MGT-83980

About 5 billion in IT outsourcing is moving to India between 2003 and 2004.
http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/apr/28bpo.htm?zcc=rl

An excellent overview of the global outsourcing landscape published by Business Week, February 3rd 2003
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_05/b3818001.htm

Don't miss the story's sidebar, "The Visa War," about the controversial policies surrounding L-1 and H-1B visas.
http://www.cio.com/archive/090103/backlash_sidebar_1.html

Washington state congressman proposes a bill to provide government-funded job training and cash assistance to tech workers who lose their jobs due to offshore outsourcing.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=14700325

The Money: The Hidden Costs of Offshore Outsourcing. If the figures you hear about savings from offshore outsourcing seem too good to be true, it's because they are. This story explores a new TCO--the total cost of offshoring.
http://www.cio.com/archive/090103/money.html

The coming Job Boom in IT
http://www.matr.net/article-7929.html

------------------- Free Gift of the Month ---------------------------
For your free one-page tip sheet that will provide you with results of a recent survey on what positions are most likely to go offshore visit http://www.joesantana.com/freenewsandtips.htm

----------------- Closing Thoughts and Announcements -----------------
LOOKING FOR ADVICE ON HOW TO OFFSHORE PROOF YOUR CAREER
Register for the upcoming "Offshore proofing your IT career seminar at www.joesantana.com/offshore.htm

WANT TO HELP YOUR FRIENDS LOOKING FOR ADVICE ON HOW TO FIGHT BURNOUT AND ACHIEVE PEAK PERFORMANCE
Have them visit www.joesantana.com and sign up for the free TIPS DRIVING PEAK PERFORMANCE EMAIL SEMINAR. Delivered over seven days, this program is packed with advice that can immediately be put to use by a rookie or a veteran IT manager. (HR pros will also find it a rich source of ideas they can use to coach IT managers).

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT MANAGEMENT WITH JOE?
Visit www.ULiveandLearn.com and register for the IT Management webinar. This information packed program comes right to your desktop and offers you advice on one of your most important career decisions.

NEED HELP QUICKLY BUILDING A PIPELINE OF CANDIDATES.
Contact EmployeeROI www.employeeroi.com/1-888-654-8845

I hope you enjoyed this issue of the IT Managers Newsletter and as always I look forward to continuing to serve you.