According to Forrester Research, offshore programming jobs have nearly tripled, from 27,000 to an estimated 80,000, as reported in the March 1, 2004, issue of Business Week. Let's be blunt: If you're a technologist, your position could be one of them. How can you avoid being wiped out by the outsourcing wave? Consider embedding the following six steps into your daily work life:
1. Do not plan to write code for your entire career. There's little future for someone who only programs. Code is a commodity and can be created by other people for less money—much less. Think of coding as the beginning of a career—a great place to start, but not what you want to do for your entire professional existence.
2. Learn to communicate effectively. Much of your value comes not from what you do, but what you know—and how you express it. Let's break this down into two facets—public speaking and writing:
- Public speaking is a critical skill that enables you to share your knowledge in a training session, in a meeting, at a seminar or in a workshop. Learning to speak well in public is a "must-have competency. Consider taking a speech course or joining some group that encourages public speaking. Your value and confidence will increase because you won't just do your job but explain it, as well. Effective verbal interchange isn't an easy thing to send overseas.
- The flip side of public speaking is the ability to write well, and writing is far easier than you think. People always tell me they'd love to write, but don't know how. My advice is always the same: Get a pen and start writing. There are endless writing workshops and college courses to help you fine-tune this craft. You should also locate a good editor to polish your words.
3. Develop people skills. People skills are one of the new orders of business. Gone are the days of developers who sit in the corner and code. As organizations mature and develop international partnerships, it's vitally important to be able to manage relationships, politics and alliances at all levels and under all business conditions. The person who can pull teams together, support communication and make things happen is of tremendous value. Furthermore, well-honed people skills make your position and perceived value more visible and bolster the reasons to keep you on board.
4. Move into the "people part of the business. Learn how to deal with customers, work with vendors and interact with management in ways that satisfy your organization's needs and objectives. Furthermore, develop the fine art and science of managing people and projects. There is now and will continue to be a tremendous need for the human touch: the relationship, mentoring and leadership skills required to get projects in on time and under budget. Whether you're managing people and projects in New York or New Delhi, the bottom line is the same. This elusive talent is of great value and will support the notion that you're of great value to the organization.
5. Learn how to sell. New business is the lifeblood of every company, and bringing in new business is part of an employee's responsibility to the organization. Take efforts to become known as the person who opened the door to new revenue and business opportunity in what will probably continue to be a highly competitive marketplace. Yes, this is above and beyond your "job description, but understand this: People who go above and beyond while generating revenue will probably not have their jobs outsourced.
6. Consider consulting. Many technologists believe they aren't cut out to be consultants, but most of us have far more skills and untapped potential than we ever thought possible. (Besides, you don't have to consult alone—you can work for a consulting firm.) Business-savvy individuals who can understand organizational problems and provide cost-effective solutions have little to worry about outsourcing.
After the Fairytale
Once upon a time, with a good education and a stable job, all was well with the world. That time is gone. Today, work means much more than doing your job—you must develop a career management and development plan that maps your progress to skills and requirements that can't be outsourced. Always remember that you, to a great degree, control your career. If you follow my six tips, you'll maintain and perfect that control and have more input into where your career—and not incidentally your job—winds up.
Howard Adamsky is the founder and president of HR Innovators Inc. His book Hiring and Retaining Top IT Professionals: The Guide for Savvy Hiring Managers and Job Hunters Alike was published by McGraw-Hill in 2001.
