Date:         Fri, 14 Aug 1998 18:27:30 -0400
Reply-To:     Chris Strickland <cstrick@IU.NET>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         Chris Strickland <cstrick@IU.NET>
Subject:      Re: SAS skill levels
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

>That's fine if the person has no family, does not require health
>insurance, and does not mind a potentially unstable work situation where
>they might have to be looking for work in three months.
 
You can alway pay for your own health insurance.  About $5200 a year for
everything.  Just part of your business costs.
 
>  I can imagine the ad(If it were legal): Wanted, single, very healthy SAS
> programmer,that does not plan on getting a long term illness for the next
> three months, and that does not mind getting laid off if we do not really
like
> you,
 
I understand your expounding the point just a wee bit.  But how does being a
"permanent" employee guarantee you won't get layed off.  Buyouts, mergers
and other business ventures can cause even the "safest" employees to get
canned.  I like the 3-6 month arrangements to start with.  And I have a wife
and two kids.  I have never been unemployed, and typically the contract
turns into a few years.  I worked for Boeing for about six years.  Always
having to worry about when the unannounced layoff would hit.  Now I know, I
can look for a new project well ahead of time.  The last contract I took has
turned into 18 months and is still going on.  Sure there's risk in working
this way, but I maintain my own retirement and health and don't have to
worry about losing it when a contract/job ends.
 
> I am sure there
>will be lots of advanced SAS programmer applicants pounding down the
>door applying.
 
 
As long as the money is right, they will.  Plenty of software jobs out
there.
 
Some people are good at interviews, know all the jargon and take tests well,
but are lousy developers.  Others don't interview well, don't know the buzz
works and are great developers.  You can't find all that out in a 4-8 hour
interview.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Strickland
Email: cstrick@iu.net
New Horizons Software - http://new-horizon.net/
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