OT: Employment Security Options

[Jim Kuzdrall]

> For the tenth time in 10 years (the third time in the last 12
> months), I'm looking for a new job... <snip>  Sadly, I think it's an
> example of an all-too-common experience for Technology workers over
> the past decade...<snip>  I can also see a bunch of ways that it
> wouldn't work.  I'm sure it is an idea that is way too "risky" for
> some people to touch.   
> Still, every time I think that it's a stupid idea, I ask myself if
> I'm satisfied with the way things work now.  I'm not.  The job search
> process is tedious, grossly opaque, lop-sided and inefficient...

   It wouldn't hurt to try some of those initiatives - again.  As an old 
veteran of the technical industry, I concur that the "captains of 
industry" place very little value on our skills or respect for the hard 
work it take to acquire them.  But, we best not wait for that to 
change!

    I solved the problem for me by starting my own company.  It worked 
out well, but if you are looking for job security, that is the wrong 
direction to head.  If you value independence and control more than 
money, security - or even your family in many sad cases - go for it.

    Unions are suggested from time to time.  They are the anthesis of 
being "professional" or your own boss.  (Few engineers or programmers 
behave as true professionals - adding to the perception problem.)  Not 
many engineers find unions an attractive answer.

    My wife made a suggestion that seldom gets discussed, guilds.  The 
medieval guilds established several tough-to-reach competence grades 
for their members, spanning apprentice to journeyman to master.  They 
strictly enforced their workmanship and knowledge standards.  They 
often, in effect, insured the quality of the work done by their members 
by leaning hard on them to straighten out any problems that were  
reported.

    History tells us that their quality work was valued beyond its cost, 
making the guild members highly sought.  The guild set the pricing 
guide lines for each grade.  The number of guild member was kept 
slightly below demand.  The guilds, in many cases, did not try to 
prevent others from plying the trade - although some guilds got 
powerful and nasty eventually.

    With the concept of a guild, there are no strikes against the 
employer, the journeyman sets his price for the job (within guide 
lines), the journeyman, not the guild, contracts with the employer, 
etc.

    Might this concept be modified, updated, and revised to meet the 
needs of today's technical experts?

Jim Kuzdrall