Automation Jobs (was Working as a consultant in Industrial Automation Field)

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Thread Starter

Tom Moore

This does not surprise me. I work for a large US based company that is currently using this as a part of an overall cost reduction strategy. They have been eliminating jobs here in the US and hiring replacements in Canada as well as other countries. Apparently, an engineer in Canada cost about 1/2 as much (salary + benefits + infrastructure). Also, we have 'heard' that the salary alone is about 1/2 as compared to our US employees (at least for engineers).

Needless to say, many here are very upset. Others, outside of the company, have commented that the long term effects of this 'strategy' may
be negative in the US market. Yes, tough decisions have to be made in tough times. I could go on and on......

In the meantime I will continue to drive my 5 year old car with 137,000 miles, reduce my spending and increase my savings.

What do you think?



\/ Now that I have moved to Canada from USA I am having a hard time finding a job that will pay me as much as much I was making back in USA. So I am thinking about doing consulting work. \/
 
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Eduardo Manuel C. Cipriano

The need for a stable job doesnt mean you have to be employed forever being a Consultant on Automation nowadays is hard to market, I beleive that in order to achieve growth in career and finacial gain you must set up your own Company
right now here in the Philippines my colleuges and I formed our own Company which will cater Automation Services and because we are very well known in the industry we did not have hard time getting some new projects beacuse we could
bring down the price of our services againts large Corporations if you want some more info try to email me at :

EDUARDO MANUEL C. CIPRIANO
Sr. Systems Engineer
Systems Engineering Department
Yokogawa Philippines Inc.
Email: [email protected]
 
When are you young fellows going to wake up? Engineers are generally just highly educated migrant workers. Employers often hire them just
like large farms hire lettuce pickers! The get them where ever the price is least...from India and China (and Canada) often under the H1B
program...which is based on an outright LIE that there is a shortage of engineers in the US. There are plenty of qualified, experienced
engineers in the US...they just have a few too many gray hairs and have smartened up over their careers to not accept the bull pucky that is
often attempted to be fed to them. In fact, most engineers eventually get out of the business into something with more job security and more money!

I know that lots of you young guys don't want to hear this...the truth often hurts! But wise up! You're being played for patsies!

John Coppini
 
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Anthony Kerstens

I've often thought about leaving Canada to take a job elsewhere. However, I think it would be unfair to my kids to deprive them of contact with other family.

I've also often thought about doing consulting work. In fact, it's more or less continuously in the back of my mind. However, I'm not willing at this point to take the personal financial risk of striking out on my own.

Anthony Kerstens P.Eng.
 
I'm sorry to tell you this, but you need to compete. It's a global market, and if there's good talent in other countries than US, maybe you'll have to get a lower salary. It's useless to complain about that, since you live in a rich country, and maybe the engineers in other countries go to work by bus.

Bill
 
You are dxxx right to say this. I'm from Singapore (Asia) and been in Automation line for >15 years. I'm taking bus to work everyday.
I'm able to run entire company from sales, quotation, design, fabrications, sourcing & purchase of parts, assembly, wiring, programming, trouble-shooting & commissioning with customer, etc; all by myself if required.

Hope this will give some insight of life here.

Regds
 
It is true that folks from the Low Cost Regions that major companies use work longer (not all of them smarter). Companies in this business are after a short-term business strategy and the business managers are trying to save their jobs by showing lower costs and thereby higher profits.

What next? Have any one of these "Business Managers" thought of what happens over the next 5 years? What about long term customer support locally and ..... the list is endless, moderation - that should be their focus not excess of everything cheap (For now)
 
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