Living life on your own terms

[bruceb58]

Re: Living life on your own terms

HA! That's funny. I know the feeling! Truth is, those H1Bs that come here are far cheaper than the American. I'm in the IT business and it's filled with a ton of H1Bs. They're cheap to hire comparatively here and overseas. I know...I hire them! Don't want to, but alas I am just a cog in the wheel.

H1Bs at my company make identical salary. Not enough engineering students coming out of our schools.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/2014/02/24/intel-ceo-brian-krzanich-need-engineers/

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Living life on your own terms

H1Bs at my company make identical salary. Not enough engineering students coming out of our schools.
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich: Silicon Valley Needs More Engineers | Fox Business

One...I should send them your way :facepalm:

Two - Maybe the reason why there are so few engineering students is that more are deciding to be fishing guides.

What I have found that the H1Bs are usually contractors and receive a salary from the contracted company and not the organization. While it appears they make the same money, they do not. The other side of the coin is American industry. For the long term it's more cost effective to hire H1Bs than Americans - no SS, no pension, no insurance or other long term costs associated. Where I am the regular company folks are compensated an easy $20K more than any H1B or any contractor for that matter for the exact same job. Interestingly enough the H1Bs usually live together, pool their money, and send most of their earned income back to the country of origin. So much for helping the US.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Living life on your own terms

HA! That's funny. I know the feeling! Truth is, those H1Bs that come here are far cheaper than the American. I'm in the IT business and it's filled with a ton of H1Bs. They're cheap to hire comparatively here and overseas. I know...I hire them! Don't want to, but alas I am just a cog in the wheel.

Not sure about cheaper, maybe for the first year or two, but then they are equal or greater than, certainly much more flexible, and it's because they have no roots here and are hungry and transient, we are settled into our locations and not willing to move. Any H1-b that works in the IT world here in the US comes from a wealthy (above average cast) family, how do you think they got to come here? From my desk, and I place hundreds a year in jobs Americans wont or are not qualified to do. India is really a third world country, a crap hole if you will. People come here because they can take advantage of better living conditions. Better quality of life. But cheaper is not a term I would use, at least not here (Detroit) anyways. I have more jobs than willing Americans, but they require travel or relocation, not easy for a family to do. And certainly not a slam on anyone, just an observation.

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Living life on your own terms

Interesting notation regarding salaries although interestingly enough my first hand knowledge is a company will pay a contractor less than an employee. That is a fact I can say with assertion and the truth still holds that a contractor costs less overall than hiring a full time employee. I can also state, through specific experience, many H1Bs are not wealthy and pool their money to send back to the family in India or wherever in order for their family to have a good life. As far as "how do they get here?" I can state factually there are contractor H1B type companies located in these foreign places that specifically supply the persons. My wife deals with them every day and although she is not an H1B she works for one of those organizations.

It seems we have hijacked the thread, but it was my thread to begin with. Great conversation however!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Living life on your own terms

H1Bs at my company are full time employees. Most have been with my company for over 5 years.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Living life on your own terms

There is a much bigger problem, if you are an engineer with 30 years experience you aren't going to find a decent job in the US.

I have 32 years of experience. I could get 5 jobs tomorrow. Depends on where you are, your skill set and what's in demand.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Living life on your own terms

I have 32 years of experience. I could get 5 jobs tomorrow. Depends on where you are, your skill set and what's in demand.

... not an engineer, but I could land several spots in my line of work (Design/Commercial Art) and in a much easier sense than years ago because I could easily telecommute.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Living life on your own terms

There is a much bigger problem, if you are an engineer with 30 years experience you aren't going to find a decent job in the US.

I have strongly disagree with this. I have been in the game for 15 years now and I have people calling me all of the time wanting to talk. There is lots of work out there if you know what you are doing. If you don't know what you are doing then I will hire the HB1 and pass on the recent graduate who has no work ethic and no real world skills.

I hate to say it but american kids are lazy, really lazy. For the same price they want out of school I can have a HB1 who has been in the game for years. My team is a mix of HB1 and US born and educated engineers. They are all the same pay grade. The HB1 holders contribute way more than the entitled white kids on my team. With that said the kids that came out of the military seam to know what real work is.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Living life on your own terms

I have 32 years of experience. I could get 5 jobs tomorrow. Depends on where you are, your skill set and what's in demand.

I thought the same until I was laid off after 35 years with the same company. Things started out quickly. I got three job interviews in the first two weeks. I was "over qualified" for all three, meaning they didn't want to pay anything. I interviewed for the Head of Sustaining Engineering Department at one company and the interviewer told me rather bluntly that the hiring manager would never hire me because I was a threat to his position. This went on for over a year before I found my present position.

Everything worked out for the better in the end, but it was a rude awaking to see how hard it was for an "middle aged" person to get a job in this market. Rest assured, middle-age bias is alive and well.

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Living life on your own terms

I think anyone over 50 that thinks they can walk out and just "get hired" will have a rude awakening just like you did. If you are 50+ it's going to be tough--that's just a fact of life.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Living life on your own terms

I have my networks all set up. I know many people at various companies including my old company that keeps asking me to do contract work for them. Normally, I would tend to agree with the middle age bias but its on a person by person basis.

 

[avenger79]

Re: Living life on your own terms

H1Bs at my company are full time employees. Most have been with my company for over 5 years.

same here

 

[avenger79]

Re: Living life on your own terms

I have my networks all set up. I know many people at various companies including my old company that keeps asking me to do contract work for them. Normally, I would tend to agree with the middle age bias but its on a person by person basis.

I have a similar thing here. reason I am at this job is they approached me, I have been approached by other companies at least 5 times in the last 6 months. However I am willing to relocate on short notice, and I don't ask for relocation package. I simply load up the camper and go. currently in a direct position but I often work as a contractor when I have to.

 

[sphelps]

Re: Living life on your own terms

If you can make the living you need or want by doing what you love to do . Than do it by all means .
I love building buildings ! I'm not getting rich but I do ok ..
If ya love to fish or help others catch fish and can make a living at . More power to ya !

 

[bassman284]

Re: Living life on your own terms

One...I should send them your way :facepalm:

Two - Maybe the reason why there are so few engineering students is that more are deciding to be fishing guides.

What I have found that the H1Bs are usually contractors and receive a salary from the contracted company and not the organization. While it appears they make the same money, they do not. The other side of the coin is American industry. For the long term it's more cost effective to hire H1Bs than Americans - no SS, no pension, no insurance or other long term costs associated. Where I am the regular company folks are compensated an easy $20K more than any H1B or any contractor for that matter for the exact same job. Interestingly enough the H1Bs usually live together, pool their money, and send most of their earned income back to the country of origin. So much for helping the US.

Well yeah. I don't know what some people are talking about here, but if H1-Bs weren't way cheaper, there would be no H1-Bs.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Living life on your own terms

Well yeah. I don't know what some people are talking about here, but if H1-Bs weren't way cheaper, there would be no H1-Bs.

In my business, there aren't enough qualified US citizens to fill the jobs.

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Living life on your own terms

Well yeah. I don't know what some people are talking about here, but if H1-Bs weren't way cheaper, there would be no H1-Bs.

There are a couple of reasons why companies hire the H1B. One reason is not enough educated Americans but that reason is dependent on the industry. Many H1Bs are in the IT field and that's where I am. There are no shortages of IT candidates--you would not believe the # of applications I receive for most any position--literally in the hundreds--and yet H1Bs proliferate in some companies rather than Americans. Are H1Bs cheaper? That depends on how you measure it and there are many ways. A contractor is usually less expensive in the long run. Their salary comes from a different budget all together. Salaried or hourly Americans cost companies more money with benefits-long and short term, liabilities, HR management, and a host of other factors. There is no easy answer. If you are one of those in demand you are fortunate and rare. Most do not have that luxury.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Living life on your own terms

What specific business? Can you link to an add your company has ran looking for someone so we can see what the qualifications requirements are? Bluntly, I do NOT believe there are not qualified Americans. I've seen many make that claim before and they just haven't held up when reviewed and most times the salary offered is lower than average or is some way written to discourage qualified people from applying.

Our business is in the ethernet switching and wireless business. We hire full time recruiters and interview MANY applicants for openings. Competition is fierce for qualified people. I see the adds that get posted as they are required to post them at my work before they hire an H1B visa candidate. They list the salary range that the job will have. Most of our H1B visa people that are good eventually get sponsored for green cards.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Living life on your own terms

Really, When was the last time you were in the job market, not contract work, anyone can do that? I mean a real full time job with benefits.

I have been at my current job 5 years. Got hired when I was 50. They called me the evening of my interview with my job offer which included a pay raise, stock options and a bonus plan.

The only contract work I have done is moonlighting for a past employer. My current company is fine with this as long as it doesn't conflict with their business. I stopped doing it because it pushed into my free time too much. Contract work was designing digital signal processing for up/down convertors for a telecommunications product.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Living life on your own terms

So then there ARE qualified Americans. In fact for every opening you have your company interviews MANY qualified applicants from what you just said.

Not qualified enough for us to hire them.