| The cheap labor costs of Southeast Asia are like a | | | | and often because they have a closer relationship with |
| siren call to more and more US employers seeking to | | | | their customers. While offshore outsourcing may save |
| lower support costs and improve profits. The | | | | dollars and improve stock prices, it often has |
| increasingly common trend toward outsourcing labor to | | | | detrimental effects on customer relations. Small |
| countries such as India, Malaysia, and Pakistan means | | | | companies cannot afford to lose customers because |
| jobs are leaking to a part of the world where workers | | | | of poor customer service or language barriers and are |
| fresh out of college or technical school will work for | | | | therefore less likely to outsource offshore. |
| pennies on the dollar compared to American workers. | | | | Go where the jobs are. |
| For the American workers, that means the bar for | | | | Displaced garment and textile workers in the Carolinas |
| entry-level positions is rising or the same positions are | | | | and other Southern states were left jobless almost |
| disappearing off the map completely. What can you | | | | overnight in the nineties when their employers moved |
| do to avoid losing out to offshore outsourcing?? | | | | operations to Central America or Asia. Those who did |
| Don't become a target. | | | | not have transferable skills or were unwilling to |
| What should you do if you find yourself facing | | | | relocate were left floundering. Workers who thrived |
| joblessness due to outsourcing? Many would say | | | | were the ones who learned new skills that were in |
| make yourself indispensable, but is anyone ever really | | | | demand or who were willing to move to areas where |
| so valuable that they are indispensable? What makes | | | | their current skills were needed. |
| someone indispensable in a company that has 1500 | | | | Stay on the cutting edge of your field. |
| employees? Few things, but some key skills can give | | | | Work that is outsourced is generally grunt work that |
| you an edge. Skills such as bilingualism, abilities with key | | | | requires a labor force that is broadly skilled in the most |
| or rare equipment, skills with software that is either so | | | | common tasks, works with the most common |
| cutting-edge or so old that only a few can manipulate it | | | | applications, or can handle minimal communication |
| well 1/4 skills that will make you stand out in an ocean | | | | coupled with heavy, repetitive-type work. There is |
| of other employees. | | | | always demand for skilled professionals who can |
| Move up the ladder rapidly. | | | | work easily with the latest and greatest technology, |
| Another way to deal with outsourcing is avoidance. | | | | who do not fear risk-taking and enjoy the challenge of |
| Jobs that are outsource-able are not key positions in | | | | development and innovation. |
| the first place. Therefore, the key is to rapidly move | | | | Will offshore outsourcing suddenly cease? Not a |
| out of entry-level positions into positions that are less | | | | chance as long as the American consumer continues |
| likely to be outsourced. Look around you. If you are in | | | | to demand high-end technology for rock-bottom prices. |
| a company in an entry-level position that has 50 to 100 | | | | The race to maintain market share while maintaining |
| other people doing the exact same tasks you are | | | | profits, demands cheaper and cheaper labor costs. |
| doing, you may very well be in a Danger Zone for | | | | Offshore outsourcing is a solution to that problem. It |
| having your position outsourced. Make it your mission | | | | behooves American engineering and information |
| to get out of that huge fish barrel of low-skilled fish | | | | technology workers not to be a part of the problem to |
| and into a position that can only effectively be done on | | | | begin with by pursuing education and training that sets |
| home turf as rapidly as possible. Get promoted, get | | | | them above their offshore labor competitors and |
| higher training or education, or go for a position that is | | | | takes them out of the fish barrel of low-end, low paid |
| more specialized. | | | | support type positions. America has always been the |
| Go smaller. | | | | leader in innovation and development and engineers |
| Consider changing jobs to a company that is smaller | | | | who concentrate on those areas will always have a |
| or more niche-oriented. Smaller companies generally do | | | | place in this economy. |
| not outsource due to decreased cost effectiveness | | | | |