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| From One Techie to Another | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Diamond in the Rough? According to an article on CNNMoney.com on March 25, 2008, Consumer confidence sank to a five year low. I look around my neighborhood and all I see are For Sale signs, not to mention the growing number of foreclosures. As each month goes by, I hear about more layoffs. The credit markets are tight and prices continue to go up. For many people, times are tough. It’s hard not to get depressed about our (perceived) worsening economy. But wait just one minute. According to a CBS Evening News report on March 11, 2008, 26% of U.S. manufacturers plan to add jobs between April and June. Bison Gear & Engineering Corp. was featured on that news broadcast as a manufacturer that added more than 50 new jobs in the last year, with a half dozen positions still to be filled. In March alone, we have seen a significant increase in the number of new jobs posted in the Career & Job Center of Automation.com. You’ll see recent job postings from familiar automation suppliers like Emerson, Schneider Electric, Phoenix Contact, Endress+Hauser, Wonderware, ICONICS, Proface (Xycom), and Mettler Toledo. You’ll also notice openings at a number of systems integrators. As a company with media publishing (Automation.com) and staffing (automationtechies) groups, we have a couple of great barometers on what’s happening in the industry. So far this year, Automation.com has seen the largest increase in booked advertising dollars than ever before. I’m sure this increase is partially due to companies shifting their advertising dollars from print to online, primarily because it’s more cost effective and more measurable. The automationtechies recruiting group has orders for more open job opportunities than ever before. The hard part is finding qualified engineers for the available jobs. I can’t argue with some of the negative economic signs, but it appears that many companies in the automation industry are still growing. I’m sure this growth is partially due to the tremendous opportunities in other regions (outside North America) of the world. Companies that continue to go after those emerging markets will experience the most growth. And the automation industry will benefit. It’s a trickle down effect. China and India represent a large percentage of the world population. As consumer product manufacturers go after those markets, they need local factories and plants to support them. To be cost effective, those factories and plants need to be automated. That’s what we do! Because of the shortage of experienced automation professionals, we may be sitting on one of the best recession-proof professions. Sure, the salaries may not be where we want them to be, but at least we have jobs. And if you lose your job, it really shouldn’t be that hard to find another one, somewhere. I still maintain that as the demand for automation professionals increases, so will the salaries. Please take our 2008 Salary Survey. Trust me, with so many “automationtechies” retiring in North America in the upcoming years, there will be a huge demand. The question is – can we fill our own gap? Or will we have to draw from overseas talent pools? From where I sit, the prognosis for the automation industry is good. Could the automation industry be a diamond in the “economic rough?” You tell me. I’ve created a forum on MyAutomation.com. Please share your perspective. If you are currently not a member of MyAutomation.com, please take a minute to Register, so you can participate in this and any other upcoming discussions. Enjoy the rest of this Automation Weekly! Rick Zabel |
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| Featured Article | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2008 Automation.com Salary Survey Browse Portals for more articles, white papers and application stories by topic |
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For MORE of the latest product announcements, go to our Daily News Headlines page. Product & Supplier Search
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Other Resources & Literature: Go to our Daily News Headlines page for the latest automation news. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Other Company & Organization News:
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| New Jobs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Here's a list of new jobs posted on Automation.com:
To view other recent job postings, please use our Job Search Function. For recruiting and contract staffing services, please visit www.automationtechies.com. |
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| Humor of the Week | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dilbert - If you didn’t think happy was an option, you might be an engineer. |
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I hope you enjoyed this Automation Weekly update. If you have any comments or suggestions regarding the content in this e-newsletter or on Automation.com, please don't hesitate to contact me. Rick Zabel For editorial inquiries, please contact Rick Zabel |
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