BEst place to settle in usa ,after getting greencard

I want to get more info on sw engineering/comp sci/IT positions in Los Angeles/OC/Irvine/pasedena area.

currently, there are huge layoffs in software engineering in the U.S. due to outsourcing acceleration to India etc. My employer is also laying off big time with major target being sw engineers. I don't have citizenship yet so I cannot apply to defense companies.

Also, what are you guys thoughts on future of sw engineering here in the U.S. with the current outsourcing. (I'm not Indian so I can't go to India to follow the jobs). We cannot predict the future, but all the indicators are telling me that future outlook for jobs in sw engineering here in the states in bleak. I welcome feedback/viewpoints from all. Where can I go?

If I have to move I would like to go to a nice area in south CA. Any light on this area would be appreciated.

Thanks.
 
JoeF said:
Just not when there are hurricanes...

I have been in St. Augustine several times, the last time last year shortly after the hurricanes. The damage in St. Augustine wasn't too big, but in other areas in Florida (e.g., Daytona Beach) it was quite visible.
Other than that, I like Florida.

Hey JoeF...Every place has bad weather issues, and Florida has the hurricanes...just like CA has earthquakes and the Northeast has the snow and cold weather....only good thing with hurricane is that you can monitor the forecasts, which can turn out be wrong too and see if it's coming your way and if you want to leave town.
 
JoeF said:
Outsourcing to other countries requires a huge amount of management overhead. For quality work, it is not possible to just hier somebody cheap and wait for the deliverables.

Actually many companies thought that way - throwing some requirement documents and some ideas and then wait for golden eggs for few months/years. In many cases it did not materialize - whatever the eggs they got are certainly not made of gold or even don't look golden. But companies are getting smarter after trials and errors. They learned or are learning how to outsource effectively and get exactly what they want. Result is clear - many big companies are not giving jobs to other offshore companies, but they are opening their own branches/offices in those countries to have better control and communication (e.g IBM, Microsoft). Many new offshore companies also first thought that just throwing some C++/Java code that follows/adheres to the client requirements/ideas is good enough to get fat $$$ checks. They are also learning that it's not like that, they need to engage more intensively and keep in mind the success/failure of product too.

That way, for outsource fear of software engineering or core technical background is not overblown. Threat is there. For example, a technical manager still be there to determine the quality of deliverables, but instead of recruiting 20 programmers + 5 project leaders in USA, they will outsource those works to other countries. However, outsourcing will generate new breed of workforce in USA - outsource managements, outsource management consultants, quality controller for outsource deliveriables, visionary architects/designers (but not programmers) etc. And that is one positive notion for American economy - it won't be stagnant. Those who are able to adapt to this change will be survivors.
 
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The outsource threat is a real one.
You can see in most of the companies now that the programmers level jobs are getting outsourced and architech level jobs remain here.

Moreover other big companies are opening up their branch offices in India and offering their current senior devolopers (who are orignally from India) to move back to India and head a team of devoplers there. I have personally know some of my friends who have taken that offer.

Some companies have had bitter experience and some had good success. But they will learn from the mistakes. Outsourcing like Retrogression is a reality and is here to stay. If you want to stay here then you need to position yourself such that your skill is still in demand here.

Companies cannot anymore be profitable without outsourcesing atleast 60% of its development. And as pralay said there will be some offshoot of jobs coming out of outsourcesing. Mostly managerical though.

neocor
 
Good discussion, guys. At least for fun, how about we do some 'brainstorming' and come up with a list of jobs that are likely to increase in number here in the states, or not easily be outsouced - of course bottom line is the jobs must be decent paid ones you can depend on to make a resonably ok life. I have a friend who is a software engineer likes doing graden work a lot and he said he'd open his landscaping store some day - think it's a joke? well it may not be.
 
Just realized that now I am the culprit for deviating from the original topic of the thread. But the outsourcing topic was irresistable to comment on. Anyway I have commented what I had to and the way I see it.
JoeF, your points are correct, I am not denying that. There will always be some jobs that are better done here and be more profitable than giving out to outsourcing and developing a lousy product and thus losing customers.
As I said already companies are innovating in the way they outsource by putting some of their experinced people who can go back to their native coutry to head a team. In that way they get the control like here and move closer to the quality that they can get if they worked here.

Anyway no more deviating from the topic. atleast no me.

Coming back to the places to live. PhillyJulyLC has posed a good question about jobs likely to stay and likely to increase in number and be decently paid.
In addition to pin-point such jobs we also need to ponder places where the cost of living is not insane.

One thing that I have seen in recent years and may be the way of life in future. Lot of people (where the company is allowing) are working from home from long distance. This way they get a home in a reasonably priced place and work for a company situated in a big city with good pay.

This model is good for both the employer and employee as the employer need not provide any real estate for the employee to sit. However this model wont work for most companies as of now.

neocor
 
me from Long Island and as many other Long Islanders am not able to decide between NJ and LI.....who eventually end up settling in LI.
I am restraining myself from buying a house only because I am not that eager in buying it in LI. I am looking for options in NJ. But then areas I am interested in NJ has rates comparable to LI so not able to decide. I think I will end up in LI itself unless someone gives me some real facts about pros of NJ over LI....or the other way round is also welcome just to make me feel better :)
Anybody who moved from LI to NJ...do post ur experience.Was it worth!!!!!
LI is not that bad but the NYC is a major bottle neck when driving wrt tolls and traffic.
 
I too am from LI and if u ask me for someone working in Manhatten its a no brainer that Jersey is better. Jersey was created to serve NY (just a joke !!!).
On LI the beaches are great, good school districts but rents/home prices are high in good areas. The job scene is not bad and there is NYC to fall back on. Weather is East coast weather with cold winters, hot summers, not much different to NJ.

Yeppo
 
Anyone from RTP (NC)

I've been living in bay area for more than 6 yrs.
+ves: Weather is good, lots of indian restaurants, grocery stores, movie theatres, etc.
-ves: too much stress due to work, need to rush for everything, house affordability (i earn 120+ for the past 4 yrs but still I feel it's riskier to buy a house here).

I heard Raleigh, Durham, Chapell Hill places in NC are good. Any info on IT jobs, climate, housing over there? In terms of jobs, I'm looking specifically in embedded development but anything would do.
 
LuckyBastard & Yeppo....

u both covered LI and looks like you both forgot to mention about parking lot on LIE/NP/SSP/27 (basically anything going towards nYc).


Daily, I commute from Queens to LI (Hauppauge) & its pain in the neck even though I am going against the traffic. As a matter of fact, it is not at all against the traffic.
 
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yeppo said:
I too am from LI and if u ask me for someone working in Manhatten its a no brainer that Jersey is better. Jersey was created to serve NY (just a joke !!!).
On LI the beaches are great, good school districts but rents/home prices are high in good areas. The job scene is not bad and there is NYC to fall back on. Weather is East coast weather with cold winters, hot summers, not much different to NJ.

Yeppo

I agree with your job market assessment about nYc/LI.

Best part about nYC is the billing rate (for consultant like me) & # of openings.
 
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