Skills shortage? September 22, 2008
Posted by Duncan in Oracle, PeopleSoft.trackback
Frank Scavo has a post covering an article from CIO magazine discussing the Oracle and SAP skills shortage.
He muses over a comment on the article concerning whether the skills shortage is independant of experience, or whether it’s only the more experienced end of the spectrum that has a shortage.
My first reaction is to agree with this. From the consultants I know here in the UK there are those that seem to skip from project to project, only having gaps in between where it’s by their own volition. Pondering this further though, are these the best consultants or just those that are better organised or with better networks?
It’s difficult to tell the difference, because the most experienced consultants are likely to have a wider network of contacts, and will have changed projects many times so will be well versed in the traps novices may fall foul of.
So which is it? I’d like to think it was the former. A talented and experienced consultant will always get work. However I fear it’s the latter as I’ve come across a few that have succeeded by being barely adequate developers but expert schmoozers.
And is the comment on the article correct? Is there a surplus of inexperienced consultants around, but a dearth of their experienced colleagues?
What are your experiences?
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The PeopleSoft Tipster Blog 
Not withstanding the current financial situation many researchers continue to predict a coming shortage of talent and knowledge. It is becoming increasingly clear that Corporate America faces a Brain Drain. The PeopleSoft industry is certainly not immune and, in fact, may be more susceptible to this trend given that younger workers will choose the new Fusion Application technology over PeopleTools.
Here is a story from MarketWatch:
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/corporate-america-faces-brain-drain/story.aspx?guid=%7BB531080D-7EA0-4A45-8415-5FC819C3E132%7D&dist=hppr
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A lot of us Independent Senior Level Consultant have huge gaps in our resume because the clients are taking the cheaper less experienced consultant. Most of the time the agencies will not submit the resume to the client, even though the client is paying for an experienced consultant.
This has been going on for at least 5 years, probably longer. I have gone to a number of clients to clean up the mess, by that time the client and angry at all consultants.
Even Oracle outsources their contract needs the same way! Most third party foreign nationals and the rates I have been quoted are well under $100 per hour.