[BC] Making engineering pay

[Cowboy]

On Monday 24 July 2006 11:58 pm, Rachel Ehrenberg wrote:
> I have been reading this thread as I ponder the 2nd half century of my
> life. 

 Gave up on that one. Now pondering what I'm gonna do in the
 third half century.....

> I know that I am now too old to be hired by most commercial (and 
> maybe non-commercial) broadcasters.

 Maybe, maybe not.
 I'm sure that depends on where you want to go.
 Location, location, location.....
 ( especially with a track record )

> I had pondered starting my own consulting/contract firm (Dana will
> probably remember that
> idea)

 Not necessarily a bad plan.

> and now I am starting to think I'll just hang it up and do 
> something else, be it here in the states or overseas as I have dreamed
> of doing.

 It's important to do what one loves to do, in spite of the fact that most don't.
 Figure out what you love, and go do it !
 For me ( and many here ) it's radio !

> I am not sure if I subscribe to the idea that we as engineers do an
> excellent job of putting ourselves out of business or are just the
> collateral damage of corporate mergers and the like.

 Both.
 Undercutting rates, not staying up with the state of the art, as well as
 designing and building more reliable maintenance-free equipment.
 The bad apples that do shoddy work don't make it easier, and they
 do tend to depress rates, temporarily anyway.

 Of course, if it was easy, then everyone would be doing it !

>     I just read where 47 at Citytv Vancouver were just laid off.   This
>     on top of what CBC did with Master Control a few years ago.   And
>     on
and on.

 But I'm certain they didn't lay off ALL of the staff.
 What one needs to look at, are the reasons why this one was kept,
 and why that one wasn't, and then choose which one wishes to be themself.

> I hope young Paul Walker gets more education and experience in many
> areas of the industry so that he will be versatile enough to survive.   

 Versatility is key, and it's also important to have versatility in the
 right areas, both for keeping a job, and getting the next when the
 inevitable finally does happen.
 The market demands the skill set that it demands, and them who have it
 will be fine. Them that don't, well, make buggy whips, I guess....

> Yeah I?m depressed.

 Why ? 
 I've never heard anything negative about you, several positive things,
 and I don't even know you !
 That's not a bad place to be !

>    On the other hand, I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance


 OK. Now *I'm* depressed.....
 :-)

-- 
Cowboy