[debug] Serializing with Catalyst::Action::Serialize::YAML::HTML
[debug] Response Code: 200; Content-Type: text/html; Content-Length: 67
[info] Request took 0.014918s (67.033/s)
Thanks again for your help!
]]>Thanks again for this great tutorial!
]]>Due to the amazing generosity of perl folk I will be attending YAPC::NA next month. I suggest we take care of this life. Looking forward to meeting you either way ;)
Cheers!
]]>First, "programmers" aren't commodities. Usually, what employers mean is more along the lines of "there's a shortage of GOOD programmers". Because a good programmer is often considered to be 10x more effective (or more!) than an average one, the value of finding (and keeping!) a good one is huge.
For that group of "good" programmers -- as you point out -- wages are indeed rather high -- comparable to many other professional careers (and often without the high debt load of professional schooling).
Second, on startups and programmer salaries, you're right that startups can't afford to pay high wages. They should be offering equity that -- on a risk adjusted basis -- makes up for the opportunity cost of a good programmer leaving a large, secure organization with a good wage. It's possible that programmers aren't good at understanding or negotiating equity compensation or assessing risk -- but that's not a market failure, just inexperience.
Third, most market participants, employers and employees, are operating with imperfect information.
Programmers probably think they are better than they are (i.e. "are you an above average programmer?") and have no real way to benchmark themselves or their compensation.
Employers are terrible judges of talent. Employers are also terrible judges of how much talent they really need and where. For some tasks, they really need "good" programmers. For others, an average programmer will do.
With 10x or more differences in programmer productivity, you should expect to see similar ranges of compensation. Some will earn $120K+. Others (perhaps in "outsource" destination economies) might earn a tenth of that (or less!).
So there are two "problems": (1) companies who think they can pay average wages for good programmers; (2) programmers who think they should earn good wages for average ability.
Group #1 is doomed to suffer. Group #2 can adjust expectations or develop greater or more specialized expertise (as Ovid points out).
]]>I realize programmers aren't commodities, but programmers are imperfect substitutes which means you still have demand and supply effects that are comparable and even the Cato Institute, a think tank I generally disagree with, agrees that supply and demand impact wages (to be fair, they're talking about low-income workers which one might argue are closer to perfect substitutes).
I thought I made it clear a simplistic supply and demand curve isn't enough when I wrote after a moment's reflection it should be self-evident that given the complexities of economies, maybe brandishing an economics 101 graph isn't quite enough to model typical developer compensation packages.. I guess I should think of a better way of explaining that, then. Suggestions welcome! :-)
]]>And seeing that i have to point out a massive mistake i see recruiters make all the time: Talk about the area, but not about the job. What perl versions are in use, what cpan modules are in use, what source repository, what ticket system, etc. etc. etc. For the linked job, if i'm thinking of the right company, they can't even use CPAN stuff due to CC requirements. That's a massive thing and as a job seeker i'd be very annoyed to find that out after investing time into talking with them.
]]>The reason we post the information the way we do is because of my blog, Overseas Exile. I've been writing for years telling people how to be an expat and move abroad and the company my wife and I are creating is all about helping people do that (well, in addition to consulting and training :)
The people who contact us really, really want to experience life abroad. They're generally strong technically and they know they can do the job, but either they're looking for a chance to see the world or, in some cases, the employment situation in their home country is very dire and they're desperate for a chance to at least earn a living doing what they love.
When we work with a company, we learn a lot about the company, what they're looking for, what they actually need and what they're like internally. When candidates apply, we give them this information and let them decide for themselves if it's something they want to pursue. Some choose not to, but most want us to push forward because they're looking for something beyond "just a job." They're chasing their dreams and we're trying to help them. Thus, we give them enough information to get a sense of whether or not the job is a good fit, but also if their new potential home might be interesting to them.
So far it's been great and the candidates we've placed have been very happy. None of them have walked into a situation not knowing what to expect. For posting to specialty areas, like jobs.perl.org, we'll probably go a more technical route for our postings, but for now, we're focusing on what our candidates are really looking for.
I hope that helps explain what we're trying to do. It's about using our passion for experiencing the world first-hand to help people live their dreams. Eventually we hope to expand beyond IT, but for now we're sticking to our strengths.
Cheers, Ovid
]]>Another thing, i can likely add two more companies to those in Hannover, if you wish you can poke me anytime on IRC about them and i'll let you know what i got.
]]>Take wine as an analogy. Yes, there is aggregate supply and demand for wine that affects overall price levels. But there can be a glut of crap wine that depresses prices at the low end and yet a shortage of truly excellent wine that drives high-end prices to the stratosphere.
I think that distinction explains a lot of why we hear both "there's a shortage" and "wages aren't rising".
Fortunately, unlike a bottle of wine, programmers can influence their own quality. :-)
]]>