The Consulting Alternative

Roger Torres - September 1st, 2008
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We live in a technologically challenging world, where individual and corporate fortunes are directly affected by the technical abilities of the people around them. Companies are having a hard time coping with the short supply of highly trained software engineers, and in general they settle by hiring “whatever” is available to cover their needs … hoping for the best.

They must face a tough reality:

  1. “Good” software engineers require many years of preparation, tons of dedication and hard work.
  2. There is no near term solution to the supply and demand issue.

Let’s explore a few options for a moment:

  1. Increasing the number of H-1B visas: This doesn’t seem to work for many reasons. A few big corporations with access to the best foreign universities will benefit the most, but the rest will be exposed to the bigger problem of importing less skilled professionals and company hoppers. The public opinion is also against importing labor and exporting jobs. You can find more information about the H-1B program here.
  2. Offering more incentives: This is a great solution, but again, not all companies can afford it. In fact, the best software engineers in this country are working for companies offering stock options, bonuses, long paid vacations, time for personal projects, a full stack of insurance plans, and most importantly a very fat salary. If you know a good engineer that’s not in this group, he is probably an entrepreneur, he is already rich, or he’s out of luck.
  3. Hiring professional software consultants: This is probably the only viable short term alternative for the majority of companies. A good consultant will not only find the shortest path to solve problems, but he will provide a consistent approach to produce and maintain systems, serving as a mentor to the staff and transferring many tricks he must have learned over the years of exposure to the fire. The good news is that consulting services are temporary, and don’t require the extra compensation packages mentioned before.

Technology giants like IBM and HP have realized that “consulting services” make a lot of sense for everyone, that’s why they have been playing the game for many years. We offer an alternative to small and medium size companies who cannot afford these 800 pound gorillas, focusing our practice on personalized and affordable services, experience, and dedication. If you have software needs in our area, please let us know how we can help.

Roger Torres
President and Consultant