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        I was at a loss for a topic for my "Career Corner" column in
_The Opensystem_ (the local Unix user's group newsletter) this month, so
I resorted to a completely unscientific attempt at a survey of local
Unix professionals on the topic of the job market. If you know of any
surveys or statistics specific to DC-area Unix/"open systems" job
market, I'd appreciate hearing from you.

        This is a confidential survey; unlike all those magazine
subscription forms, you don't have to provide your name or company's
name, nor, if you do happen to provide it, will it be sold or given to
anyone. No one will call you or send you junk mail/email. I will not
initiate contact with any respondents, nor will I use the information
for recruiting or any purposes other than as topics for future columns.

        Please print, photocopy, and distribute this survey as widely as
possible. Deadline for returning is August 25, 1992; email back to me,
fax to (301)585-4779, or mail to Survey, PO Box 11023, Silver Spring,
MD, 20913; If there is more than paltry response, I will post the
results to this newsgroup, and try to turn it into a column for the
October issue of _The Opensystem_.

        Indicate all that apply to your own specific situation by
deleting non- applicable answers, printing and circling, or whatever.
Please include comments and observations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUTLOOK:

1. How do you feel about the current job market?
a. very optimistic
b. somewhat optimistic
c. lukewarm
d. somewhat pessimistic
e. very pessimistic

2. Have you been laid off in the last three years?
a. yes
b. no
c. consultant
d. student 

3. In your opinion, what is/are the primary reason(s) the recession
        happened?
a. natural cycle of the economy
b. end of Cold War
c. loss of American competitiveness
d. corporate irresponsibility
e. government mismanagement
f. the real estate bust
g. other_______________________________________

4. Do you feel that employers are significantly less loyal to their
        staffers than they were three years ago?
a. yes
b. no
c. student

5. How much long-term "career potential" do you feel that the Unix
        industry has?
a. a great deal
b. enough to stay in it
c. not enough to stay in it

6. How much long-term "career potential" do you have at your current
        position?
a. a great deal
b. enough to stay 3+ years
c. not enough to stay 3+ years
d. student

7. What are your career goals?
a. executive management
b. technical seniority/guruhood
c. start your own company
d. become/remain an independent consultant
e. other______________________________

8. Rate the following areas of expertise on a scale of 1-10, with 10 as
the most conducive to a healthy career future, and 0 as least conducive,
in your opinion:
a. LANs  ____
b. WANs   ____
c. tcp/ip  ____
d. x.25  ____
e. x.400  ____
f. x.500  ____
g. osi  ____
h. ss7  ____
i. isdn  ____
j. fddi  ____
k. GUIs  ____
l. RDBMS  ____
m. object-oriented analysis/design  ____
n. c  ____
o. c++  ____
p. smalltalk  ____
q. lisp  ____
r. multimedia  ____
s. graphics  ____
t. unix internals  ____
u. rewriting unix source code  ____
v. overall systems analysis/design/integration  ____
w. client interaction experience/ability  ____
x. training  ____
y. management  ____

9. YOUR SPECIALTY: 
a. programmer/analyst
b. software engineer
c. systems engineer
d. sales/marketing
e. user (e.g., data entry)
f. systems administrator
g. customer/user support
h. training
i. project manager/team leader/hands-on VP
j. upper management
k. other___________________________
l. student
m. faculty

10. YOUR TYPE OF ORGANIZATION:
a. federal government
b. state/local government
c. consulting firm
d. systems integrator
e. software/hardware vendor
f. VAR
g. association/non-profit organization
h. independent contractor
i. university/college
j. net/online services provider
k. other business__________________________________
l. unemployed/laid off
m. other__________________________________________

11. Is your work primarily defense-related?
a. yes
b. no

YOUR ENVIRONMENT: (your on-site location, if consulting)
12. workplace
a. own office
b. shared office
c. cubicle
d. lab bay

13. location
a. downtown
b. suburbs

14. hardware
a. Sun 
b. HP/Apollo
c. intel/clone/386/486
d. pyramid
e. AT&T
f. Unisys
g. other_____________________________	

15. network/communications
a. tcp/ip
b. novell
c. 3com
d. x.25
e. osi
f. other____________________________

16. operating system
a. system v
b. bsd
c. sunos
d. hp/ux
e. xenix
f. other_____________________________

17. languages
a. c
b. c++
c. ada
d. lisp
e. assembler
f. other_____________________________

18. GUI
a. x windows
b. motif
c. sunview
d. open look

19. other software 
a. rdbms (any)
b. 3d graphics
c. multimedia
d. case tools
e. object-oriented development
f. other______________________________


--> Options Unlimited                            Jim Johnson, CPC <--
--> Unix Personnel Services         Internet: jjohnson@uujobs.com <--
--> Voice: (301) 587-2338             uucp: uunet!uujobs!jjohnson <--
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-->         USmail: PO Box 11023, Silver Spring, MD 20913         <--