Re: IBM Consulting info
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:19:39 -0500
Message-ID: <BANLkTinEudNa8z2XHKNWbvYcdCO=Ck9e1Q_at_mail.gmail.com>
Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences with IBM Consulting. I passed them along to my friend and he feels he at least will be better prepared for his interview.
On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 12:45 PM, Guillermo Alan Bort <cicciuxdba_at_gmail.com>wrote:
> I've worked for IBM global delivery services and, as everything in life, it
> depends on the manager you get. I've had a pretty good stay (except for my
> salary, which didn't get updated in two years... I live in a country with a
> 30-40% inflation rate per year, so this is essentially cutting my salary.
> Also, they charge in U$D to their customers and they pay is in local
> currency, so they make a difference when the U$D goes up or down and when
> the local currency goes down with respect to U$D)
>
> Now, I've worked as part of a similar project (taking over the dba work
> from local DBAs), this was outsourced to Argentina, and English was a
> requirement upheld until HR had trouble finding qualified candidates who
> were willing to work for what they offered, then being able to actually
> communicate with the customer was not all that important. It is a very
> annoying job trying to understand how everyone does their job when you are
> about to take it away from them... they are not exactly cooperative.
>
> Don't get me wrong, outsourcing is my livelihood, but I don't think it
> should be done *just* to cut down costs, it should be done as a way to
> leverage different timezones, and to get access to skills you normally
> wouldn't... there are some damn good DBA out there... not all of us live in
> San Francisco.
>
> The problem with outsourcing as a way to reduce costs is that you get (with
> some exceptions) less of something.
>
> I don't know how IBM India works, perhaps they are more organized, but in
> here we were severely understaffed (about 200 dbs per DBA) and the average
> skill was very low. So, the customer got mostly slow and crappy service
> unless they complained. If the customer complained then they would assign
> one of the "Senior" DBA to the task. (funny enough, not all the "Senior" DBA
> had more experience than the rest... they were just a bit better with
> customer relations and had google as their home page). So, with that many
> databases and that low level of skill, nobody knew anything about any
> database. Yes, I'm sure it was cheaper for the customer, and I don't think
> we ever lost any data, but availability was not the best...
>
> Also, if you are used to doing things quick, it won't happen in IBM. They
> have a lot of compliance procedures and it makes making the smallest change
> in a customer's environment a very difficult and tedious process (and mostly
> inefficient).
>
> On the other hand, it's a great place to either start a career as a DBA
> (they have some training programs that are very good) or to retire, just
> make sure you negotiate a good retirement package :-P
>
> And you will meet a lot of people, it's a good place to make contacts, and
> I personally got a few good friends out of IBM.
>
> One of the downsides of working for an outsourced service is that your
> scope is somewhat limited. You will have a task matrix and you'll have to
> stick to it, so on-the-job learning opportunities have a very low cap.
>
> I hope you find my personal experience helpful and by no means take it as
> anything other than that, my personal experience.
>
> Cheers
> Alan.-
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 1:15 PM, Guenadi Jilevski <gjilevski_at_gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> What I expect is IBM to buy the perm staff ( convert to to IBM employee)
>> from old company and to extend contractors. Only few key positions will be
>> original IBM on the spot under IBM umbrella and off-shore support can be on
>> need basis. Probably opportunities to ask questions. Perot, IBM have done
>> this before.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Guenadi jilevski
>>
>> On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 6:41 PM, David Ramírez Reyes <
>> dramirezr_at_gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Companies like Bank of America now should be named Bank of India...
>>>
>>> David Ramírez Reyes
>>> Profesión: Padre de Familia
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 13 June 2011 10:40, David Ramírez Reyes <dramirezr_at_gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> That is the core of most of this Indian outsourcing companies, they hire
>>>> you with a very low salary just by giving the "opportunity" of get an
>>>> American visa (for non american citizens); companies like Infosys, Accenture
>>>> or ACS (between others) are making this activities their "way of living'.
>>>>
>>>> About 5 years ago, we were 5 DBA's in the company and I was the only one
>>>> ourside US, now I am the nearest, 2 are in India y 2 more in China (earning
>>>> less than the half of my salary, and I learn the half of the salary of my
>>>> ex- coworkers!)
>>>>
>>>> Welcome to real life...
>>>>
>>>> David Ramírez Reyes
>>>> Oracle Global DBA
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 13 June 2011 10:28, Andrew Kerber <andrew.kerber_at_gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I talked with them at one point, they were establishing a support site
>>>>> in Iowa. However, the salary was ludicrously inadequate. About half of my
>>>>> current salary. Of course, that was probably when they were building the
>>>>> justification for bringing in lower paid DBAs on H1(b) visas.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 10:13 AM, Dennis Williams <
>>>>> oracledba.williams_at_gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> List,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> A friend works at a U.S. company where the DBA services are being
>>>>>> outsourced to IBM. I believe this is IBM India. He has been invited to
>>>>>> interview with them for a job. He resides here in the U.S. I'm trying to
>>>>>> gather some information for him about how this all works. If anyone has
>>>>>> worked for or with IBM consulting, please help me out. Private replies are
>>>>>> fine.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thank you,
>>>>>> Dennis
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Andrew W. Kerber
>>>>>
>>>>> 'If at first you dont succeed, dont take up skydiving.'
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>
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