Re: I need opinion

Ryan wrote:
>

 <snip>
> 1) Can you really make the $50,000+ salaries that everyone advertises,
> and I hear about?

Yes. Probably not the day after you graduate, but within a year or so if you're good. And if you ARE good, you can expect twice that within a few years. Database professionals with communication skills seem to be higher paid (as consultants) than more generic programmers.

>
> 2) If you become a developer in a 'hot' language such as Oracle,
> Sybase, SAP, C++ etc. is it true that you would have to relocate every
> few years?

Absolutely not. I've never relocated except by choice.

>
> 3) I have also heard that immigration and offshore programming
> services is going to greatly impact the U.S. salaries of the IS
> professionals.

There probably will be an impact at the "worker bee" type of programmer level. I don't imagine there will be much impact at the senior level, or for consultants.

>
> 4) What are your thoughts as to where the industry will be in 5 years?
>

The database industry will probably look quite different, with ORDBMS being much more front-and-center. The Object-Relational technology seems to be the best thing to fit the needs of using databases on the web, and we all can see how the web is exploding. So DBMS vendors are working hard on it. But you can always pretty much rely on the IS industry being basically the same (fast-paced, always new stuff to learn, but programming is always programming).

-- 
Brenda S. Muller
Sr. Consultant, Miaco Corporation / U S West

"I wash my faith in dirty water
'cause it gives my mind a little order."
		- Seal