09/01/2004

Outsourcing & Off- Shoring

by Daniel Eakins

A press release issued on July 16, 2004 by BH Careers International reported that 71% of Americans are concerned that the trend of outsourcing jobs to foreign countries will affect their job security or earning potential. Information Technology (IT) jobs are one of the primary functions impacted by the outsourcing business strategy. BH Careers International reported that the best solution for outsourcing is to "be prepared". Daniel Eakins, M.A., Career Associate for the School of Technology at Capella University, offers these thoughts for IT professionals and students who are concerned about outsourcing:

There are two different kinds of "outsourcing"; offshoring and outsourcing. Offshoring is the term used for sending jobs overseas and outsourcing is most appropriately used to describe the process of sending specific functions to other domestic firms that specialize in those functions. Both offshoring and outsourcing are realistic concerns in today's market. Here are some tips for being prepared in case your organization decides to outsource:

Offshoring and outsourcing are one of many employment related concerns in today's current economy. These tips from Daniel Eakins, M.A., and Capella's Career Associate for the School of Technology at Capella University, will assist you in taking charge of your career should your company decide to offshore or outsource your job functions.

References:
BH Careers International (2004). Outsourcing Poll Reveals Overwhelming Concern Among Workers. PRNewswire. New York, NY. Retrieved July 19, 2004, from http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040716/nyf010_1.html

Denham, T.J. Network Your Way to a Job. Retrieved online, May 6, 2004, from Purdue Placement Manual.


Daniel Eakins is a Career Associate at Capella University. He earned a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of St. Thomas and earned his undergraduate degree at Metropolitan State University with a focus in Management Information Systems. He has experience in career services and 15 years of industry experience in information technology. Prior to coming to Capella, he worked for Lee Hecht Harrison, a global career transition firm. He holds memberships in NCDA and MCDA. He can be reached at
daniel.eakins@capella.edu

Printer-Friendly Version