Well, I think people should still look for jobs where they have talent because ultimately regardless of the hot career of the moment, that is where they will do well.

Those who are in it for just the money will not be in tech for long. I"ve always LOVED computers and software since I first knew them. I didn't get in it just for the money and I know that even if I end up doing something else for a time that I'll end up back in tech eventually even if it is in teaching people how to use software.

I have a friend who did it last year while he was out of work. His wife works at NIH so he got himself signed up. I think it helped tide them over until he found 'real' work. Incidentally - he's also in the tech field.

I was thinking that it's an option that my laid off friends should consider. Especially those without medical insurance since study related meds being free is actually a perk.

Two people I know are doing medical studies. It sounds really scary to me, but I admire them for it because it could really help people.

I only know one person who has been layed off, but he was in the tech sector. It's scary for those of us who work for non-profits, too, because charitable contributions are obviously down, but we're cutting back in as many ways as we can so hopefully no jobs will be lost.

I believe in medical research. In fact, I'm so interested I might volunteer for free if it could help with Endo or MS cures.

I am scared for charities too. I might end up now that employment is less certain for Craig doing less for MS than previously I"d hoped.

I noticed that too, and really anyone who makes a lot of money doing what they do could be in trouble. I know of someone who had been working with Fidelity for almost 20 years and got laid off a few months ago. Because he was one of the higher paid people there.

Yep. It's cheaper to get someone without experience.

I had a manager tell me once, the closer you work to a cash register, the less likely you are to be laid off. I think he hit the nail right on the head.

Tech jobs are the new manufacturing jobs. In the first part of the 20th century it was the guy who put together your vacuum cleaner. Now it's the guy who programs it.

I don't know anything about clinical trials, but I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand. Just do your research as best you can.

Yep. That makes sense. Also, people can just keep using the old software they have if it costs to upgrade, they just keep using the same old computer.

There's actually some genereal economic principles behind this, that Caitie once tried to explain to me. And in a severe recession /depression, it is the service or skill type careers that get hit first, where you're supplying people with a service rather than a product. Manufactoring jobs where *GOODS* (ie - lumber, agriculture, manufacturers of all sorts, etc...) are bought rather than services, tend to get hit after that. She could better explain the economic principles that drive that, but tech would be an industry hit in the first shock wave, yes.

It's all tied together. First it was lending and banks, and mortgage, now tech seems to be taking the hit.

and my baker thinks he's going to get a tech job with great pay and tuition reimbursement in march/april. lol

Who knows? He might, but he's going to have TONS of experienced senior engineers to interview against who've been recently laid off.

As someone else noted, it an issue of services and non-tangible things going first. In my industry it's the architects that get hit first because you still need the engineers to make sure things work and the contractors/builders to build them. There's trickle down there certainly, but it's always the architects against the wall first.

I rode out the dot-com crash at an engineering firm that specialized in infrastructure, because who doesn't need roads, energy or someone to deal with your trash/waste?

Yeah! True. I was hoping to do soemthing to help people struggling with morbid obesity too. There may be lots of paths in my life that aren't known to me yet. I'm just lucky to still have a job.

as for the clinical trials thing, i've thought about it too, but the nearest medical center that does a lot of research is over an hour away. i'd totally do studies related to endometriosis especially, but also suffer from migraines, something i see studies for pretty frequently.

Today twice I've had to go back into my office just in agony from endo. It's so annoying!

Bottom line, tech costs and we're broke. And I seriously considered studies for depression before the magic of Prozac occurred. When the Prozac stopped working I knew we would find another that would work too, so I wasn't tempted.

Yeah. I'll have the strategy for cutbacks on our budget at home soon.

It may not be good news for my charities, but bottom line is, we have to pay medical first.

I think that Les Stroud said it best. 'The more that you relie on technology the harder it is to survive.' Right now we are moving more to the surviving side of things. It is a little scary however tough times make tough people.

I moved into the manufacturing field years ago because I like to make physical things. If push comes to shove, I can always go out and pick up a shovel and dig ditches. It won't be pretty however I still have a few good years in me.

I am not sure about the medical trials. I know that Robert Rodriguez made his money to shoot his first film that way. It could work good for you.

Well, I think long term being flexible is important. I love working in tech, but I do have other skills and experience and I'm willing to do other things as well. I think I could be successful in other industries.

I've always been interested in medical trials partly because I'm a strong believer in science. I think it's something to check out, but for now my focus is on doing the best job possible and making them glad they kept me at work for the first cut. It's beyond my control if I'll last the whole recession with a job, but my performance is the part in my control. It has to be Oscar worthy right now.

I signed up for the Army of Women, which is a pool of women researchers can pull from for Breast Cancer research. I tried to get into a study here at the Cleveland Clinic for breast cancer, but apparently my mom having breast cancer twice only counts as one relative having breast cancer. It was a thing where you'd get a boob mri every 6 months.

Meh. I'm all for medical trials. Never been paid for one though.

That is cool! I'm on lots of medications, so may not be a candidate, but I would participate if I was accepted and out of work because medical advances are SO vital to my future. I believe in the studies being done even at some personal risk.

Heh, Mason mentioned that, but I pointed out that I'd never get accepted into a paid medical trial, because I'm not "healthy" and "normal" -- i.e., I take meds and have altered digestion. That's a no-go for medical researchers -- you have to be on nothing, not even birth control.

Trials for people with specific conditions are never paid -- the draw on those is the chance to get your condition treated.

Actually you can get paid for trials for people with specific conditions, it's just that they have to be particularly involved trials (i.e. having to stay at the trial site in a controlled environment for days to weeks so that they can control your diet, your meds, do multiple blood draws, collect urine, etc).

As a former medical guinea pig (back in college) I once was something like the 6th person ever to take a particular asthma drug (the first 5 being healthy subjects they made sure it didn't kill) which was pretty cool...even cooler was that it did appear to work in delaying an asthma attack (well, that and the $1300 I earned for being held captive for 1 week)!

new orleans is one of the few places in the country experiencing job growth so if you want to relocate...

ROFL! I am the least heat tolerant person I know. I wouldn't last 10 minutes in New Orleans in summer.