I have put this here because it is NOT a job advert. However, I am trying to reach as wide an audience as possible. (Moderators, please bear this in mind if you move this post.)
I am very interested in those of you who are software engineers willing to transfer to a local company, software engineers currently working for local companies, or were software engineers who gave up their careers to live here. I fall into the latter category but managed to return to my career of choice with a local company.
So, for anyone who fits any of the above descriptions, what would you expect in terms of salary, bonuses, health care and other benefits?
Any responses, either here or by PM, would be very much appreciated.
The salary range is much as expected but what’s so damn good about Yank, sorry American, software engineers? [/quote]
Hmm. Should have said “foreign-educated, in the sense of a high-quality program such as in certain parts of North America (excluding the third-world areas such as Canada and Mexico), Europe (primarily “old Europe” countries with strong technical traditions, like Germany or England or Hungary), or Asia (mainly meaning Japan)”. Happier?
What companies want to find are people who have solid education in the mathematical and practical and engineering aspects of programming; as opposed to, say, products of DeVry or some similar software diploma mill in Bangalore, which are pretty much comparable to local programs.
I’ve seen a couple of Indians walking around whom I assume are top grads of IIT, but I don’t get the impression that they are in demand here. Call it prejudice or call it a recognition that most Indians are poorly educated compared to Americans and can only compete because they cost a fifth as much. But a local Taiwanese student costs about the same as an Indian programmer nowadays, so why bother importing them?
Yes, much happier. But ‘England’. What happened to the rest of the UK? There are many fine Universities in Scotland that produce top quality s/w engineers :raspberry:
I’ve worked with the local breed of software engineers here at my present company, recently with Advantec and with BenQ a few years ago. Its a bit like being on the Muppet show in terms of getting anything done. :scooby: (closest thing to a muppet that I could find)
[quote=“MaPoSquid”]
I’ve seen a couple of Indians walking around whom I assume are top grads of IIT, but I don’t get the impression that they are in demand here. Call it prejudice or call it a recognition that most Indians are poorly educated compared to Americans and can only compete because they cost a fifth as much. But a local Taiwanese student costs about the same as an Indian programmer nowadays, so why bother importing them?[/quote]
My understanding is that Indian engineers have some standing in the s/w engineering world. Hence so many IT projects are outsourced there (not just for the cost as that can ultimately be counterproductive).
My experience also tells me that Chinese s/w engineers knock the socks of the Taiwanese. Mmmm, I don’t want to start slagging the local quality too much… They are nice guys.
I think in my original post I should have been a little clearer by what I mean by real s/w engineers, and also maybe why I asked for information.
By real s/w engineer I mean someone who has been educated in ALL aspects of s/w engineering from s/w technologies (COM/DCOM etc), coding (C++, …), s/w design and architecture (and associated methodologies), s/w lifecycles, testing and integration, project management, etc. Not someone who can (at a push) do a bit of Java programming.
The reason I posted is that I am running a large project and have been waiting for most of this year for my company to get me some experienced engineers. So far no luck, they cannot (or claim to) have difficulty in finding anyone local. So, I’m in a bind. I need engineers and I need them now.
If I am to approach my loaban with a proposal to employ ‘foreign-educated’ engineers, I need to have a good idea of how much it will cost (him).
Yes, much happier. But ‘England’. What happened to the rest of the UK? There are many fine Universities in Scotland that produce top quality s/w engineers :raspberry: [/quote]
Er, well . . . bugger! Yes, of course Scots. Better than the English any day. My bad.
(…hastily looking for my kilt, and a set of bagpipes to borrow…)
[quote=“Roach”][quote=“MaPoSquid”]
I’ve seen a couple of Indians walking around whom I assume are top grads of IIT[/quote]
My understanding is that Indian engineers have some standing in the s/w engineering world. Hence so many IT projects are outsourced there (not just for the cost as that can ultimately be counterproductive).[/quote]
Yeah, some are ok, I guess. I worked with quite a few and found their quality to be spotty at best. One who claimed great background and had worked at Amazon for a while before joining my group turned out not to know that in C/C++, arrays start at zero. I made that mistake ONCE when I first switched from Pascal, and figured it out on my own; this guy couldn’t get it right after a supposed at least five years out of school, and several months on that project.
Have you tried posting a job ad here on Forumosa? Some locals read it, as well as some of the tech community.
[quote=“MaPoSquid”]
Have you tried posting a job ad here on Forumosa? Some locals read it, as well as some of the tech community.[/quote]
I would love to but I cannot do anything formally as I do not have the power to hire or fire. Remember, I’m only a waigoran, so I cannot possibly be trusted with such things. :fume:
However, I will now have a chat with the other waigoran here and maybe we can come up with something.
[quote=“Roach”]I am very interested in those of you who are software engineers willing to transfer to a local company, software engineers currently working for local companies, or were software engineers who gave up their careers to live here.
So, for anyone who fits any of the above descriptions, what would you expect in terms of salary, bonuses, health care and other benefits?
[/quote]
It is almost impossible to make an estimate.
If you’re an engineer here, you probably get
a good deal now from your home company.
I’m an M.Sc. in Technical CS with 7 years
working experience in technical software engineering.
Overhere I get ~150k, with housing, medical ensurance,
car and fuel paid for, and retirement plan in my home
country continued (so there is no ‘gap’ when I return).
For a local contract, everything changes:
Lower prices, substantial bonusses, no retirement plan…
There is no direct comparison possible. Even
without the expat deal.
I’ld settle for a salary that, after housing,
food, clothing, car, retirement savings, ensurances, leaves
me with the same money for savings that I had back
home (600EUR). Plus a one-time lump sum to
compensate for the costs resulting from the break
with the home country. No idea what that would
amount in the take-home taiwan salary.
Yes, of course Scots. Better than the English any day. My bad.