Xref: utzoo comp.misc:2016 can.jobs:186
Path: utzoo!mnetor!lsuc!clewis
From: clewis@lsuc.uucp (Chris Lewis)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,can.jobs
Subject: Re: Software Industry in Canada -- general remarks and questions
Message-ID: <1988Feb28.215236.25318@lsuc.uucp>
Date: 29 Feb 88 02:52:35 GMT
References: <5358@watdragon.waterloo.edu> <562@myrias.UUCP>
Reply-To: clewis@lsuc.UUCP (Chris Lewis)
Distribution: comp
Organization: Spectrix Microsystems Inc.
Lines: 52
Summary: Comment from a Multi-national (not us...)


During a job hunt several years ago, I had an opportunity to speak to
the Software Director of a VERY LARGE US multinational who was responsible
for something like 200 people in their development group out in Rexdale
(the location being the principle reason why I didn't go work for them).

He had been given the opportunity to start up his group either in California
in the Bay Area (where much of their hardware development goes on) or
some other place.  He chose Toronto.  Why?  Well, he mentioned several
advantages:
	1) The total cost of operation in Canada (even Toronto) is about
	   half of what it is in California.  Some, but not all of this
	   is in salaries.
	2) The staff turnover is considerably less - if you think the
	   head-hunters here are bad, you should see Silicon Valley.
	3) Most importantly: potential staff are FAR (emphasis his!)
	   better educated here than down south.

One of the things you should bear in mind when you think about software in
Canada is industry sector.

It may appear to you that relatively little "high-tech" development is going
on - because so few openings appear in the newspapers for them.
That's *not* because there is little high-tech going on.  It's because as
you get further and further into high-tech the advertisements would be
addressing smaller and smaller potential audiences.  None of the jobs
I've had (quite a few as my friends would attest) ever advertised in a
newspaper.  They were all through word-of-mouth or head hunters.  Inspite
of the fact that most head-hunters cannot seem to understand the industry
beyond "how many lines of COBOL did you write last year?"), they can
frequently connect you to someone who does speak the same language (C of 
course!).

I suppose that many new graduates that find themselves disinterested in
COBOL or RPG will discover to their dismay that there aren't many ads
in the sorts of jobs they're interested in.  And start thinking about
moving to the US.  Well, it isn't necessary.  Start asking around, there's
lots of companies.  Use head hunters until you get to a point where you
have a network of contacts and know what's going on and where.

Some of the larger companies:  BNR is doing all kinds of programming on
all kinds of machines.  And probably has several thousand software people
across the country.  Then there's Amdahl, IBM, CDC, Northern, the oil
companies, and Provincial and Federal governments.  All of which have
very large numbers of software people working for them.  Along with
the Banks etc.  All of the aforementioned companies are doing UNIX
work (to a greater or lesser extent) in Canada.  Some pretty "high-techy"
too - compilers, O/S ports, database systems etc.
-- 
Chris Lewis, Non-resident C-news Hacker,
Real: {uunet!mnetor,utcsri!utzoo,ihnp4!utzoo,utcsri!utzoo}!spectrix!clewis
Virtual: {same as above}!lsuc!clewis