I went to the AITP expo yesterday and wore a black short sleave silk shirt with khaki pants. The weather here in Chicago was sunny and I figured I'd go casual.
When I arived, I found I was one of the only ones out of over 500 IT managers, directors and CIO's not wearing business suit let alone short sleave shirt and casual pants. The entire Sheraton hotel was awash with dark suits... and me. I couldn't understand why everyone was sooooo on thier best behavior. So serious.
At dinner, while sitting with 11 other people at a round table. I figured out why. Everyone was either pimping some overpriced solution, OUT OF A JOB or a CONSULTANT (another word for "being out of a job for so long I ran out of unemployment and since no one will hire me I'll start my own business"). In fact, I was the only one that was still employed at an actual company with actual job title, at that table. I did not run into a single active IT programer, Admin or any hands on practitioner. It was a great big reception hall of consultants and salesmen connecting with other consultants and salesmen, not customers. And again everyone was so serious.
Now that the economy is down, the fun, joy and levity is dead. So now everyone has put on their interview face. It used to be a group of contemporaries and fellows not so lopsided and parasitic.
I felt like the guy in the first 10 minutes of Blade. I got suckered into a room full of hungry vampires. They were all looking to sell me or looking for jobs. Of course when being introduced to a potential employer or client you don't call it enemployed... we call it "transitioning." They don't sell you anymore they offer a "value proposition."
A consultant at the table said, "heh heh... going casual today huh?"
"Yep." I said, "I'm not here to impress anyone. However, It looks like 500 people came here to impress me."
On to Interop in Vegas next week. We'll see if it's any better. Signs don't look good for vegas though, I think they're hurting the worst right now.
When I arived, I found I was one of the only ones out of over 500 IT managers, directors and CIO's not wearing business suit let alone short sleave shirt and casual pants. The entire Sheraton hotel was awash with dark suits... and me. I couldn't understand why everyone was sooooo on thier best behavior. So serious.
At dinner, while sitting with 11 other people at a round table. I figured out why. Everyone was either pimping some overpriced solution, OUT OF A JOB or a CONSULTANT (another word for "being out of a job for so long I ran out of unemployment and since no one will hire me I'll start my own business"). In fact, I was the only one that was still employed at an actual company with actual job title, at that table. I did not run into a single active IT programer, Admin or any hands on practitioner. It was a great big reception hall of consultants and salesmen connecting with other consultants and salesmen, not customers. And again everyone was so serious.
Now that the economy is down, the fun, joy and levity is dead. So now everyone has put on their interview face. It used to be a group of contemporaries and fellows not so lopsided and parasitic.
I felt like the guy in the first 10 minutes of Blade. I got suckered into a room full of hungry vampires. They were all looking to sell me or looking for jobs. Of course when being introduced to a potential employer or client you don't call it enemployed... we call it "transitioning." They don't sell you anymore they offer a "value proposition."
A consultant at the table said, "heh heh... going casual today huh?"
"Yep." I said, "I'm not here to impress anyone. However, It looks like 500 people came here to impress me."
On to Interop in Vegas next week. We'll see if it's any better. Signs don't look good for vegas though, I think they're hurting the worst right now.