I have worked IT for Schwab, Morgan Stanley, Robertson Stevens in SF and Bank of NY in NYC and I can tell you - fuck all of them Just go and contract if you can stomach that. If you are very good and have a good niche you do not even need to move around you can live in NYC or CA, DC and stay put. I cannot tell you what fields are hot for IT contractors but I bet mainframe is one of them - they do not teach it in schools even in India.
I'm keeping all my options open. So contracting is not out of the mix. I am married (marriage had nothing to do with my shortened trading career ) so a direct hire would suit me a bit better. Are you trading the energies? If so, how is that going for you
I am flat on energies right now. Hence the time to read and schmooze on ET. Note on contracting - I did it for 17 years and I am too old for it now and burnt out - there is a lot of stress but I never regret a minute of it. I know so many good company guys who just shut up and bent over thinking that that is the answer and they are just kicked them out right before retirement and now they are serving lattes at starbucks. I kid you not. I am proud that I took the best of them. My last trade desk gig in SF at Robertson Stevens was for $90/hour.
$90/hr, not bad. Ya its kind of bad/unfair that someone can work at a company for so long and in the end you are nothing but a number to them. I feel really bad for people that put in half their lives in a firm and then get shit canned.