Outsourcing: Is It a Threat?

David Saltzman asks:

I have heard many vague things about jobs being outsourcing and was wondering which jobs (comp sci, branches of engineering etc) are being outsourced and if it is a problem significant enough that I should try to avoid certain routes. I am currently a freshman in college planning on majoring in engineering or maybe computer science.

Good question, David! Outsourcing is a threat to some high-tech jobs, but not all. And there are things you can do "outsource-proof" your job, at least a little bit.

First of all, the more common your skills are, the easier they are to outsource. Think about jobs like basic computer programming, research, mathematics, IT, etc. -- if they can be done from anywhere, they probably will.

Labor-intensive tasks that require a lot of salaried employee time are also prime for outsourcing. This includes areas such as product testing, design, and estimating.

Second, back up your skills with more education. The more educated you are in a specific field, the more skills you possess, and the more valuable you become. (This isn't a guarantee -- there are more and more opportunities for distance medicine as assignments like reading X-rays get outsourced to doctors in the developing world.)

Third, look for developing fields where you might have less competition, areas like green engineering, nanotechnology, power and energy, wireless communications, etc.

Finally, why not look at outsourcing as an opportunity? With companies cutting costs left and right, they might not need a full-time employee doing certain tasks, but they will need to hire consultants and temporary employees to get their work done. So take advantage of that need by building yourself a skill set and hanging out your shingle!

Good luck, and keep sending those engineering career questions in!