Thought I'd share an optimistic note for folks struggling through the Union Pacific mismanagement debacle. As an IT executive for another Omaha area corporation, I've been in panel interviews with several former UP technology professionals as candidates. I think a lot of Omaha firms are very appreciative of UP's incompetence given the firm is shedding some exceptional talent.
We've had senior network folks, a solid cybersecurity analyst, and even a exceptional Javascript candidate who was in the UP internship program. Given how tight Omaha's IT market is, these folks are finding homes in companies that will appreciate and value them. I'll admit it's been puzzling seeing what kind of talent is being jettisoned by the UP brass. When you're losing $16/hour programming interns who you're not paying any benefits to and have them overworked on hourly wages, you're replacing that with either legacy staff already spread too thin (at 3x or higher loaded costs) or with external consultants at potentially even higher costs. In other words, you're making your operating efficiency objective even less likely to attain.
The stories we've heard about senior IT leadership at UP has been shameful, on the other hand. If you can't step up for your people, clearly demonstrate the qualitative and operational value of your organization, and protect them from the financial consultant efficiency schemes, then you should quit and let someone more capable lead your IT shop.
Given the upcoming recession cycle we're approaching (yield curve inversion, periodic economic cycles that tend to be inevitable), I'd recommend that any UP IT folks considering moving their careers to another organization take action in the next couple of months. Firms like ours are filling our 2019 hiring objectives now and if we do go into the expected downturn, many of us won't be adding more staff. Get working on that resume and get interviewing now. If you're talented, there are plenty of employers in the Omaha market still bringing on folks.