Job posting: Trusler Development
Bonnie MacKinnon (705)748-1495
Position: Member of the Consortium.
Applications are due MARCH 1, 1999.
Description: For a full description of what the Consortium is
and what Members do, see the document An Introduction to the
Trusler Software Consortium for Prospective Members.
Qualifications: You must be a graduating Electrical Engineering
or Computer Science student. For details on which skills we
desire, see the aforementioned document.
Other Details:
The Trusler Software Consortium (TSC) is looking for at
least two graduates to join them in May 1999. Graduates will
participate in a formal training program at our Ottawa-area
facilities for up to four months before becoming full Members.
Full Members work on Consortium contracts in their own offices,
and may be located where ever they please, as long as they have
Internet access.
While in training, you will be exposed to various software
development packages as well as the theory and practice
associated with each of them. A portion of the training will
consist of lessons with an Instructor, while others will involve
self-exploration and the completion of practical mock projects.
Help is always available from the Instructor and other members of
the Consortium.
After training is completed, graduates become full Members
of the Consortium. A Member enjoys a lot of freedom and
flexibility with regard to the 'how', 'where', and 'when' of
their work. The 'what' of their work, however, is largely the
same. A Member, by themselves or in pairs, works on a software
project from start to finish. A recent graduate will have an
opportunity to plan, design, build, test and deploy one or more
real software projects over the course of their first year.
Assistance is always available from other Members whether or not
they are working on the project, and all Members report to the
President. Therefore, a recent graduate gets a real opportunity
to be a partial project manager, database designer, software
programmer, installer, and client consultant. Members
'telecommute' from wherever they wish to, and communicate with
other members via phone and email. They work when they want,
wherever they want. However, they will occasionally need to
accompany the President or a project leader to client meetings
(typically in Toronto or Montreal). Hence, while one member
works in Germany, most live in Ontario.
Remuneration during the training period at our facilities is
a nominal amount of just over $1000/month. After the 4 month
training period, remuneration is based upon the amount a recent
graduate wishes to work during their time as a Member, but can
reasonably expect to earn $800 - $1000/week for an average
length workweek during their first year, $1000+/week thereafter.
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An Introduction to the Trusler Software Consortium
for Prospective Members
Summary
Trusler Development Inc. operates the Trusler Software
Consortium (TSC), an association of software contractors who have
banded together to fulfill clients' contracts, both large and
small, mostly in the media and restaurant industries. Over the
last 4 years our client list has grown to include the CTV
Television Network, A.C. Nielsen, Telemedia, BBM, FeatherT
ouch, Keyflex Systems, Starch Research, Bensimon Byrne DMB&B (now
TeleVest), IMS, the Canadian Media Directors Council, Urban
Outdoor Trans Ad, and the Toronto Board of Trade. Through its
Members, our company proposes or bids on software projects, and
takes them through the entire software life cycle. Our
remarkable growth in clients and projects stems from the
Consortium's reputation for delivering projects on time and under
budget, at a significant discount from our competitors. The
Consortium can meet the needs of all clients with few members
because of the tools we choose, our expertise in the media and
restaurant P.O.S. domains, and the selection of members who are
bright, independent-minded, and understand what it takes to
please a client.
A History of the Trusler Software Consortium
The Trusler Software Consortium (TSC) originated in 1994 as
R. Trusler & Associates, a sole proprietorship that started as a
single summer contract after 2nd year university. The year
before, a similar contract on-site involved commuting 3 hours a
day in Toronto, hence the move to a home office as a contractor
was a natural course of action. Gradually, as clients grew in
size and number, a need arose to tackle more and larger projects
or face the loss of some clients' business when they wanted to
consolidate their software outsourcing. While this wasn't
desirable during university, after graduation it became possible
to hire subcontractors (Members) to meet the increased demand.
In July 1998, R. Trusler & Associates incorporated, becoming
Trusler Development Inc. (TDI), which operates under the name
'Trusler Software Consortium'. The success of TSC is largely
associated - like most businesses - with satisfying itscustomers.
Satisfying customers in this industry is achieved by delivering
high quality, stable software, while being on time and on budget,
a combination that is seldom found. What allows TSC to achieve
this combination is its choice of tools and the way they are
employed.
The combination of requiring more people and desiring to use a
tool without a large base of experienced users in Canada
presented a new challenge. This challenge was met by first
providing the tool to new members, rather than having them use
their own. Secondly, informal training (later followed by the
addition of formal training) meant that the Consortium could
develop that larger, highly flexible base on its own, and
immediately reap the benefits of employing its preferred tools in
its preferred fashion.
Members - because they are contractors - learn these tools on
their own time.(1) The Consortium provides the central tool,
some training, and the benefit of experience. Members gain
important skills and contracts, while the TSC gains another
Member, allowing them to better meet their clients' needs.
In many ways, the Consortium has become a self-sustaining
entity on its own. Members gain marketing and collection arms,
the right to participate in the Consortium's contracts, and
access to the experience and advice of others in the Consortium.
Members have a lot of freedoms: they work when and where and
however much they want, and are free to complete contracts
outside of the Consortium. There are also incentives for Members
to refer new Members and new contracts (based upon length and
nature of the contract) to the Consortium. Ultimately, the
Consortium is about helping each other, and having more strength
by working together, while maintaining the freedoms of having
individual businesses.
Prospective Member's Q & A
Q: What skills is the Consortium looking for?
A prospective Member must:
- Have a good knowledge of using Windows 3.1, 95/98 or NT.
- Have learned at least one procedural and one object-oriented
language
- Have had some exposure to using (not necessarily designing)
relational databases.
- Have had some exposure to using RAD tools (Delphi, VB,
PowerBuilder, Visual C++, C++ Builder, Power++, JBuilder, etc.)
A prospective Member would also benefit from:
- Knowledge of any of: Object Pascal, Java, Delphi, WISE
Installation System, Access, Excel, Word, RoboHelp, Paradox,
Crystal Reports, C++ Builder, J Builder, Lotus Notes.
- Experience in: designing relational databases, installing
software, or UI design.
It is more important that a prospective Member show that they can
be independent thinkers, fast learners, and be able to work with
minimal supervision, than that they've worked with a particular
tool or language. As a fast learner, the Trusler Software
Consortium will help train you in any skills that you lack.
Q: What are the benefits of joining the Consortium?
If you're a university co-op student or recent university or
college graduate, this is a great place to start your career or
have your internship. If you're currently working in the
software industry as an employee, this is an opportunity to grow
and learn about other software development tools and about
software contracting, on a part-time or full-time basis. Being
an independent software contractor allows you to work at your
convenience - when, where, and however much you'd like, while
you're a Member. You can work 55 hours a week in the city, 15
hours a week at the cottage, or 35 hours on a beach in the
tropics, or whatever else suits you. Everyone - including current
independent software contractors - stands to gain by joining the
Consortium. The Consortium, first and foremost, provides
contracts. It gains these via its marketing efforts, and by the
good reputation that the Consortium has developed over the last 4
years. At this point in time, the Consortium gains as many
contracts through marketing as it does by reputation and
word-of-mouth. The Consortium also has another important
benefit: it guarantees that you get paid for your work. The
Consortium is responsible for collection, and whether or not it
is successful in collecting from the client, it will make sure
you are paid within 45 days after your bill is submitted.
Another benefit of joining the Consortium is access to skills
training. The Consortium has facilities for formal training for
people who lack the skills the Consortium desires. Finally, you
can benefit from the experience, expertise, and advice of other
Members. The Consortium works for you. You don't work for the
Consortium - you work with the Consortium.
Q: What does the Consortium ask in return?
First and foremost, that you show an ability as a Member to
grow. Producing high quality, stable, successful software within
a reasonable schedule takes a lot of skill, and it can take time
to learn how to do well. What is most important is that new
Members show that they are successfully working towards that
goal. A Member who fails to show this ability won't be allowed
to remain in the Consortium and be awarded future contracts. To
date, this has never happened, but it ensures that the Consortium
retains its one most important ingredient.
Finally, the Consortium needs new Members and new contracts.
Typically, Members are rewarded when someone they referred
becomes a Member and starts their first contract. Members are
rewarded a direct portion of the value of a contract they bring
into the Consortium based upon its size regardless of whether or
not that particular Member works on the contract.
Q: How does being a Member of the Consortium differ from being an
employee in a software development company?
The most important difference is that you're an independent
software contractor. The Consortium isn't an employer, but it is
available to provide services to independent software
contractors.
There are a number of differences between being an
independent software contractor and working as an employee. On
the plus side is the 'being your own boss' aspect. You make your
own hours, set your goals, don't have to have a long commute,
etc. However, you're responsible for all your own costs
(including all office costs, phone bills, utilities, travel
expenses, hardware and software costs, etc), and you don't have
an employee's benefits package. Job security used to be an
issue, but it is now quite debatable as to who has more job
security. When it comes to training, employers usually do it
themselves, or pay for their employees to take courses. As a
contractor, you're responsible for your own training and
upgrading of skills and knowledge. The Consortium has some
training facilities that Members are free to use, but they do so
on their own time.(2) The only exception to this is co-op
students and recent graduates who are not yet full Members.
Q: Besides what is mentioned above, what else do I need to become
a Member?
As an independent software contractor and Member, you'll
need your own office, be it at home, at an employer's, or
wherever you feel comfortable. In terms of equipment, you'll
need a fairly modern PC (equipped with a printer, a fax modem,
and Windows 95/98/NT), a telephone with an answering machine or
service, and an ISP account.
Q: I'm about to become a university or college graduate, or I'm a
co-op student who wants to be an intern with the Consortium. How
can I become a Member?
You can qualify if you're in a program related to software
development, such as computer science, electrical or computer
engineering, etc. You have shown that you have an ability to
learn, and that's the most important thing. Send your resume to
the Consortium, and we'll see if you and the Consortium are
compatible. If you are, then you will most likely need to be
trained in some of the skills that the Consortium requires.
Co-op students: Though still an independent contractor, unlike
other prospective Members, you will go through more formal
training, and be required to work at the Consortium's training
facilities for up to four months. Engineering students will be
provided with PEO Engineer-In-Training experience. For more
details, see the Internship Q&A, and Internship Description and
Qualifications documents.
Graduates: You would start with formal training at our facilities
for up to four months, just like co-op students. After that, you
would become a Member, with all the privileges and
responsibilities.
Q: I work full-time as an employee in the software industry, or I
already work as an independent contractor. How can I become a
Member?
Send your resume to the Consortium, and we'll see if you and
the Consortium are compatible. If you are, then you will most
likely need to be trained in some of the skills that the
Consortium requires. Depending on your experience, you may need
to develop or upgrade some skills using the Consortium's
materials or on your own. When that's complete, you'll become a
Member with all the privileges and responsibilities. You're
welcome to work with the Consortium on a part-time or full-time
basis, and continue to work for your current employer or on your
own existing or future contracts.
Q: What kind of remuneration can I expect when I join the
Consortium?
Typically, the Consortium pays Members by the hour. The
hourly rate varies depending on the contract and how much
experience the Member possesses. When a Member begins working
with the Consortium their hourly rate is usually lower than what
they can expect later on because they are still learning a lot
about the tools of the Consortium.
Q: How do members of the Consortium work together?
Members typically work alone on a project, communicating
with the President of the Consortium, Ross Trusler, as well as
the client, or they work within a project team in the Consortium.
Members usually communicate with one another via phone and email.
For this reason, flat-rate long-distance telephone and Internet
plans are recommended. Occasionally, it may be necessary for
project members to meet either in person or via phone conference.
Any project member may also be required to attend meetings with
clients.
Q: What is the normal length of the workweek?
There isn't one. A Member works when, where, and however
they want. However, it is important to meet agreed-upon
milestones of a project, and to keep them in mind when deciding
how much you're going to work in a given week.
Q: Will I have to travel as a Member?
Possibly. It may be necessary from time to time for Members
to attend meetings with the client. As an independent
contractor, you're responsible for your travel costs, but you do
bill your time while at the clients. So far, clients are usually
located in downtown Toronto and Montreal. If you and your
project leader are in the same city but not the city of the
client, you may be able to travel with the project leader.
Q: What would my title be if I joined the Consortium?
Typically, 'Member'. However, if you're looking for something
more descriptive or flashy to put on a resume, we can dream up
something appropriate.
1 Co-op students and recent graduates, before they become
Members, may be in a formal training program instead, where they
learn general theory and about our primary tools.
2 Co-op students and recent graduates, before they become
Members, may be in a formal training program instead, where they
learn general theory and about our primary tools.
Trusler Software Consortium
3 Cheryl Rd. Unit 1, Nepean ON, K2G 0V5
(613) 225-9668