When you first hear that your organisation plans to outsource IT projects offshore, it's difficult to look on the bright side. If you're like most people, your initial reaction will probably be to worry about your job security and start looking into other employment prospects. However, if you choose to embrace outsourcing rather than resist it, you will have the chance to benefit from a prime opportunity for career advancement.
Most organisations use offshore outsourcing to extend -- not replace -- the existing IT team. If you find yourself in this situation, outsourcing actually affords you the opportunity to redefine your role and focus on the aspects of your work that you enjoy the most -- but only if you take a proactive approach.
As soon as you learn that your organisation plans to outsource IT projects you're involved with, start thinking about what tasks and responsibilities you would like to offload and determining whether it would be logistically feasible for an outsourcer to take them on. For instance, it might be a better use of resources to outsource legacy code maintenance or other necessary but mundane tasks that don't require your current level of expertise. It is critical that you take the initiative to do this yourself; if you wait for management to decide what to outsource, you may end up with little control over your future at the organisation.
