"Managers at all levels tell me that when they have an employee who actively supports his or her teammates (or outsource partner as needed), then they're the last to go in a layoff. Those who hunker down and have the "knowledge is power" approach are the first to go. The technology changes so fast that they'd rather make a long-term investment in a team player than hold on to a short term skillset that will be out of date soon anyway..."

I stand by my post. My career is about twice as long as yours and I fully understand the value of mentoring for both the mentor and the mentoree. That's not the point. Things are very different in the USA today for software engineers. Your post spins far too rosey a picture for 2006 and is outdated (but not completely without value).

Managers at all levels tell you: Of course they do. They tell everyone else this also. And, there are still many thousands of direct and indirect employees in India employed by USA corporations today. Do you know how many H-1Bs are inside America today? About 500,000.

Last to go: Of course, Employees who help transfer the knowledge to the offshore or onshore (H-1B, L-1) people will be the last to go. Obvious.

Knowledge is power approach: Of course, employees who refuse to participate will surely go quickly. Also obvious.

First to go. Last to go. The important point is that you are going, going, gone.

Long-term investment? This is nonsense. There hasn't been such a thing as a "long term investment" in software engineers for many years now. Witness non-existent budgets for training, conference attendance, etc. This started long before offshoring and onshoring.

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USA software engineers need to take steps to reposition themselves. Jobs that primarily sit in front of a computer are going away, or going down. The good part is that the USA is a great place to do this. But, they must get out of the cube! Pure software enginering careers are under "assault".

The mentoring that software engineers need for themselves is how to get out of the cube (and out of pure software engineering). Not so bad really. Cube life is overrated.