Its cheaper only because container storage isn't priced correctly. If the containers were charged at $HIGH_RENT/day storage fee the owners would pay someone to get rid of them.
It seems weird that there is no incentive to put empty containers on an empty boat to China, esp when there is a shortage of containers in China. Maybe the port should charge higher rent for storing empty containers? There is something missing in the story.
The last few decades I've seen a lot of bigger buildings have slab concrete walls with brick veneers. This seems a quicker and cheaper way of doing it. Would seem like a good place to try to automate the veneer placement.
> There is a 90% chance that your salary will increase by 10% per year, on average, during your career.
I'm not sure where you are or how old you are but after 10-20 years this definitely does not hold. Often you'll have to take a pay cut to get good skills.
> Later, as a consultant, my first project was on some dying database system that needed to be kept alive a short while longer. In this case, I'd learned already, that you don't have to always accept your circumstances as they are. I politely complained to management that this is not what I was hired for and did not match my skills, and was transferred to a way more interesting and career rewarding project.
This is important. I used to think that you're supposed to be doing what you're told, but this is often very bad for your career. You should do what will get you your next job. Introduce new technologies that are hot because you'll get to work on them, it doesn't matter so much if its good for the employer.
I'm in a similar job and haven't interviewed for years but want to start and not sure how to go about it.