Experts offer solutions for jobs lost to automation
June 18 2008 / by futuretalk / In association with Future Blogger.net
Category: Business & Work Year: General Rating: 8 Hot
By Dick Pelletier
A recent World Future Society report states that technology is definitely a job killer. The whole idea of tools, machines, and systems is to do things easier, faster, or better than barehanded humans can. Industry, by its very nature, out-sources itself.
Businesses are quick to adopt new technologies that reduce operation costs. While this practice usually results in eliminating some jobs, it often creates new higher-paid opportunities that require new skills. A recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report predicted the highest employment demands between now and 2020 will be in healthcare, education, accounting, and computer services; and these jobs will require Internet-proficient employees skilled in computer security, databases, privacy, and new media.
Baby boomers held an average of 10 jobs between ages 18 and 38, according to government statistics. These career jumpers continue to take short-duration jobs even as they approach middle age: 70% of jobs started between ages 33 and 39 ended within five years. Most people will experience five or six careers during their lifetime, and many will study for their next occupation, while working their current job.
Career consultant Eileen Gunn, author of Your Career Is an Extreme Sport offers the following tips on how today’s workforce can stay competitive:
1) Become aware of popular technologies. Know the difference between instant messaging and text messaging; participate in blogs and read newsfeeds relevant to your field. Social networking websites can also help you land a new job or scope out potential customers. Your own website might be worth the trouble if there’s a lot of personal work for you to showcase. (cont.)
2) Develop a strong online presence. Surveys by job-placement firms like Execunet and Careerbuilder show that businesses use the Internet extensively to vet job applicants. Recruiters look favorably on candidates whose online material reflects a professional image, well-rounded skills, and a fitting personality.
3) Build a network of professional contacts for schmoozing. Sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and SecondLife can be invaluable tools for getting to know like-minded colleagues or finding a job. Get familiar with these sites and build a profile on one or two that seem most useful.
4) Keep your record clean. A growing number of companies have fired employees for inappropriate use of blogs or IMs. If there are any regrettable pictures or postings on the Web that you don’t want colleagues to see, you might be able to expunge them, or at least lower their standing in search results.
5) Courtesy and common sense. Yes, they still matter. The Web might offer a degree of anonymity, but that’s no reason to abandon discretion. Try to resist the temptation to deluge your boss with text messages. And be careful who you allow into your online network. Ask yourself, “would I respect this person as a friend in real life?” it’s a brave new world online, but there are still a few old standards that apply.
No one can predict exactly how automation will affect the world in the next decade, but one thing’s for sure; there will be many new high-paying opportunities for America’s competitive workforce as we boldly enter into what promises to become an amazing “magical future.”
Comment Thread (6 Responses)
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I could be wrong, but I think these career tips are absolutely not applicable to people whose careers are at risk because of automation.
I mean, who is at risk? Probably assembly line workers, for example. Can one really advance or secure his welding career by participating in social sites or writing blogs? I really doubt it.
Posted by: johnfrink June 17, 2008
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No, the jobs Eileen Gunn refers to in her book include cashiers being replaced by auto checkout machines, banking and accounting jobs that are eliminated with automated systems; even writers that will soon be struggling to stay ahead of software that can search the Internet and actually compose pieces better than they can.
However, if a robot replaces a blue collar job in a factory or farm, those workers also must consider re-educating themselves to secure a higher paid service type job.
Most employment experts believe that the Internet will be the great ‘connector’ that can match networked individuals with high tech jobs; and they are probably correct.
Comments welcome.
Posted by: futuretalk June 17, 2008
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Hmm… If you are talking about future where computers are advanced enough to replace creative workers, we are deep into singularity my friend. And by definition of technological singularity it is impossible to make any good predictions of what will be going on. By that time Facebook and IM will probably be as useful for advancing your career as flinging poo at each other is now.
Posted by: johnfrink June 17, 2008
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We don’t have to wait for the Singularity. Even today’s artificial intelligence poses problems for many jobs. Editing software has reduced the hours needed for much human editing.
The information technology revolution has led to an explosion in textual content appearing on the Internet and this is changing the way publishers do business. Economists believe that US publishers have a bright future, but only if they think of themselves as purveyors of information packages rather than printers.
And as the Internet transforms these businesses, many applications will change; some jobs will be lost while new ones will be created. Those new jobs will require strong Web knowledge along with a host of other skills.
The American workplace is changing and the workforce must adapt or go home.
Comments welcome.
Posted by: futuretalk June 17, 2008
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Today’s jobseeker searching for high-paid high-tech employment must ask this question: what will a potential employer learn if they Google my name? Will they be referred to a Yahoo, or some other site that provides individuals with a personal page, and discover a professional image highlighting career achievements and a fitting personality? If the name search provides anything less, that high paying job could go to someone else.
Become Internet proficient or suffer the consequences. The future demands it.
Comments welcome.
Posted by: futuretalk June 18, 2008
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@ johnfrink and futuretalk—I think that in the near-term we’re going to see an explosion of online HR services like elance & bitwine, training software such as Zon (where you can learn Chinese immersvively) and tutoring hubs like bitwine, how-to video sites and online universities. My bet is that as these are perfected and mashed-up a new human resources / learning infrastructure will evolve and become increasingly useful to people looking to train for and try out new jobs. This will dramatically lower the cost of learning new skills and seeking employment matches. I can already see the seeds of such a network germinating, but if it fails to grow quickly enough (say by 2015) then I think we’ll see huge job displacement and much less replacement.
Posted by: Alvis Brigis June 18, 2008
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