Acquire the Skills You Need Now and In The Future
Acquire the Skills You Need Now and In The Future
By Terry Brock for DSound and Steemit
We hear a lot of talk about “bringing jobs back.” Well, there are many jobs that just won’t be “brought back” to any place. How many jobs shoeing horses were lost when the horseless carriage emerged around the turn of the 19th to the 20th Century?
How many telephone operator jobs have been lost because of new technology that allows people to make their own calls? How many jobs were lost by secretaries in the 60’s when computers came about with word processors built into them?
This is the way history works. It is painful for those involved to have to change. This is particularly true for those who are older and were hoping for doing the same type of job, at the same rate of pay, for the rest of their career. They were longing for a nice, comfortable retirement.
Well, the world really doesn’t work the same way today. In fact, it is an anomaly of the mid-20th Century that people had this concept of “retirement.” Today many are advocating the concept of "re-engagement" rather than retirement. This is good for a number of factors.
When your mind and body are active you feel more energetic and live a more full, enriched life. Think back to the 16th, 17th or even 18th centuries. The concept of retirement did not exist. People kept stretching and learning and growing. It was incumbent upon people to continually be relevant and provide for themselves and their families.
Today we are seeing robots excelling in skills and their ability. Recently I was able to watch performance at CES the trade shows sponsored by the consumer technology Association, Held in Las Vegas. Was invited by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), based in Taiwan, to see what is not only possible, but what exists.
In their exhibit I saw state-of-the-art robot playing chess against people. Not surprisingly, the robot was beating even the best chess players that challenged it. And if that weren't enough, the robot was kind enough to offer coffee and pour coffee for those who wished to have a cup. You can see a video of this here youtu.be/kSC0wCN3UKw.
This is part of the ITRI intelligent vision system. This robot can perform household tasks such as setting and clearing the table, assisting seniors or disabled people with drink refills and meal preparation while continually improving its performance based on experience. In addition to that, similar robots would be able to link together to create a big data reference point to continually improve and add to their skill set.
With technology like that, why would we need a highly paid union employee working to insert bolts on the car for an assembly line? Hoping that such a job would come back ignores the reality of our world today.
I completely understand how this can be very sad news for someone whose job is putting bolts on a car on a Detroit assembly line. This is particularly acute for someone who is older and longing for retirement in a few years. However, nature requires us to adapt to new environments and not long for the “days of yore.”
Some would like to stop the advance of technology. This reminds me of what we know about the Luddites from the 19th-century. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite The Luddites would destroy the early technology that was making looming and weaving more mechanical and did not require as many people to work. They felt that by destroying the machinery they would ensure jobs for people.
So what's a person to do today?
Make it your goal to constantly acquire new, market-valuable skills. The world is changing fast. We hear that all the time. It is true and what that means is that you can't rely on what worked before. The skill set that got you to the level of success you have now won’t carry you forward into a changed and different future. There are more openings and jobs that need filling for programmers now more than ever. Find those skills that employers need and learn those skills.
This is not always easy, but it is well worth it. You can’t sit back waiting for that old job you had to “come back.” Most of the blacksmiths who shoed horses in the 19th Century, lost their jobs as blacksmiths in the 20th Century. However, those who adapted, learned new skills and got other jobs, often better, in the age of the automobile.
The good news is that as you learn these new skills you keep your mind fresh and active. Keeping your body and mind alive and rejuvenated is one of the best practices you can deploy for optimal health physically and mentally. It also helps you to reach customers and get a decisive advantage in business.
You can see the video I put together that goes into this more in-depth here youtu.be/kSC0wCN3UKw I look forward to your feedback.
Please leave your comments and upvote. I eagerly look forward to hearing from you, my fellow Steemians and DSounders. Thank you very much for stopping by to visit.
Terry
Terry L. Brock, MBA, CSP, CPAE
Member, Professional Speaker Hall of Fame
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