Chapter 4: (Re)Starting From Scratch

Technological innovation has driven our culture, the types of work that we do, and the employment practices of businesses for centuries. Who could have imagined the incredible numbers of authors self-publishing books and earning a respectable living in the days that preceded Gutenberg’s printing press? In those times reading was something the elite in society might do, and writing was an art form left to a very few specialists that concentrated their efforts on religious texts. Even as the general public dismissed portable books, and the ruling elite and clergy attempted to demonize the printing press with allegations such as the pen being comparable to a virgin and the printing press a whore, an invisible movement was underway. Today it is beyond imagination to consider that people might not need to read, write and communicate through email, instant messaging, social networks and the Internet. The incredible democratization of knowledge and tools has created a level playing that is starting to erode the foundations of traditional business and their employment practices. Entirely new careers have been established as a result. Careers we might never have been able imagine just a few decades ago.

This chapter describes some of the challenges that we face in the technology sector today as we work to continually adjust to a rapidly changing landscape. It describes the remarkable agility that we need to develop and introduces some of the social behaviors that we must depend on to be successful. The changes engulfing technology-related employment today are merely precursors for the changes that will take place in many other industries too. Whether you’ve spend decades in gainful employment and are feeling nervous about the future, or you’re just entering the workforce today, we hope that this chapter will provide you with some direction and insight into the future world of employment.