I’m almost done listening to the audio version of “The World is Flat” by Thomas L. Friedman.
When a friend first recommended it to me, I thought it was a boring history book (I was naive). It is a history book, but a brief one – about the 21st century. Friedman’s argument is that the US is losing ground to the rest of the world, particularly the East (esp. China and India), who have leveraged globalization, digitization, advances in logistics technologies and services, mobility, and the emerging flat-world culture.
I like the book, because it summarizes my observations of life, the world, and people in the last 8 years. I don’t like it because it’s highly US-centric, and offers very little help for other countries, particularly developing nations.
But it’s useful for us here in the East, especially if you are still oblivious as to why jobs are still moving to India and China, and what you can do to remain employable.
So, I’d like to offer my suggestions for employees and citizens of countries who fit this profile:
- have cheap, replaceable jobs
- are focused on easily commoditized services or products
- are unsure of how your jobs will improve over the next 5 years
- experiencing the effects of political instability
- perceives higher or further education to be of no or little value
- don’t give a hoot
1. Read the book, for crying out loud
Don’t waste your time observing the world from the surface. Friedman’s work is notable, and few of us will get the chance to interview high ranking individuals who can provide solid clues and insights to our future.
The book provided me yet another set of reasons why I believe Malaysian jobs are still stuck in the 20th century. Other books, such as “All Marketers are Liars”, and Phil McKinney’s innovation podcasts, all point to this fact. They sources may be American, but they talk about changing world, and that’s everyone.
2. If your job is insignificant, you’d better deal with it
As a software engineer, my job is insignificant. If I quit today, tomorrow there will be a hundred candidates lining up to take my job. Are you a call-center operator, an accountant, a graphic artist, a tutor, an illustrator, an employee whose job is easily outsourced? If so, your job might seem insignificant to companies, to employers, and to consumers.
Friedman argues that capitalism has forced companies to run leaner, forcing job outsourcing, insourcing, and automation to take place. Those who will get to keep their jobs fall into these four broad categories:
1. special workers – Britney Spears, Bill Gates, Madonna
2. specialized workers – stem cell researchers
3. anchored workers – doctors, barbers (localized)
4. really adaptable workers
Most of us will fit into 4, otherwise we’d be out of a job or remain in a really terrible one. I don’t like how the tone of the book leans toward jobs alone (or lack of), because I’d rather talk about having a fulfilling career. But there’s no career if there’s no job.
3. Go back to school
Don’t get a Masters or a PhD for the certificate. Do it for the smarts.
I used to believe that learning on the job was sufficient to get ahead in life, but now I disagree. The future belongs to specialists who can adapt, who relevant within a particular domain. A higher education allows you that time and space to learn and get ready to build something big.
Although Friedman argues that being versatilists are good candidates for the flat world, I want to do more than just survive. You’ll need specialization if you’re ever going to establish yourself in any career of the future. Forget about learning on the job. The internet isn’t very good for learning in depth, because there are too many distractions.