The Ever Changing Workforce

This is a subject that I've long contemplated.  It's not so much specific to our current technology, but this has always been something to contend with as our civilization advances and matures.  With new technologies come new jobs and it also often involves other jobs becoming obsolete.

This thought first came to mind a few months ago near work.  I saw an "Iron Mountain" truck parked on King Street here in Toronto.  For the uninitiated, Iron Mountain is a niche supplier of document services.  There focus is on off-site retention of documents (paper or electronic based) and the safe destruction of old documents.   The thought that came to my mind was "Wow - here is a while industry that didn't exist 30 years ago" (or at least if it did exist, it certainly wasn't so critical.  In today's society, companies live and die by data and a by-product of this is the appropriate retention and destruction.

I wonder to myself how many new jobs have been created in the computer era.  I'm betting that there it is far more than anyone had ever considered.    My position - as a Systems Analyst/Software Designer - would not have existed in the main-stream work force 40 years ago - there was no context of a "system" other than a paper based filing/record keeping system.

What finally prompted me to write this blog entry was an article that I read today that listed 20 jobs that are now obsolete.  The list is as follows (courtesy of the article at http://www.mainstreet.com/article/career/employment/20-jobs-have-disappeared?puc=outbrain&cm_ven=outbrain&obref=obnetwork) :

• Lector (to read articles to bored workers)
• Newsroom copy-boy (can anyone say "email!")
• Log-driver (not sure why this one is on the list?  I'd think that this position still exists)
• Pin-setter (I'm not even old enough to remember a person resetting the pins in a bowling alley.  Rejoice!)
• Lamplighter (totally obsolete now, I'd think)
• Switchboard Operator (anyone remember "1 ringie-dingie, 2 ringie-dingie", or am I dating myself?)
• Telegraph Operator (Oh boy, for sure.  Actually, one of my first employers in this field was CNCP Telecommunications and this was their bread and butter.  Anyone want to guess if CNCP is still around?)
• Ice-cutter (iceboxes anyone?  I actually have faint memories of an icebox as we had one up at the cottage before we had electricity)
• Ice Delivery (same as above.  Without the ice-cutter, I'm guessing it wouldn't be too fun to be an Ice Delivery man).
• Dictaphone Operator (Digital recorders 101)
• Typing Pool (hey - I remember those!  My first employer was Woods Gordon.  I remember there being a pool of ladies.  Now everyone is pretty much expected to type their own stuff)
• Newspaper Typesetter (this one, I don't know - I would think that this position has morphed into someone who does the layout and design.  Yes, they don't actually get those little square rectangles - umm did I just say little square rectangles? Conceptually, it seems pretty related.
• Elevator Operator (I have no memory of an elevator operator.  third floor- ladies' lingerie!)
• Mimeograph Operator (Paging Mr. Xerox!)
• Streetsweeper (again - I'd contend that this position is still there, just with different tools)
• Sandman (Wow!  I had no idea!  Apparently, this was a REAL position where someone would distribute sand over ink on a page to help it dry.  Good gravy - that is a job I would NOT want to do)
• Sawyer (wood mills/cut to order replaced by your handy-dandy Home Depot)
• Manual Port Loading (assembly line work replaced by robotics)
• Breaker Boy (poor lads had to go through and separate the non-coal from the coal.  Lung disease anyone?)
• Rag and Bone Men (the quintessential recyclers, they'd go house to house getting specific garbage to be reused.

There is one fundamental lesson here for all of us who are gainfully employed (or wish to be).

Keep yourself relevant.  Never get so comfortable in your job that you don't look to the future.