Things are getting faster and faster now. Not only new technologies but new business models are popping up at extreme rate. Are we prepared for such a fast world?
Since my early twenties I was working in MNCs and everything was quite simple. Even when crisis struck in 2008 the solution was to find a position in some MNC and wait until tornado ends. But things seems to change now. Technological advances and globalization are making huge changes in the way money is distributed. These changes are not quite easy to perceive but it’s something that happening right now. If you’re currently an analyst or middle manager in large MNC and you have around 6-8 years of experience, normally you receive a comparatively good salary and benefits compared with other guys that are working in smaller companies or subcontractors. But look outside for a second. Don’t you feel that salaries for positions like yours are getting lower and lower for new applicants? Do you really think you’ll be able to compete with young undergraduates with 2 years of experience and excellent academic record who are willing to work hard? And these guys are OK to work for a fraction of your starting salary! And ask yourself fairly: when you’ll be really promoted to some serious position? These promotions are scarce nowadays! Should you stay where you are?
The simple answer is no. There are so many things that are happening outside the MNC world and you’re missing while seating in the very same place day after day. MNC routine disconnects you from reality. Have you ever stopped and thought if your position may be eliminated by simplifying processes? Is it possible that in future some of the tasks you are responsible for may become unnecessary or automatized? I know that in my case the simplification and automatization of my work is evident, my profession has an expiry date, although now it seems impossible. And I don’t want to stay to see this happening. Because when change will arrive to my industry, it will be so fast and profound that it will be barely manageable for a single worker.
The future belongs to entrepreneurs and freelancers. Future will not require you to have education or experience, future will require you to create a necessary product [service] that will make other people pay you. Not for your time, but for your product. It will be difficult but interesting future. We will have to stay up to date always, strive for perfection and continuously innovate. The creation will be permanent process that finally will benefit all the society.
I don’t know how long the transformation process will take, but definitely it will happen. Humans aren’t good in doing pre-programmed tasks compared to computers. And it doesn’t matter if it is a repetitive factory work or medical diagnostics. If there’s some pre-established process algorithm humans will lose to robots. But if the task is creative there’s no robot that can outperform humans. Some say that in future only two industries will survive the total automatization – education and entertainment. So, should you stay where you are or it’s time to prepare an exit?