The Next Obsolete Job
By Tim Violet
Director, Business Development, North America
Have you ever been concerned about your job security? If not, now is the time.
Changes will impact you and your company. Some are beyond your control: corporate implosion, scandal, theft, governmental intervention, war, world events, and more.
Consider these obsolete jobs and what they have in common: linotype operator, computer punch card operator, the job which was once entitled “computer” as in the movie Hidden Figures, pinsetters at the old bowling alley, the typist, stenographer, and going way back, the village lamp-lighter and the chimney sweep. What they have in common is technology eliminated them.
Now consider the industries that have disappeared: producers of DVD’s, floppy disks, telegraph services, buggy manufacturers, camera film producers and developers (still exist, but far from the extant once enjoyed), door to door milk delivery, ice delivery, etc. All gone. All replaced by new efficiencies.
The survivors, the successful ones, saw the tsunami of change coming, saw their potential options, made their own sea-changes to create a future that would avoid obsolescence by technology. Examples are readily searchable on the web, curtesy of Google AI Overview, and illustrate an adaptation to change:
Adobe: Transitioned from selling traditional, boxed software to a cloud-based subscription model (SaaS), generating steady recurring revenue and expanding its market dominance.
Netflix: Pivoted from a mail-order DVD rental service to a global streaming and content-creation powerhouse, revolutionizing how audiences consume media.
Domino’s Pizza: Reimagined itself as an e-commerce and technology company, allowing customers to place orders seamlessly through its digital app and dominating the fast-food delivery market.
Nike: Shifted its focus to Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) sales and digital supply chains, significantly boosting online sales and customer loyalty via its mobile app.
The Walt Disney Company: Embraced digital transformation by launching the Disney+ streaming platform and introducing wearable technologies like MagicBands to personalize the physical theme park experience.
These were not happenstance. They were deliberate decisions to embrace technology and improve their organizations. Adaptation is the requirement.
So, I ask again, have you ever been concerned about your job security?
Is your job going away, is your industry at risk, but most importantly, are you helping to secure the future by embracing technology that will assist you today and in the future, or, are you waiting to be affected by it?
A few quotes to enjoy:
Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road.
—Stewart Brand
Technology is anything that wasn’t around when you were born.
—Alan Kay (Computer Scientist)
Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic.
—Arthur C. Clarke (Author)
The future belongs to those who adapt. ClaimDeck helps organizations turn change into opportunity through better technology, greater visibility, and smarter decision-making.
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