First, watch this video segment from Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat and That Used to Be Us. This is why becoming a linchpin is vital for each of you in the hyper-connected world.
Assignment: Leave two responses regarding this clip. Then leave one piece of feedback to another student's response.
Reaction #1 -Friedman's talk reminds me of what he said a few years ago when he was in Budapest speaking at a university. On his way to the airport, his limo driver asked him if Friedman had any friends who might want to use his limo service when they were ever in Budapest. Friedman said, "Sure. Give me your card."
ReplyDeleteFriedman was shocked when the limo driver instead gave him the address to his limo service website.
When Friedman got back home, he checked out the website. He was amazed to see that the website had the option to be read in several different languages. It also included music and video.
Friedman was amazed. Even lim drivers have moved into the 21st century. So if lim drivers can leverage technology and social media like this, there is no excuse for other businesses not to use this.
I would argue that the limo driver is using technology to make his business into a linchpin.
That's why this time in history is such an amazing time to be not only going to college but also heading into the workforce. American business used to reward those who just kept their heads down and punched in and punched out (think Detroit here).
But times have changed (again, think Detroit here - they had a monopoly on the car industry for decades. But they got lazy and didn't innovate. Thus, foreign car companies took over the market. This was one of many reasons Detroit has imploded). Can you keep up?
Reaction #2 - I'm very intrigued by the scheduling software that JavaJuice used to schedule their employees. I saw a TED Talk (“Wingham Rowan: A new kind of job market”) recently that focused on a new computer system that would organize part time workers. Apparently, there are people (students, stay at home parents, grandparents, and so on) who would like to work what amounts to 'work study' hours. The computer program being built would stockpile all the names and available hours, along with their specific skills and eventual performance reviews. Then the program would notify people a day or two or two hours ahead of time when they will have a two hour shift coming up or a 30 minute task coming up.
This, of course, comes on top of more and more jobs being sent to the cloud and allowing many to work from home. That's why it's a great time to go into software development and IT.
Again, this hammers home the idea that you need to innovate and think critically in what you do. I recall reading Tom Brokaw’s book “The Time of Our Lives,” in which he interviewed three generations of auto plant workers in Detroit. The grandfather had been one of the first to organize and strike and get unions introduced. He ushered in the gold age of working on the assembly line. His son, also rode the golden age of the auto industry, and was in management. When Brokaw asked both of them what they would do with their grandson to keep him in the auto industry, both of the men looked at him and said one word: “Computers. We have to get him into programming.”
The world is gone where you used to make a great living with a strong back and a good pair of gloves. You now have to think critically and bring your extra to your job. In other words, be a linchpin.
The way school systems work are not good for getting people ready for jobs. They don't teach students the things they need to be successful in the business place. It was surprising to me when I heard that google is now hiring more and more workers who don't have college degrees. When top companies are doing it you know people have to be prepared another way.
ReplyDeleteMy second reaction how the scheduling software changes the way businesses work. You incorporate how many people are going to be there at a certain time. It isn't just three people for every shift, the program incorporates rush hours and things like that. That makes for a much more efficient program.
While it is alarming to find out that companies are looking for what seems like LESS qualified individuals, it's important to remember that Google is not "Top Companies," they are Google. They've made a business out of making things that seem impossible into gold mines that make everyone else seem like paupers in comparison. In the end, Google makes it work specifically because they aren't like everyone else.
DeletePS: It's important to remember that for every person working at Google without a college degree, they are uncountable hordes of them who didn't meet the bar.
If you are saying high school isn't preparing us for jobs, it's not supposed to. It's supposed to get us interested in a subject area. I do however agree colleges aren't doing a great job of preparing us for careers. Many people come out of college and still require strenuous periods of job training, and businesses are becoming frustrated how college grads come in seeming so uninformed about the job. Some colleges are incorporating Coop opportunities into their system, so that should help though.
DeleteMorgan has a good point. Google is Google. They are the exception, not the average. For now.
DeleteIt is hard for me to image college degrees being useless.
Alex,
High school is supposed to prepare you for work. There's a huge emphasis now that we are currently emplaning in LHS called College and Career Ready. Some will view that as the sole purpose of school.
The important thing to master, as I see it, is the ability to be a life long learner. You are absolutely correct when you talk about employers constantly having to teach their employees. Mr. Thune will speak more about this when he visits our classroom.
There are a couple things that I find interesting about this video.
ReplyDeleteThe first is that many typical jobs that we've long associated with wealth and prosperity will soon be replaced by computers and robots that can do the job more efficiently. While next to everyone can see this happen to factory workers and fast-food employees, I doubt that many people would have seen that particular trend coming in the field of Law. Because of this, it looks like these fields will be dramatically damaged as far as the number of jobs go, and the remaining roles will likely go to the most qualified and high achieving members of those fields.
I also found the idea of College Degrees becoming useless interesting. However, I also find it to be somewhat less threatening. While many more fields can be entered into by people with little formal education, there remain just as many that will forever be left to those who can survive a highly formalized education. Programming skills can be easily confirmed on the first day of any job, but Doctors will never simply be hired off the street without some kind of certification.
Nevertheless, these changes herald the dawn of a new age, one that doesn't provide an easy way for those who dislike work or are incapable of learning to provide for themselves, and it's becoming more and more apparent that we are simply not prepared.
I agree with the college degree point. Doctors cannot be hired without extensive years of training, thats just common sense. But other jobs do not always require college degrees. Think of a Disney Imagineer for instance. You do not have to have a college degree to be a great Imagineer, some would argue that you shouldn't. Yet those people are some of the brightest, and definitely most creative people out there.
DeleteI agree with Morgan that it would have been hard to see the lawyers becoming less prominent. It would seem hard to replace an actual person when these programs can't feel emotions. A large part of being a lawyer is to help console.
DeleteTo help console? Have you ever met or used a lawyer? As traditionally defined, they don't console. They perform an essential legal function. That's it.
DeleteThat too is what may one day be automated.
That guy's idea of making lawyers obsolete kind of freaked me out. I thought of one of those short stories I read in my 8th grade Lit and Lang class. I thought of all the things that could go wrong and robots taking over the world, especially when he said "you'll see a press release when we do." I know it's highly irrational, but it gave me the heeby jeebies. This means so many jobs are going to be obsolete from this technology. Telemarketers already are. No longer are we talking to human beings. Now, we have to go through several steps just to get someone on the line, and it's all automated. It makes no sense to me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brandi, it's kind of a scary thing to think about. And, don't we want some of that human connection anymore to make it more personal?
DeleteI does feel weird to think about a world where the people aren't there anymore. Instead of interacting with people, it will soon just feel like one long, boring video game.
DeleteBrandi makes a very good point and it is a very scary concept to think about. It is amazing we would be able to come up with robots and machines that make things easier for us, but how lazy are we that we need robots to do everything for us?
DeleteI do agree that it is scary to think of lawyers becoming obsolete. It scares me to think that my children or my grandchildren will live in a world where the job I did or everyone else's job is just gone. Robots and machines will begin to replace human jobs at a very fast pace.
DeleteWhile I see your points about worrying about automation, keep these things in mind:
Delete1. Google or go to Youtube and watch videos where people in the 1950's try to predict what the world will appear like in 1990 or 2000 or even 2010. It's hilarious. Flying cars, robot servants, and so on. They totally missed the boat. Yet, they couldn't imagine cell phones or the rise of an efficiency giant like Walmart either.
2. Technology, nonetheless, is impossible to stop. While change is scary, it is simply a part of life. For example, 60 years ago, if you had to use the phone, you picked up your landline and asked the operator to connect you to a neighbor. Believe it or not, others could pick up and actually listen to you talk since there were so few lines available. Then 50 years ago you actually rented the phone from the phone company. It was impossible for you to own one. And it was rotary. Then 20 years ago, you could get a cordless phone and an answering machine. 15 years ago, as a point of reference, there was a grand total of about five phones in this entire school. Now there are more than 15 phones in this very room. And hardly anyone ever uses them to talk. In fact, most of the phones we have in this room aren't just phones. They are "smart" phones. No one saw that coming just 15 years ago. It hasn't led to the downfall of civilization either as some certainly feared.
Reaction #1 When Friedman talks about the various ways that human jobs have been replaced by machines it enforced that we need to be indispensable. I think that the most valuable skills today is the ability to connect with people because it is one of the few things that computers can't yet do. With increased technology computers can replace almost everything except for the human element that we can bring.
ReplyDeletereaction #2 The scheduling software was very interesting. While it may save them money on the surface, I can't see many people wanting to work with that inconsistent of a schedule. I think that their employee loyalty would have to suffer.
I agree with the argument that; you can't see many people wanting to work with an inconstant schedule. It does not seem that great to have to work random hours and never have a constant pattern to your work life. So many other things outside of work wold be hindered by your inconsistent work schedule.
DeleteMy first reaction was that how they changed the software to change during rush hours or when it was busy. It works a lot better for the business, but it kind of sucks for the employee who needs regular hours to pay for their bills or have places to be. My second reaction was to how google doesn't hire based on GPA. I get that GPA does not really matter so much, but it should kind of matter to where they don't hire someone without a college degree. I think that they should have at least some experience and some knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chelsey! If I was a manager, I would want an educated person coming into my company. If the person has the experience and knowledge, that is less training on the company’s side of things and they can get the job done more effectively at an earlier time.
DeleteResponse 1: Friedman's example of the hertz car phone call is a great example of how increase in technology can be a bad thing. No one wants to talk to a machine. Technology is suppose to make the lives of people easier, while some machines do, some do not. People do not always see the difference. We must realize that there are good and bad sides to technology. That some things must be kept to human to human interaction.
ReplyDeleteResponse 2: I found the google example very surprising, but I can understand it. Google wants to hire people who are different, people who challenge the system, and are not trained to always give the right answer. No one can argue that Google is making stupid decision. They are the most successful company in the world. So why do other companies shy away from something like this. Google actively seeks out talented, special, and intelligent individuals. They do not immediately dismiss them because they have no college degree.
I think it's interesting how the software schedules the workers at Jamba Juice. That's amazing, that the technology to do that is available to us. The system notifies the employees when they work, and monitors the number of workers they need on site on any given day, at any given time. It takes the scheduling almost completely out of the manager's hands.
ReplyDelete1. Friedman talked about how Google is starting to hire people not based on GPA and test scores, but rather hire them based on their actual skills. Test scores don't measure anything all that worthy, and Google has realized that. They hire linchpins who have skills allowing them to be innovative and create connections. This is something I think a lot of businesses should look at. Not all, but a lot. Google is an amazing example of an industry built on linchpins, and it obviously is working. Google isn't just a search engine because the artists working there are the intangible ingredient making Google an engine of change.
ReplyDelete2. I found the part about the software making lawyers obsolete was interesting. It's a decent idea because a lot of people can't afford decent attorneys, but I also think that people need a human to help them rather than software. Like the complainer said how it can't read between the lines and have intuition. Anyway, to sum it up I believe that human contact and personal connection is crucial, even though it is becoming less popular.
I agree with the fact that would be a cheaper way for those who can't afford a lawyer to get one. That being said, the fact that that human interaction would no longer be there is a bit daunting.
DeleteThey talk about hiring someone who isn't from college because they do things different. Based on the number of applications I'm sure they receive, couldn't they just hire people who are both specialized in a field and a linchpin?
DeleteReaction #1- I thought the thing where Google is hiring employees with no college degree was interesting. Although their thinking makes a bit of sense, I don't agree with it. Sure some one with no college experience could work the phones just as well as anyone, but college teaches valuable skills. The movie The Internship was inspiring, but I just don't think hiring people who were former salesman and winged everything is the best way to build a business. I think you do need some background knowledge, but hey, I guess they can do what they want, I'm not the one that made Google worth millions.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the software used at Jamba Juice was so cool. On the employee side of it, it clearly sucks that people's hours are being completely cut back just to save them money. However, on the business side, this is genius. They don't need to have a bunch of people working all of the time, or no people working all the time. That software does all of the calculations for them and tells them exactly how many employees they need on one shift to maximize their income. When the software says it will be slow, they can send them home a little early and not have to pay them as much. Obviously, it's a crap deal for employees, but on the business side of this, it's incredible.
ReplyDeleteWhen he talked about how Google doesn't hire based on GPA, I agree with what was said. Having a 4.0 GPA and a degree from Harvard doesn't mean that you have the skills and creativity to work at Google or any other company for that matter. GPA's only reflect your ability to give a specific answer, like Friedman says. They don't reflect at all on how you react when there isn't a right answer, and you have to be innovative to come up with a solution.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Adam because you can be the smartest person in the world, but if you are only able to give a specific answer, how are you going to be able to be a linchpin? You need to be able to think outside the box and interact with others.
DeleteI agree and I wish that more companies hired like google does. I wonder how they decide who is innovative though and who to hire. Is there a way to measure that or is it more a trial and error thing? This might be why more companies don't hire employees this way, they are too afraid of the unknown. In this case though I'd say the risk is worth the reward
DeleteFriedman's speech was interesting and scary at the same time. The jobs that most people hold right now are becoming obsolete or automated. Also, the majority of the jobs our generation will hold don't even exist yet. This is just another reason to do what you love and are passionate it about and work to become a linchpin. If you don't do something that makes you indispensable, you won't have a job.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I thought was amazing is the companies like Javajuice or the company that wants to make lawyers obsolete. They are using more advanced software to schedule people and work to make some obsolete in order to save money and maximize profit. So why would they hire you full time if all you do is follow the status quo and don't challenge anything or if you aren't a linchpin? This makes becoming a linchpin even more crucial then ever.
I agree that it is scary to think of more and more jobs becoming automated and obsolete. Yes and if you just do what they tell you and don't do anything to make yourself different then why wouldn't they just use robots?
DeleteI agree. You have to jump the curve (not the shark, ha ha). For example, who would you rather be: a lawyer only able to do one thing or the software engineer trying to make them obsolete? To put it in a past example, 18 years ago the record industry was on top of the world. Then a little invention that you maybe have never heard of called Napster (which was the first time I ever heard of digital music and mp3s) came around and destroyed their entire world overnight. Just ask yourself, when was the last time you actually bought a CD?
DeleteThat revolution took a lot of jobs away. But it also created more. Apple, which was just a computer company at the time, saw this coming and did something totally innovative: they created the iPod, which didn't really catch on for a year or so.
In fact, I remember only being able to rip CD's (the last time I bought CDs too) to my iMac and then put them on my iPod (which was 1 GB max and had no capabilities for photos and videos). Then after a year, they debuted the iTunes Music Store. How do you think that went over?
Reaction #1 when Friedman talked about the guy he met in the airport, and how he was trying to get rid of all lawyers, I thought that would be the beginning of the end. If he could get lawyers replaced by machines, then wouldn't almost every job be able to be replaced by machines? We need to learn to be indispensable so that we don't get replaced by machines, and end up being the ones who build the machines for our old job. Machines will be able to replace many jobs, but they won't be able to replace a linchpin. Human interaction is vital in being a lawyer.
ReplyDeleteReaction #2 Google has realized it's not all about how smart someone is, it's about how creative you can be. Most of their employees are linchpins and that is why their business thrives. Google doesn't count you out if you don't have a college degree, they see fi you are able to be innovative to the company. Google is working towards having their entire work base be linchpins.
I agree with you saying that the only way all humans won't be able to be replaced is if we become linchpins. I have the same fear of every job getting replaced and all humans being jobless.
DeleteGodin is smiling. And that's the point.
DeleteFreidmann talks about all of the things that are becoming automated just as the technological goal of eliminating Lawyers and telephone operators. I believe that our world needs the human element; not just automated coldness. As he says these automated things cannot read between the lines, make educated assumptions, or even work at all for that matter. All of these automations are making things so much better for the businesses themselves, but yet the loyal workers whose jobs are replaced by the technology are so much worse off, as well as the workers whose jobs are controlled by the automations themselves are worse off.
ReplyDeleteGpa's and test scores are becoming less and less important in the real world but are still pushed in our schools today. As Freidmann says, academics truly are seeming to be artificial environments. Because in the classroom only one answer; the correct answer, is sought by the instructor while in the real world you may be faced with the same problem, but have the freedom to solve it which ever way you desire for whatever answer you wish.
This clip shows how much the work force has changed. In order to avoid losing your job or having cuts in hours, you need to be a linchpin who works for a company that looks out for it's employees as well as itself. If you don't have skills to offer that a computer can't replace, your job is at risk. Hertz car company is an example of that. If you work for a company that doesn't care for it's employees, you could suffer cuts in wage/hours. The juice place was an example of that. They didn't care if you were a good employee, if they didn't need you to work, you weren't working.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing he brought up was the value of a college degree. To get a job at some companies, having a nice degree isn't enough. You need to have something extra and the ability to think outside of the box. If you only have one set of skills and ideas, you are not as valuable as somebody who is flexible and innovative. I don't think that college degrees are ever going to be useless though. For many jobs they are mandatory and being a linchpin is just an extra plus.
I agree with Kyle about the Hertz automated response. No one wants to talk to an emotionless machine. There's no connection there. Talking to a real person however, creates a connection and if the experience is good, creates a lasting impression. I was having trouble with my iPod a while ago, and I called Apple Support to figure it out. I figured that I would be talking to a recorded message. But instead, I was quickly connected to a real live person, who was able to help me solve the problem in under 5 minutes. I hung up the phone with a feeling of awe and satisfaction, amazed that a company as large as Apple has real live people for customer serve, and the efficiency of that particular representative. You don't get that talking to a robot.
ReplyDeleteI agree Kyle. Apple, though, is a lot like Google. They are the exception not the standard though.
DeleteI am so thankful when I have to cancel a credit card or inquire about something that I don't have to talk to someone. While it's not perfect. The system is vastly superior to where it was 15 years ago.
My first reaction was when he talked about the how the juice company schedules its employees. I think it is a very interesting and different way of scheduling employees. It will save you a lot of money, but what employee wants to be scheduled like that? You kinda never know when you will be put down to work. I know if it was me, I would want to always have a set time that I am supposed to work.
ReplyDeleteMy second reaction was when he talked about how google thinks that a persons GPA is worthless. GPA isn't always important, but wouldn't you want someone who has some knowledge and knows what they are doing? GPA does have a role is how someone is going to perform at a job. They also hire more people who haven't attended college or have a college agree. How do they even know if the person they are hiring has basic knowledge or will be able to do the job right?
You have a valid point. Yet, you state, "GPA isn't always important, but wouldn't you want someone who has some knowledge and knows what they are doing? "
DeleteMy question is does GPA accurately reflect your knowledge? Google finds this to be false. That's why Froiland harps on the idea of "A is for Mastery." If that were really true, then GPA's wouldn't be worthless.
After all, and don't lie, be honest: You've had a class where you learned nothing and gotten an A, right?
That's exactly why Google and some companies put zero stock into your GPA.
And to answer your final question: many companies have a rigorous hiring process that weeds people out. That's how they know that the person they are hiring has basic knowledge.
And quite often they don't expect the person to do the job right. That's why Digi Key will train you for six weeks before you are allowed to even pick up a phone and make a business call for them.
They don't expect you to know how to do it; they expect you to be able to learn how to do it.
Response #2- I really think the pursuit of creating an automated lawyer is dumb. Sure it's a nice idea, but that's all it is. Imagine how many people would be out of a job if someone did manage to create a automated lawyer who was just as good and cheaper than a human. The effects of that would be far more harmful than the good an automated lawyer would bring. There has to be other things they can try and make that doesn't destroy an entire job field.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it sucks thinking that if they can make an automated lawyer, artificial intelligence can probably take over a lot of other jobs too. This could put out an entire fields of workers, and I don't think its worth it. You also sacrifice the person-to-person connection, which I think is an important part of any job. Even if it is a lot cheaper, I doubt anyone really wants a computer walking them through a divorce.
DeleteWade, now I'm not saying lawyers will be automated, but things change rapidly. Decades ago, you could make a very good living in any of these professions: milkman, iceman, telephone operator, typist in a typing pool, typesetter, switchboard operator, lamplighter, copy boy, elevator operator, and pinsetter. Yet, I bet you probably have no idea what any of those are. Why? Technology totally wiped them out. And I bet while those careers were thriving, many thought, they'll never get rid of milk or ice? How couldn't I have a job. Yet, technology and refrigeration and transportation totally changed that.
DeleteAshley, my father would totally agree with you on the importance of person-to-person connection. He loved to go to the bank once a week and give the ladies there a hard time. Then he'd go around and pay his bills in person and visit with all those secretaries.
Yet, that's laughable today. I never go to the bank anymore thanks to direct deposit. Now we have on-line banking, so I never go into a bank anymore either. I have a cash card, so I never need checks. In fact, because of technology and automation, Wells Fargo knows when my card expires and two months before that, they send me a brand new one in the mail.
When I took my step-daughter to set up a checking account (now that was a time I actually had to go into the bank), the lady we were working with mentioned how KoKo could simply take a picture of her check with her phone and use the Wells Fargo app to actually deposit the check. She never has to bring it to the bank.
Now, what would my dad think of all that? I think he'd sound a lot like you now.
I also don't think that lawyers will become obsolete, at least not in the near future. However, I don't think it would be all that bad if they became obsolete. I get that some people would be out of jobs right away, but maybe they could end up doing some new job that could benefit society even more.
Delete1. Hearing Friedman talk about how many jobs are going to be obsolete by the time our generation gets into the workplace scares me. It makes me wonder what kind of job I'm even going to able to find when I'm older. When we were little, we were always asked "what do you want to be when you grow up?" and we'd answer with a single job: a nurse, a firefighter, a teacher, a lawyer. I think instead we should have been asked what field we want to enter (science, technology, business, humanities, ect). I guess I probably wouldn't understand what "field of study" meant when I was seven, but still, it would have better prepared me to realize that I'm not preparing for a single job, but for a bunch of jobs that continue to change in a certain field.
ReplyDelete2. The way Java-Juice schedules employees was interesting. I feel like it'd be really hard to say for certain whether or not a store would be busy on a given day. I suppose it's a pretty safe guess to say a smoothie shop will be busy on hot days. Friedman mentions that this is used in other restaurant chains, and I feel like it'd be harder to rely on weather to decide whether or not there will be good business. Working in a restaurant, I think it would be awesome if there was a reliable way to determine how busy it was going to be on a given night. We only make around $5/hour, so it really sucks when it's slow and you just sit around wasting time. It'd be awesome if Shirley could figure out for certain whether or not it would be busy, and schedule one or two waitresses accordingly.
Your first point is interesting. I read some time ago that no longer does a degree mean one single profession, as it did for me. Now your degree opens up a field for you to find your way in.
DeleteI agree with Ashely that it is something to be scared about. Everyone tells us that we have so many oppurtunites with jobs and that there is so many to choose from, but with the way the world is advancing, how do you know which jobs will be able in the future or which jobs will become obsolete?
Delete1. All companies should start taking after Google. Test scores, in my opinion, mean very little when it comes to working in the real world. There are many kids who can be book or school smart, but have no people skills and can't make the connection that companies like Google need.
ReplyDelete2. It is scary to consider that many jobs are becoming obsolete, and automative. But then again there are many jobs that have not been created yet, so that is inspiring. The truth is if you become a linchpin then you won't have to worry about your job becoming automated, because you are indispensable.
I agree with what you say about test scores not being all that matters. The people who do well on standardized tests are well equipped with standard knowledge, but they are not necessarily able to be a linchpin. While they know the basics, they may not have what it takes to be indispensable.
DeleteI said the same thing about google. I hope people take after them and start not requiring a degree to get a job. One, because I don't wanna go to college. And two, because we shouldn't need a piece of paper to determine what we can do.
Delete1. I feel like it's kind of a long shot to make lawyers obsolete; everyone isn't meant to defend themselves in a courtroom or present evidence and things like that. Law school is not easy, because everyone isn't supposed to become a pro at doing legal work. It just seems almost impossible to me that lawyers can be replaced.
ReplyDelete2. I find it very interesting that JavaJuice schedules employees based on the weather, using a software to tell them when to have people work. This is clearly showing that the workforce has changed. You don't just come from 9-2 and call it good, there's reason behind every person being there. They were even talking about having shifts end on 15 minute intervals; that's very precise. Now the part where he says they've saved millions of dollars overall by cutting only 15 minutes from people's shifts, that is genius. There are times at my job where it's just dead, and I'm sure it would save my boss money to not have me there. But, at the same time, you never know for sure how many people are going to show up. There could be a rush when you least expect it, it all depends on how many people deicde to go get whatever you have.
I agree with your first point. But ask your parents about this one: when they were your age, how long did it take to get a package? I recall seeing ads on TV or in the JC Penney catalog that my mother religiously ordered from that read "Seven to eight weeks for delivery." I bet at your age, your parents couldn't imagine the power of Amazon, where you can order something, pay extra for shipping and have it the next day before noon.
DeleteSo while you may think it's unimaginable or impossible, that doesn't mean it won't happen.
1. I believe technology is a good thing, but too much is not. I feel like if they start getting rid of important jobs like lawyers, our world will be more chaotic. What's next? Robot doctors online where you just type in your symptoms and they give you a diagnosis and send your prescription? It is a scary thought because what are the millions of people who possess these jobs and are going to college for these jobs going to do? What will humans do for work if everything turns into automation and is robot controlled? We will be jobless.
ReplyDelete2. The technology they use at Jamba Juice is honestly crazy. I would never think of that, but it is genius. It reduces the costs for the business and doesn't waste the time of the employees. It is also a great thing for customers because if they go in when it is busy but there are enough people working so they don't have to wait, they are more likely to come back because of the good service. This will too make the business more money because the customers will keep coming back.
Technology is a good thing. When your father was your age working on the farm, driving a tractor likely without a cab or power steering, it was impossible for him to imagine the technology (GPS and so on) that are standard issue in today's high end tractors.
DeleteI thought it was really weird how Jamba Juice uses software that cuts out the times are aren't busy. I mean, yes it can be good for the company so they can save money, but on the other hand, the employees are going to hurt as well. But I do think it is very smart and genius that they do that.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that struck me was that Google doesn't necessarily hire people who have college degrees. That is scary, but then again some jobs do not require you to do the sort of things they teach you in college. If you work on an assembly line you don't need to go to college for that, you can be easily trained in. But, I do think that a lot of jobs should require college degrees, as they do. College teaches us much more things than high school does. In a sense, college teaches us how to get through dips and become a linchpin and only a select few can survive it, which makes them scarce and valuable.
You nailed it with your final sentence.
DeleteGo Google. They are changing the status quo by not requiring college degrees in order to get a job with them. Sure many businesses do that but not many that I have heard of that are as big as google. Why does a piece of paper determine our life? Why can't our abilities be determined by our actions without a piece of paper worth tens of thousands of dollars? I feel, and hope, that google is going to be the start of something new. Where people are judged, hired, on their abilities alone.
ReplyDeleteI actually love Wyatt's point here and couldn't agree more. How he said that our ability should be judged on our actions and not by a piece of paper worth thousands of dollars is just such a true statement. We shouldn't be placed in the world and job industry by, basically, the amount of money we spent on going to school. Yes, they say that if we do what we are expected of in high school and college we should be able to make it far enough in our jobs to pay off these loans, but that isn't always the case. Some people are in debt and are paying off college loans for the rest of their life. I like that google isn't being picky about who works for them as far as college degrees go. Now I do hope they are choosing worthy employees, because there are indeed smart people out there without a college education. Smarts isn't all about schooling.
DeleteWatching this made me realize that many jobs are being taken away. I don't know how many times he says "don't work here girls" but it seems like too many. It also seems like he could keep adding on to that list of places not to work. It makes me think about how many new jobs need to be created while the older jobs are being automated. It makes me worry that job creation and job loss are unbalanced and many people will be out of work. Someone should create a job responsible for constantly creating new jobs.
ReplyDeleteThat my friend, could very well be your job. What I mean by that is something else Friedman tells his girls: "When I was young I had to find a job. Now you will have to invent a job." I think that will be very true. I mean when I was in your shoes 21 years ago, the internet didn't yet exist. Think of all the jobs (Amazon, Ebay, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Google, Netflix, and so on) that have emerged from that platform.
Delete1. I think the reason that "cogs" are becoming unimportant is because of the increased technology. Like he said, there aren't any more Hertz service reps. They've been replaced by machines. If the job you have doesn't take much creativity and is just about doing something over and over, a machine can probably replace you.
ReplyDelete2. I like what he said about GPA and test scores no mattering. GPA and test scores are great for getting scholarships, but that's about it. To be able to succeed in an important job, you need to be able to go beyond the books. If you don't know how to think outside the box or connect with people, it will be difficult for you to succeed.
People never really think that their job may be taken away by machines, just others. My father works at Deans Foods where they might possibly shut down because their jobs aren't all that necessary anymore. Friedman really makes you think of how we need to start thinking of new jobs as fast as the old ones are becoming extinct. If we cannot start coming up with new jobs, many people will be unemployed.
ReplyDeleteI agree that people should start working with Google, and test scores don't matter in the real world. If you can ace a test with no problem but have zero people skills, how far will you go in the world if you have trouble talking to real people or asking for something you need? Texting can only get you so far, and if you really want to get a real successful job you will need great people skills.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that stuck out to me while listening to the video clip was how he started talking about the voice recording. How he never once talked to an actual human being is pretty crazy if you think about it. The technology in our world today is becoming so advanced that we are needing people less and less for completing tasks. So many jobs that were once in action are now covered by technology. How many more jobs down the road are just waiting to be turned over to computers instead? This is kind of a freaky thought to me as it reminds me of the movie iRobot. All of this makes me wonder how far technology is really going to go.
ReplyDeleteMaking lawyers obsolete does not seem like the right thing to do. They have that job for a reason. Not everyone (I know I couldn't) is able to get up and talk in front of a crowd while defending themselves with the immense amount of pressure that comes along with it. We can't turn to technology for that particular job, at least that's what I believe.
ReplyDelete1: I find it crazy to think that a lot of the jobs today could be replaced by technology. Especially the lawyer one, that’s one of the last jobs that I would expect to ever get replaced! It is almost a little scary! I just don’t understand how a software could work up to the potential of an actual human. Software systems can’t be lynchpins like an actual person can, and that seems to be an area that makes company’s so successful!
ReplyDelete2. I like how he shared a story about how Google doesn’t hire people based on their GPA’s. Yeah it looks good to have a high GPA, but you can’t really base someone’s knowledge off of it. Any student could get a 4.0 if they take easy classes. I would rather challenge myself and take the harder classes, get a ‘B’ but actually be able to apply the knowledge I learned instead of memorizing the work and getting by easily with an ‘A’. The only downfall on not focusing on GPA is that it’s a major factor that colleges focus on for scholarship opportunities. However, I disagree with the statement that an employer doesn’t need higher education for their future. A lot of jobs now do require extra schooling, and just having even a two-year degree can increase someone’s salary.