|
No 4 October 2003 The End of the Job by William Bridges - 1994It's a bit dated and American based but does speak for today. The writer draws to our attention the fact that we know only too well that what is disappearing is not just a certain number of jobs - or jobs in certain industries or jobs in some part of the country. Bridges reminds us The job is vanishing like a species that has outlived its evolutionary time There is still and always will be enormous amounts of work to do, but its not going to be contained in the familiar envelopes that we call jobs Today's organisation is rapidly being transformed from a structure being built out of jobs into a field of work needing to be done All of these and many more points made in the article identifies that changing nature of work, the way we all work. Sure the article is 1994, but the issues raised then are the same as now, we just need to go forward in what Bridges identifies as the dejobbed world. But as we know, the dejobbed world has its myths of the past that as NEWORKers are faced with all the time. That's the challenge for us NEWORKers to keep moving forward. Bridges offers us: Seven Rules To Break in a Dejobbed WorldMost of us still play under the old rules of jobs and careers. In examining your own attitudes, watch out for these old rules-and replace them when you find them. (1) Don't leave a job when good jobs are so hard to get. Remember: The same thing that makes other jobs scarce makes your present job only a temporary expedient. It too is going to disappear. This is no argument to make ill-considered moves, just a challenge to the rule you are depending on. It is dangerous. (2) The best jobs go to the people with the best qualifications. This rule is a half-truth because it fails to acknowledge that the whole idea of qualification is changing. The old qualifications included degrees or other formal certification, length of experience in a similar job, and recommendations. Today most recommendations are known to be hot air and tail- covering platitudes. Experience is more likely to produce a repetition of the past than the kind of new approaches that today's conditions demand. And there often isn't any degree or certification in the activity that today's organization needs. The new qualifications are that you really want to do the work (desire), that you are good at what the work requires (ability), that you fit that kind of situation (temperament), and that you have whatever other resources the work requires (assets). Those so-called D.A.T.A. are the only qualifications that matter in a rapidly changing work world. (3) Getting into the right business assures a secure future. The Dustin Hoffman character in The Graduate was told to get into plastics. Today it might be computers or biotechnology. But designating any field would be bad advice because while parts of the economy are surely destined to expand, no part of the economy is immune from dejobbing. (4) Don't try to change careers after 40. The world of jobs is full of age discrimination, but that's the world you are leaving. There is far less age discrimination in the world of You & Co. Vendors get paid what they can show they are worth. Those age-related bugaboos health insurance and pension contributions are things you are going to take care of yourself, so they aren't a factor the way they were when you were looking for a job. (5) It doesn't matter what you want. It's what "they" want that counts. Most of us were raised on this one. Maturity was a matter of tempering our wants and conforming to what someone with more influence or resources (like IBM or the state department of education) wanted of us. But today it doesn't matter nearly as much as it used to what an organization wants. The power has moved elsewhere; the only "they" that matters much anymore is customers. Since what you want is an important part of your D.A.T.A.-that is, of your qualifications-you'd better pay attention to it. (6) You have to be a salesman to get ahead today. Another half-truth. The old-style salesman who could sell anything is as much at risk as any other jobholder is. Far better off is the person with a clear product that she or he believes in. The truth element in the idea is that people will need the ability to conduct quid pro quo transactions involving not the old-line salesman's gift of gab but a clear understanding of why someone needs what one has and the ability to make that case effectively. Many people who do that well have no experience or interest in sales as a field. (7) If you have responsibilities-people dependent on you-you can't leave the world of jobs. This rule misidentifies the risk. If you have responsibilities, it is more important for you to look ahead and develop the kind of career that has a life expectancy beyond the end of the year. Risky and responsible have been redefined: The good job, once the definition of responsibility, is now a very risky business, and the old kind of freelance activity that was once risky is now in tune with the future and is becoming the choice of many people who want to act responsibly. The full article "The End of the Job" is on the NZ PSA Future of Work Website ReportsThe Nework Centre holds copies of a Number of Reports from various organisations both from within New Zealand and world-wide. These reports cover issues relating to NEWORKers and portfolio Workers or the areas of employment or the society in which we relate. The reports are available for viewing by members at the Centre
COTA - Council on the AgeingIn a recent visit to Australia, Roger Tweedy returned with a number of reports and other material that is as relevant to the New Zealand situation as it is to Australia. The reports from COTA are available in the office and are a resource available to members: The Challenges for Older Workers and Employment Services in the Labour Market of the 21st Century. - Presentation to Job Futures National Conference, Hobart, November 22, 2002 - The basic theme of this paper is that older workers are at a cross-road. Many have had long experience in one occupation or one company. However, the economic structures of developed countries are changing and this has profound effects on labour force structures as well. All workers are affected by these changes ….. Policies and Programmes for Australia's Older Workers - January 2003 - The issue of Australia's Ageing workforce is an emerging one in Australia's public policy agenda. This report presents a range of activities in the area of older workers and aging workforce issues that are relevant…. Public Policies for Mid-Life Transitions - July 2003 - This paper discusses 4 major policy interventions which stem from an ongoing engagement with Australian mature workers. Submission to the Australian House of representatives Standing Committee on Employment and Workplace Relations - Inquiry into Employment : Increasing Participation in Paid Work - September 2003 The NEWORKer can be viewed online at the Work & Age Website |
© 2003 The Nework Centre | email neworknz@yahoo.co.nz |
Top of the page |