| We live in an era of unusual disruption of cultures, | | | | Have you noticed that the city of London could |
| lives and businesses by technologies. As a little boy, I | | | | police the whole city through video cameras when in |
| listened to folklore under the moonlight in my south | | | | the old dull days, policemen might have been used? |
| eastern part of Nigerian village. The elders told the | | | | Those traffic policemen we used to see across many |
| stories of justice, bravery, honor and humanity. | | | | African cities are disappearing as most of the cities |
| There was no cellphone and there was no distraction. | | | | install traffic light systems. Those jobs or careers are |
| Life was under a predictable pattern especially in the | | | | being displayed by technology. |
| evenings when boys and girls will wait in turns to play | | | | What of language interpreters? I recall a meeting in |
| under the moonlight and receive moral education | | | | Kenya where someone was giving a speech in French |
| carefully orchestrated in the stories told by the | | | | and the interpreters were interpreting in English, |
| elders. Every child belongs to the village and parents | | | | Arabic and Portuguese. It worked out so well. But |
| are nothing but stewards. | | | | that career will soon die. If Apple or any of the |
| As we trekked miles to fetch water and firewood | | | | Smartphone makers develop a good language |
| for the family cooking, we enjoyed the songs of the | | | | translator in their gizmos, we may not need the |
| happy birds. We treasured the flowers and the gentle | | | | interpreters, at least, in some gatherings. |
| winds out of the thick rainforest of our stream. It | | | | So, we have got a lot of challenges in career planning |
| was a life of great tranquility and we never had a | | | | these days. Does it make sense to pursue this career |
| homicide in the village. By norms and traditions, the | | | | considering how technology could change it in the |
| fishes in our stream must not be fished. They were | | | | future? How many ticket masters were displaced |
| preserved and in most cases we played with them. | | | | when airplane ticketing moved online? How can |
| When it was time for school, we continued on that | | | | software affect journalism in the future? How is |
| village tradition of brotherhood. The elders have | | | | technology affecting parenting since technology is |
| mapped out lands in the village where people could | | | | increasingly displacing our attention to our families? |
| go and plant fruits so that any villager when hungry | | | | Those late night emails and constant trips to the |
| could go there and eat. It was forbidden to sell | | | | Blackberries at 10pm are all disruptions. |
| anything from that land because it was designed to | | | | Planning for careers is not just focusing on what |
| be a 'strategic food reserve'. It worked; I planted an | | | | happens today or maybe in two years time. You |
| orange tree and my best friend gave the village a | | | | must have a feel of where technology is going and |
| coconut tree. | | | | then anticipate and stay ahead in your career. A |
| But that was then. Many things have since changed, | | | | business model to open physical bookshops may not |
| not just in my village, but around the world. | | | | be a good idea since most people rarely care to |
| Technology is disrupting all aspects of human | | | | know the bookshop around their neighborhood these |
| existence and our lifestyles have changed. Industries | | | | days. The first point is order from ebay, Amazon or |
| are being demised and new ones are coming up with | | | | BN. The local bookstore is model already endangered. |
| our lexicons constantly evolving to accommodate | | | | The same goes with building cinema halls. In the next |
| new tech-evolutions. | | | | ten years, we will have virtual cinema halls where |
| Food has been professionalized and mamas do not | | | | movie releases will be done online without the need |
| need to know how to cook. Technology and | | | | of going to that physical location. |
| globalization have already changed family traditions. | | | | The interesting thing about this technology disruption |
| As a boy, I heard of professional typists. These | | | | on careers is that it does not matter what your level |
| were specially trained pros who could churn out | | | | of education is. It could be that your industry is |
| characters on typewriters at amazing speed. There | | | | booming but has moved out of your locality. That |
| are few of them today. There were shorthand | | | | brings the degree to which your field is outsourced. |
| experts; people that could write on special characters | | | | The easier your job can be automated by |
| in order to capture statements as fast as they are | | | | technology, the higher is the risk of technology |
| spoken by their employers. | | | | displacement. |
| Many of these professions have since gone or are | | | | So when people discuss about career planning, it is |
| going. Technology is displacing their services. | | | | very imperative that you understand how technology |
| Computers make mastering of typing not a big deal | | | | and not just wages could play out in the future. If |
| since it does not cost anything to edit and delete | | | | you specialize in a special type of engine design and |
| when using word processors. Compare that with | | | | from all trends, it is evident that that engine is going |
| erasing and changing stencils in a typewriter, you will | | | | to be obsolete and you refuse to adapt and be |
| appreciate the level of innovation that has taken | | | | retrained, you could be in trouble. Ask the expert |
| place. A single mistake in page could render the whole | | | | photographers that made fortune washing and |
| document useless; the typist has to start over, | | | | developing films in dark rooms. Those that failed to |
| especially in quality documents where erasure is not | | | | move to digital photography are only in history books. |
| permitted. So the trade was to get people that could | | | | Our world has been made better by technology |
| type with zero error, and at fast speed. | | | | because it improves our productivity and standard of |
| For those that are shorthand experts, video | | | | living. However, it also carries a major challenge; |
| recorders with translation capability make it | | | | disrupting careers and moving many jobs to |
| unnecessary to be writing when a politician or anyone | | | | museums. It is very important you stay ahead and |
| is talking. Just record and soon print out the | | | | see how new technologies could disrupt and displace |
| transcripts. Those experts are also fading. It is rare | | | | your job. Never wait, plan ahead and stay above |
| to see a journalist job that requires mastering of | | | | technology innovation with new skills. |
| shorthand as Isaac Pitman invented it. | | | | |