Charles Shiflett Column August 28, 2005

Is Your Job In Jeopardy?

No economic system is perfect, but the free-market style of capitalism we enjoy in this nation is the
best that mankind has come up with. Every day, countless individuals start new business ventures,
while others attempt to launch careers in music, acting, or the arts.

Those of you who own businesses understand the daily churn of the world economy… interest rates
changes, currency fluctuations, rising oil prices, and changing consumer tastes can impact your
bottom line quickly. Those who have a knack for seeing trends before the general public does can reap
huge profits.

The pressures of competition benefit us all by promoting increased productivity and by driving prices
down. How many of you paid several hundred dollars for a VCR back in the early 80's that can now be
picked up for $50 or less?

While the benefits of our economic system are many, one area of concern that we all must monitor is
the future demand for particular job skills. I can think of dozens of jobs such as typewriter repairman
and telephone operator that have all but vanished from the workplace in my lifetime.

Until the early 1900's, most Americans earned their keep by working in agriculture. The industrial
revolution changed that and millions of Americans swapped their plows for the time clock.

The transformation was not that difficult as most factory jobs required basic mechanical skills that
many farmers and homemakers already had. Until the last twenty years or so, the change in job skills
desired by the marketplace was gradual.

It wasn't that difficult for workers to adapt to new technologies.

My late granddaddy Garman was a mechanic for the Ford dealership in Cedartown. I remember
hearing him complain about all the new-fangled emissions control and other electronic devices being
added to automobiles. He constantly had to update his job skills in order to be able to work on the
newer vehicles.

Now it seems that American workers are being quickly squeezed on two ends. Over several decades
the U.S. has transformed from a manufacturing based economy to a service economy. We were told
how great it would be to let the uneducated masses in third world countries do the dirty physical work.

A funny thing happened on the way to 2005… we are now coming to the realization that our high
paying service jobs can be just as easily shipped to the now educated masses in India and other
nations. The bottom line is that market pressures will always cause businesses to seek out the lowest
labor and materials costs they can find.

So how do your job skills stack up in the face of changing technology? Will you be able to finish out a
career in your chosen profession? Are your job skills in sufficient demand so as to allow you to earn
more than just enough to get by on? You may be surprised… let's look at some professions.

Are you a long-haul trucker? In the long term, increasing fuel costs plus pressures to improve air
quality and reduce traffic congestion will force many cross-country loads onto soon to be upgraded
railways. Couple that with changing laws allowing Mexican truck drivers to operate in this country and
you can see trouble brewing.

Are you a teacher? Internet based long-distance learning will increasingly supplement high school and
college classrooms. Fortunately, in order to improve rapidly changing job skill requirements, more
people will need to return to school every few years. This one balances out.

Are you a radio music DJ? While radio stations already have computers automatically select music
from hard drives and play the songs without human hands… new voice synthesis technology will
replace many radio announcers. The computer will take snippets of an actual human voice and
automatically put the pieces together to announce the song titles, the weather, and the traffic. You'll
never know you're not listening to a live DJ.

Are you a house framer? The home building market is in store for a massive shake-up. Computer
aided design (CAD) software coupled with automation equipment will allow manufacturers to quickly
construct custom built homes in several large pre-manufactured factory built sections that will be of
higher quality than stick built structures.

Instead of a large framing crew, a few guys with a crane operator will set and fasten the sections
together. These sections will also be pre-wired and pre-plumbed. On-site labor requirements will
plummet.

Are you a meter reader? Over the next decade most utility meters will be replaced with units that
automatically send data back to the billing office. This one is easy… prepare for another job now.

It may be time to factor in your age and calculate how many more years you plan to work. Then
looking at technology trends, take a stab at how much demand there will be for your job skills down
the road. It's never too early to make plans for a possible career change… just ask that typewriter
repairman if you can find one.

Chuck Shiflett is a past chairman of the Bartow County Board of Education, former Communications
Director of the Georgia Republican Party, and is a co-owner of NewsTalk AM 1270 WYXC. Contact
him at: Column@ChuckShiflett.com