There’s been a major shift in the marketplace over the past few years. This kind of shift happens every so often. This is one of those times.
Some may remember the 1967 classic movie The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman as Ben? At Ben’s graduation party, a guest asks him “What are you going to do now? Ben: I was going to go upstairs for a minute. Guest: I meant with your future, your life. Ben: Well, that’s a little hard to say. Guest: I just want to say one word to you – just one word. ‘Plastics.’ There’s a great future in plastics.”
And so it was. But what is today’s “Plastics” from yesteryear?
Five to ten years ago the brick and mortar stores were marketing “Black Friday” as a shopping experience and dominant source of holiday sales. Who ever heard of “Cyber or Green Monday”. And yet today, much of the shopping experience is over the web. Sears, J.C. Penny and local bank braches are closing across the country because of on-line services.
The shift that has been going on over the past ten years has a technology impact on both our work and personal life. If you’re not wired into technology, professionally or personally, you’ll be left behind. There’s been a dramatic expansion of interconnectivity, where heretofore independent or isolated products or services are now connected. It can remotely turn on radios, heating/cooling systems, or larger applications like electrical grids, traffic lights, satellites, drones or submarines. All connected through the Internet.
The question is: Where do you fit into this new world, either as a user or producer? Here are just a few of the multitude of job opportunities that are hot right now:
- Cyber Security – This is a problem and an opportunity for the next 10 years or more. Preventing hacks, auditing, finding and correcting unauthorized access is a very hot field that has a demand equation that can’t be satisfied. Plus it’s in demand no matter which industry: Government, private sector, non-profits, and consultants
- Big Data – This field looks at large quantities of data and distills it to usable information for the host organization. Again, most large organizations are seeking talented people with a skill and inquisitiveness to search for answers among reams of facts, numbers, records, documents and files.
- Video, mobile, social networks and on-demand customer experiences – Even though this field includes vastly different industries and functions, the application is to connect all these facets to providing quick, low cost, efficient ways to provide value to the customer.
- Logistics – How do you get products or services from point A to point B in the quickest way and for the least expense? This field includes warehousing, distribution, transportation and all of the intermediate steps, all interconnected by electronics and computer.
Ask yourself, given my field of expertise, how can I use the power of technology to advance my career, and where do I access the skills and experience needed?
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