Will your work be taken over by a robot? What to do about it...

[Dien Rice]

I recently read that Bill Gates said... people don't realize how many jobs will be soon taken over by robots.

I have a friend who drives a forklift truck for a living. He's been doing it for decades. But lately, he's had trouble finding work...

But technology marches on. Driverless forklifts - that is, robot forklift trucks - are already around, and have already been taking people's jobs...

And it's just going to get worse.

Technology takes away opportunities, but it creates opportunities, too.

One thing I think technology can never replace is face-to-face, human interaction. There will always be "sales" jobs, and sales work, especially for "higher end" stuff. I think the same goes for copywriting skills - where you need to get into someone's head, to sell them something. It takes a human to really get inside the head of another human effectively.

I'm not saying sales can't be done "automatically." They can - for example, if you just want to sell the same identical widget, 10% cheaper than the next guy, that's easily automated. But real sales psychology, I think, can't be replaced by a "robot" !

I think the wisest thing to do in today's world is to be "multi-skilled"... I've made money various ways over the last decade (consulting, editing, writing, teaching, direct sales, buying and reselling for profit, applying marketing skills, copywriting skills, etc.). In a rapidly changing world, you don't want to be "changed" into obsolescence!

It's scary. But it need not be, if you're prepared!

Best wishes,

Dien

P.S. Here's the Bill Gates article... Bill Gates: People Don't Realise How Many Jobs Will Soon Be Replaced By Software Bots

[GordonJ]

sort of...

My girlfriend has discovered "Bob Johnson"...

batteries NOT included. All I can say is THANKS BOB, for a job well done and one which allows me to watch the game on TV.

GjA

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

I recently read that Bill Gates said... people don't realize how many jobs will be soon taken over by robots.

I have a friend who drives a forklift truck for a living. He's been doing it for decades. But lately, he's had trouble finding work...

But technology marches on. Driverless forklifts - that is, robot forklift trucks - are already around, and have already been taking people's jobs...

And it's just going to get worse.

Technology takes away opportunities, but it creates opportunities, too.

One thing I think technology can never replace is face-to-face, human interaction. There will always be "sales" jobs, and sales work, especially for "higher end" stuff. I think the same goes for copywriting skills - where you need to get into someone's head, to sell them something. It takes a human to really get inside the head of another human effectively.

I'm not saying sales can't be done "automatically." They can - for example, if you just want to sell the same identical widget, 10% cheaper than the next guy, that's easily automated. But real sales psychology, I think, can't be replaced by a "robot" !

I think the wisest thing to do in today's world is to be "multi-skilled"... I've made money various ways over the last decade (consulting, editing, writing, teaching, direct sales, buying and reselling for profit, applying marketing skills, copywriting skills, etc.). In a rapidly changing world, you don't want to be "changed" into obsolescence!

It's scary. But it need not be, if you're prepared!

Best wishes,

Dien

P.S. Here's the Bill Gates article... Bill Gates: People Don't Realise How Many Jobs Will Soon Be Replaced By Software Bots

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by GordonJ

sort of...

My girlfriend has discovered "Bob Johnson"...

batteries NOT included. All I can say is THANKS BOB, for a job well done and one which allows me to watch the game on TV.

Hi Gordon,

It just goes to show that... "Robots" are everywhere!

And... maybe, in some cases, whether it's a negative or a positive depends on your point of view!

Thanks for sharing your story about... "Bob Johnson"...!!

Best wishes,

Dien

I have a fellow "Direct Sales" buddy who loves traveling. And.....he makes a nice income from restaurants by.....walking in cold....whipping out his cell and showing the owner/s what their restaurant's website looks like on a phone. Gets verbal permission to make a "mock-up" (using a program by Dave Cisneros)....shows the owner/s and gets paid.

When he's gotten 10.....he gets 10 Hotels or Motels to agree to put his Plastic Display on the front desk. This Display has a QRCode that when scanned brings up a Directory of the local restaurants he's sold.

He gets $50/mo for each hotel/motel.....$500/mo from each restaurant.

Something like this can never be taken over by a machine.....imo.

Don Alm.......long-time direct sales guy

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by Don Alm

I have a fellow "Direct Sales" buddy who loves traveling. And.....he makes a nice income from restaurants by.....walking in cold....whipping out his cell and showing the owner/s what their restaurant's website looks like on a phone. Gets verbal permission to make a "mock-up" (using a program by Dave Cisneros)....shows the owner/s and gets paid.

When he's gotten 10.....he gets 10 Hotels or Motels to agree to put his Plastic Display on the front desk. This Display has a QRCode that when scanned brings up a Directory of the local restaurants he's sold.

He gets $50/mo for each hotel/motel.....$500/mo from each restaurant.

Something like this can never be taken over by a machine.....imo.

Hi Don,

I agree... something like that, I don't think, can ever be taken over by "robots"...

Even direct sales needs copywriting, and the best copywriters tend to be those with direct selling experience. I can't see any robot replacing any talented direct-response copywriters any time soon...

It's true, many professions will disappear, or shrink remarkably. But, with the right skills, you can make sure that won't happen to you (or your loved ones)...

Of course, this has been going on a long time... technology making jobs redundant, that is. Perhaps ever since wheeled carts started replacing sedan-chair porters!



(This job no longer seems to exist...)

Best wishes!

Dien