Becoming obsolete
Bill Flannery
Washington DC's brand representative for premium restaurant and hospitality products. And some darn good USDA prime dry-aged steaks
So I'm in Baltimore riding around with a local sales rep, call him Don.
And while I'm sitting in the passenger seat, I find a unique sign.
Most people may not have paid this sign any notice, but it was very vintage and looked like there was a story behind it.
I was right, it was hand painted and at least 30 years old.
Wow, imagine hand painting a sign these days, everything is all digital these days.
It did make me think, did this sign painter know that one day his skill set would not be needed?
Was he working hard to adapt to changes in technology, making sure that he would not be unemployed? Or, was this one of his last efforts?
Thanks for taking the time to read my post, I really appreciate it. Comments are welcomed and please share if you feel someone else will find value in the content.
Bill is currently a regional business development manager for Bauscher Hepp Inc. he is also the founder of www.texasbrush.com and has several other patented foodservice products. He lives in the DC suburbs with his wife, 2 kids, and 1 chubby dog
Selection and Development of courses for CILT Mobility & Supply Chain Skillnet
6 年I have always felt that the path to sucess is through making yourself obsolete. If you make your job obsolete or convert you job to one somebody less experienced can do then you will always find a greater challenge waiting.
Here to network
7 年I've worked for the company. Great family
Wild Card - draw me for a winning hand | Creative Problem Solver in Many Roles | Manual Software QA | Project Management | Business Analysis | Auditing | Accounting |
7 年"Was he working hard to adapt to changes in technology, making sure that he would not be unemployed" As long as there are no jobs that require no experience, this is not possible. People routinely adapt to change, update their skills, and then apply for jobs only to get rejected for not having experience in the new field. Their old experience doesn't have value to the new field. Fodder for a new article: How to get around the catch-22.
Using my proven knowledge/expertise in Administration to the advantage of a Great Employer. Unfluencer??
7 年You would think such skills would die out, but then fashion shifts again and sign writing is needed again.
Speak Truth to Power
7 年Much like Lost in America this article started out well and ended abruptly. I tend to think there will always be a market for certain skills. Don't tell that to a TV repairman. People just buy new electronics. It is nice seeing craftsmanship no matter how small. By the same token: my sister's kindergarten picture was taken in the library. She isn't old although it seems strange seeing encyclopedias behind her.