Because of a crashing economy and record unemployment rates, it is hard for thousands, and even millions of Americans to find jobs. There are many types of businesses that are soon to be obsolete, and the people who are in those industries are losing jobs at alarming rates.
Managers and employees of record and movie stores like Blockbuster and FYE are finding themselves out of jobs because of innovations like Netflix and Redbox. Pretty soon there won’t be such a thing as a record store that sells CDs or a movie rental store because you will be able to find it all online. What are these people supposed to do if all they have known for years is the music and movie industry?
I have a friend who has worked for a travel agency for 15 years. She has helped businesses and large groups with reservations, hotels, transportation, and all other aspects of travel. She is great at what she does, but she has seen a huge decline in clients in the past couple years. Why? Because of the internet, booking flights, finding hotels and comparing prices has never been easier. Travel agencies and agents are soon to be a thing of the past because the virtual world has made the process so simple. While that is great news for us, it’s not so great for my friend and the thousands like her, who have years of experience in a diminishing field. What is she going to do now? She really doesn’t know how to do much else.
That’s where website design, computer programming, web hosting, and search engine optimization come in. Obviously, the internet is not going anywhere, but is only continuing to advance. As the American workforce, we need to be computer literate and understand all that is available online, including employment opportunities.
Web design, IT work, CRM development (customer relationship management), ADP services (automatic data processing), and other part or full-time online careers are increasing in need as the world turns more virtual. The traditional face-to-face or even phone-to-ear interactions are soon to be a thing of the past, as internet communication increases.
The SEO (search engine optimization) and internet marketing industry is booming, even with the economy the way it is. While millions of companies are going under, many internet marketing companies are constantly hiring because it is a very high-demand industry. Web hosting, custom programming, and the management of databases are also high-demand careers.
I encouraged my travel agent friend to get into website design, even though she claims she isn’t a “computer person”. She decided to give it a try because it’s only a matter of time until the agency she works for goes under, and she needed a backup plan. People who have only one specialty run high risks because when the economy crashes or the whole world suddenly turns virtual, they don’t have a backup.
The great thing is that website design, SEO, and other web-based careers are actually pretty simple. My friend’s organizational skills that she acquired as a travel agent have helped her hone her newfound talents with web design. A manager of a record store with a vast knowledge of music might be great with SEO and blogging.
Whether you’re in a flourishing industry or a failing one, it’s a good idea to have a career backup plan, and internet-based careers are a foolproof way to get there. Unlike paper files, VHS videos, and boom boxes, the internet isn’t going anywhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment