What’s the new emergency?

We’re now witnessing the emergence of an advanced economy based on information and knowledge. Physical labor, raw materials, and capital are no longer the key ingredients in the creation of wealth. Now, the vital raw material in our economy is knowledge. Tomorrow’s wealth depends on the development and exchange of knowledge. And individuals entering the workforce offer their knowledge, not their muscles. Knowledge workers get paid for their education and their ability to learn. Knowledge worker engage in mind work. They deal with symbols: words, figures, and data.
     What does all this mean for you? As a future knowledge worker, you can expect to be generating, as well as exchanging information. Currently, there out of four jobs involve some form of mind work, and that number will increase sharply in the future. Management and employees alike will be making decisions in such areas as product development, quality control, and customer satisfaction.
    In the new world of work, you can look forward to being in constant training to acquire new skills that will help you keep up with improved technologies and procedures. You can also expect to be taking greater control of your career. Gone are the nine-to-five jobs, lifetime security, predictable promotions, and even the conventional workplace, as you are familiar with. Don’t expect the companies will provide you with a clearly defined career path.