In the early eighties, I had a neighbour who studied computer programming in college but didn't pursue it as a career because he believed it had no future.
His reasoning was that software coders were the future secretaries of the world, someday doing little more than rearranging the code written by those who came before.
He figured the pay for programmers would approach minimum wage in 15 years or so.
We're still waiting for that to happen, but I think of his prediction whenever I see young people making career choices.
There's a lot of guessing involved.
I think technical people, and engineers in particular, will always have good job prospects.
But what if you don't have the aptitude or personality to follow a technical path? How do you prepare for the future?
I'd like to see a college major focusing on the various skills of human persuasion. That's the sort of skillset that the marketplace will always value and the Internet is unlikely to replace.
The persuasion coursework might include...
Sales methods
Psychology of persuasion
Human Interface design
How to organize information for influence
Propaganda
Hypnosis
Cults
Art (specifically design)
Debate
Public speaking
Appearance (hair, makeup, clothes)
Negotiations
Managing difficult personalities
Management theory
Voice coaching
Networking
How to entertain
Golf and tennis
Conversation
You can imagine a few more classes that would be relevant. The idea is to create people who can enter any room and make it their pitch.
Colleges are unlikely to offer this sort of major because society is afraid and appalled by anything that can be labeled "manipulation," which isn't even a real thing.
Manipulation isn't real because almost every human social or business activity has as its major or minor objective the influence of others.
You can tell yourself that you dress the way you do because it makes you happy, but the real purpose of managing your appearance is to influence how others view you.
Humans actively sell themselves every minute they are interacting with anyone else.
Selling yourself, which sounds almost noble, is little more than manipulating other people to do what is good for you but might not be so good for others.
All I'm suggesting is that people could learn to be more effective at the things they are already trying to do all day long.
His reasoning was that software coders were the future secretaries of the world, someday doing little more than rearranging the code written by those who came before.
He figured the pay for programmers would approach minimum wage in 15 years or so.
We're still waiting for that to happen, but I think of his prediction whenever I see young people making career choices.
There's a lot of guessing involved.
I think technical people, and engineers in particular, will always have good job prospects.
But what if you don't have the aptitude or personality to follow a technical path? How do you prepare for the future?
I'd like to see a college major focusing on the various skills of human persuasion. That's the sort of skillset that the marketplace will always value and the Internet is unlikely to replace.
The persuasion coursework might include...
Sales methods
Psychology of persuasion
Human Interface design
How to organize information for influence
Propaganda
Hypnosis
Cults
Art (specifically design)
Debate
Public speaking
Appearance (hair, makeup, clothes)
Negotiations
Managing difficult personalities
Management theory
Voice coaching
Networking
How to entertain
Golf and tennis
Conversation
You can imagine a few more classes that would be relevant. The idea is to create people who can enter any room and make it their pitch.
Colleges are unlikely to offer this sort of major because society is afraid and appalled by anything that can be labeled "manipulation," which isn't even a real thing.
Manipulation isn't real because almost every human social or business activity has as its major or minor objective the influence of others.
You can tell yourself that you dress the way you do because it makes you happy, but the real purpose of managing your appearance is to influence how others view you.
Humans actively sell themselves every minute they are interacting with anyone else.
Selling yourself, which sounds almost noble, is little more than manipulating other people to do what is good for you but might not be so good for others.
All I'm suggesting is that people could learn to be more effective at the things they are already trying to do all day long.
Dec 5, 2010, 8:49:00 PM
Tandarin as usual...i seem to be agreeing.
And just yesterday i read in the newspaper Times of India...that you could even be what they call a ' Smile Designer'.
For the whole lot of people who trained Ms Nicole Faria to EMERGE as the Miss Earth, there is a Dr Sandesh Mayekar who was her Smile Designer.
How about that!
So apart from Diction experts, Wellness experts and a whole lot of experts...we have Smile Experts too.
And i am thinking...in the future will everything be cultured like the cultured pearls that we have...just the same so far as shine and polish is concerned...but less priced because they are cultured pearls.
i know one has got to specialise these days...become an expert in the chosen field or just fall out of the race.
But what about the specialisation that comes naturally...after the failures...more failures and then finally emerging stronger and more resilient if not at the top.
i am thinking about the high suicide rates and maybe in the future i hope there is a shift where success is not a vicious cycle of stress, depression, and loss of hope.
If specialisation improves the situation then i am ok but the question is...will it...
Opps did i go tangent once again.
Anyways ur post is not to blame...for you are suggesting about making the best efforts at what you already have.
And i am just wishing, hoping and praying that things ease out for our kids.
Dec 6, 2010, 11:26:00 PM
Thanks Shivani!!
Life will ease out for our kids if they look at the actual requirements of the society today. Along with personality development applications, there are many trades and practices which could get very good dividends.
Look at the carpentry industry, or interior decoration which could include paints and varnishes. There are scores of homes I have witnessed in India where the lower portion of the walls stained with sulphatations or salt circles etc. These are so bad to look at, yet a reasonably good solution to eliminate them is missing. The less than skilled craftsmen cover it with corrugated sheets, asbestos sheets etc. Is this rocket science for our chemical engineers to find a solution? Mind you, if you have closely observed, this happens mostly at the lower portion of the wall. Does it not give a clue in the minds of our skilled engineers and technicians? It is exactly these types of work skills which cry out loud, which makes me sure that our kids will reap a rich harvest sooner than later. Look at our roads. Every post monsoon we have to redo them. What a waste of talent (civil engineering, materials engineering) if we can’t find a solution. There are scores of work areas which abound around us which need engineers to apply their knowledge. They have to work with their own hands for the finesse which is so much missing in India. Work wise we engineers have to show a paradigm shift.
Sorry, I too went tangent with my reply to your comment. But I am sure you got to know what I mean.