The Painful Transitioning of IT

http://govcentral.monster.com/benefits/articles/4616-transition-hottest-jobs-majors-and-agencies


article: http://forumblog.org/2012/10/king-ludd-is-still-dead/


Some say technology is replacing workers and others say technology is not. Which one is it?

Kenneth Rogoff thinks it is both. He states, "Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that, worldwide, technological change could easily lead to the loss of 5-10 million jobs each year. Fortunately, until now, market economies have proved stunningly flexible in absorbing the impact of these changes." He also states how even though people may lose their jobs, they just need to continue to look for different jobs even though the transition and process is a painful one. I see "painful" as having to invest money to educate and retrain yourself. The process may be time-consuming and you may have to make ends meet with finances. As humans, we stick to routines, systems, and traditions so I can imagine the difficulty to adapt to new strategies to be a more desirable candidate or employee.

Technology is actually broadening the markets and making it possible to reach more consumers. The hard part for firms is the transitioning. The rapid shift to technology may have hit some unprepared firms too forcefully. Firms are constantly competing to have that upper edge to produce at a lower cost and outsourcing and technology has allowed firms to find multiple ways to do so. However, firms that haven't invested in technology are having difficulty finding ways to lower costs and to keep up with the rest of the firms.Some even go out of business.

What are some strategies you can think of that may help firms or workers adapt to technological changes?