It’s just about impossible to escape the effects of technology. It’s become an integral part of just about every professional field there is; if you are unable to adapt, then you’ll be left behind as business and technology continues to advance. One of the greatest areas of technology and business integration is in communications. The advent of the Internet and the smartphone just about revolutionized how businesses communicate internally and externally. Constant contact among employees regardless of distance has become the norm.
With technologies like video conferencing increasing productivity and collaboration, it’s become imperative that you become familiar with what ever technology a business uses. Failing to understand business technology can hinder your job searches and career as a whole. While the development of technology has birthed its own unique career paths, there’s no need for you to become a tech guru to get anywhere.However, you need to have a fundamental understanding of technology and a willingness to learn new systems and programs as they become available. The ability to adapt is one of humanity’s greatest advantages; adapting to the continual growth of technology is a necessity in today’s tech-hungry world.
Mobility, Convenience, and Flexibility
The days of partitioning life between work and home are over in many career fields. It’s no longer a simple matter of going to the office and working, then heading home and forgetting about work until the next day. This can be seen as a good or bad thing depending upon your perspective. Technologies like Blue Jeans video conferencing and smartphones have made it possible for work and regular life to blur together somewhat. Smartphones and the Internet have created a continually connected world. Business meetings are no longer relegated to designated conference rooms, they’re held just about anywhere as long as the participants have Internet access and a laptop or smartphone.
Because of the supreme mobility and convenience offered by connecting whenever and wherever, home has become an office away from the office for many people. According to Fiona O’Hara, a writer for The Guardian, technology allows her to achieve a healthy balance between work and regular life. Video conferencing allows her to stay in personal contact with her team at the office regardless of where she is. If you are a professional working on your career while juggling kids and a family, technology can offer the flexibility you need to go visit the kid’s recitals or sports games while continuing to stay up to date with work through your phone or tablet.
There have been studies and discussions about the potential detriments associated with this sort of work-life flexibility though. According to the Christian Science Monitor, research has found that telecommunication has actually lengthened the traditional work week beyond 40 hours. The flexibility offered by technology means work is no longer confined to just the office.Wherever you are can be a work space thanks to mobile technology. The flexibility that technology brings will have definite impacts on your life and career, but it’s up to you to understand and control how thosechangesaffect you.
Education
Don Tapscott is a business consultant based out of Toronto. He has written 13 books on technology and its effects on society.In an interview with The Globe and Mail, he stated that half the knowledge you’re taught in a first year technical course during university is obsolete by the time you reach your fourth year.
This sort of effect is connected to a technology observation known as Moore’s Law. The term was originally coined in 1970 and it basically states that the power of computer processors doubles every two years.This increase in computing power also means the knowledge and expertise needed to create and use this technology increases as well. Because of this, your education does not end after you graduate. While the saying about education never ending has always held some truth, technology today makes it even more appropriate. Because of the speed with which technology and computers develop, it will be necessary for you to adapt to new technologies for the rest of your life.
One of the greatest benefits of a university education is not the base knowledge you receive – if you’re in a tech field, half of what you learned in school will be obsolete by graduation – but in learning how to problem solve and continue learning on your own as your career advances. U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. Francis spoke to the ABA Journal about technology and stated that attorneys who fail to adapt to changing technologies and their nuances are basically engaged in a slow career suicide. Lawyers are not alone in this boat, almost any career that utilizes some form of technology will require you and any others to continue to learn and adapt to the ever-changing world of technology.
