Working Daze by John Zakour and Scott Roberts for October 14, 2024

She’s right you know….

Anyone remember “the paperless office”?

I have adults that tell me that they used to buy video games from me when they were a kid.

That sums it up pretty well for more than a few folks.

The exception to the “jobs that no longer exist” is “manager.” And I always turned that one down…

There’s no substitute for experience.

I walk into a branch bank and there’s no longer a teller line. Place doesn’t even resemble a branch. Not even called that anymore.

Hackenschmidt turned to his fellow Accountant of Fortune™, Voltaire Yakamoto. “I am willing to bet a small sum of money,” he said with a grin, “that friend Jenson has a cubicle that features, among other things, a fountain pen, a manual typewriter, carbon paper, and the many fine products of the Globe-Wernicke Company of Cincinnati.”

I’m still waiting for the personal flying car and personal jetpack.

Mrs. Jenson has a wisdom that can only come with age. As Yoda might put it: “Of the way if I can, I just keep out. Yeesssssss.”

My first office job (circa 1967)we were in a large room full of desks (we were doing “open concept” way before it was thought of. )Combination of purchasing and accounts receivable. No cubicles, of course. Paperwork was rampant. We finally got computers around 1985, by then I had been promoted to buyer and had my own offfice.

the ideal career arc

surviving with cynicism

In my 50 years of working, I have so many skills that no longer apply to anything.

The “paperless office” was the best news for the pulp mills, their product doubled!

Mrs Jenson is right, for longevity at work it is best to keep out of the way. I put in 40 years in the same line of work – I was a master of observation while remaining unobserved, uninteresting and out of the way.

At the school I went to the student ID included the year that a student enrolled. I was a graduate student teaching a course and I noticed the the student ID of one of the students in my class was before my birth year.

Mrs. Jenson is lucky to have been able to stay in one place as long as she has.

You in the medical field complaining about doctors wanting printed charts, have misplaced concerns. If a doctor feels he or she needs a printed chart, give it to them. It’s because they feel that they better comprehend the information that way and are less likely to make a mistake. they are worried about malpractice and saving lives and you are worried about wasting paper. Your concerns take second, or third place.