Often bemoaned in this climate of recession and joblessness – even though employment levels haven’t dropped with the economy itself – is the instability of the once-taken-for-granted ‘Career’.
I remember being told, when I was too young to care (so, about 16) that ‘There aren’t any jobs for life anymore’. By which the suspiciously motivated parent or whoever meant that you couldn’t leave school, get a job and stay in it until you were 65, before retiring and dying two years later from asbestos poisoning.
Ok, so that’s not exactly what they meant.
What they did mean was that the ‘traditional’ jobs market was no more, that industry was going, soon to be gone, and that you couldn’t sit in a company until retirement, because it might not be there in 5 or 10 years, let alone 50.
But, what are we doing about it? Us, I mean, the new movers and shakers. The opinion-formers, the business starters, the innovators? I’ll tell you what we’re doing. We’re taking the easiest possible route to self-important jobs that don’t really exist and, if they do, then they are the latest in the slow decline of respectable professions.
Here, as evidence, are a genuine selection of job titles, from recommended ‘contacts’ from the ever-hilariously ‘Apprentice’ breeding ground – LinkedIn. These are all real:
- Senior Wine Advisor
- Online Media Project Director
- Performance Improvement Manager
- Campaigns Analyst
- HR Consultant
- Change Professional
- Group Communications Manager
The sheer amount of people who are Business Development somethings, or a Consultant of something or other, is unbelievable.
tawtalitarian 
Thank goodness we have moved past jobs for life, I am sure they stifle creativity, particularly when paired with immobility i.e. the job not requiring changing geography, people one works with, etc. Most jobs that consume our entire day tend to deprive us of our own creative potential, but there is of course risk in letting go of the perceived security it might offer, though even that is hardly guaranteed today.
I think you’re right in lot of what you say, but the ‘jobs for life’ of old, did give people security and the ability to bed-in and develop a career, knowing that the effort they put it could garner recognition and reward further down the line. Not likely in today’s hire/fire mentality, where whole companies disappear.
Also, I don’t think that sticking with one job or company means you needn’t be creative but, you’re right, it would arguably encourage sedantry behaviour.
Plus, not everyone wants to be particularly creative, they might just want to be productive and diligent. Industry gave that to people. Made up, middle-management, self-important titles (Head of this, Director of that) are a false expression of importance, which people really need to wake-up to, if they’re ever going to actually be creative and grow.