Has the Middle Class Disappeared?
“The internet? Oh yeah. that’s what we use to shop from work.”
It seems to me that those who must work virtually are already doing so and using technology to enhance their virtual realm. The rest of the world seems to be continuing (or trying) to work the same way they always have.
Are we creating a two class society of workers?
I’m not talking about unskilled and skilled labor — or maybe I am. Last year I called new prospects with an offer for a free virtual workshop of one hour to try out my services. The gap between the virtually skilled and the unskilled was pronounced.
The gap is obvious.
I was using simple technology: a conference call with a Powerpoint file emailed ahead of time. The unskilled had never done anything like this and it took some handholding to get things set up. The skilled scoffed at using such primitive methods when they are accustomed to using intranet server-based tools on a routine basis. Subscribers to this blog are among the skilled in the virtual realm. [If you aren't a subscriber, you can subscribe several ways (email: easy, RSS feed: for the more sophisticated). Read the post on the right side of my blog to subscribe] The unskilled may have heard of a blog, but have never read one.
History repeats itself.
At one point, a high school education put a worker on track for great things. Then, a college degree was the ticket to a future free of manual labor. Now, the virtually adept can work globally, while the virtually amateur are relegated to small firms limited to a local market.
The invisible class
The virtual workers become invisible to the unskilled. We work anywhere and when the unskilled don’t see us trekking to the office, or haven’t ever heard of our company (because we are a satellite office) they think we aren’t gainfully employed.
And the unskilled become invisible to the virtually skilled. I know more about the individuals with whom I commune on-line than almost any group I know “in reality.” Folks without an email address are invisible to me, and folks who aren’t comfortable communicating virtually become invisible quickly.
Career Consequences
The limitations this causes for proposal professionals are austere. If you work for a company that doesn’t work virtually, you won’t develop the virtual skills necessary to work with firms in the virtual realm. There is a distinct line between the career opportunities offered in the virtual realm and in the locally-based realm. The income difference for proposal coordinators with 5 years experience in my experience is between 25 to 40%. The biggest difference in skills is whether you work virtually or not.
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