Folks, it is the start of the weekend, only 17 weeks until rollover.

Will your occupation or job exist next year?

I don't care if you approach from an industry wide point of view (KOS, there might not be many new mudwrestling videos next year, not a real critical industry), from inside knowledge of your particular company (you don't have to share any details), or whatever.

I very much doubt I will be working as a technical recruiter next year. Nor will I be managing a branch of my family's temporary employment agency.

In the last serious recession, 80% of all temporary agencies in the US went out of business..........

Unless we get involved in juggling personnel for emergency workarounds, which would leave us working for the government in one way or another.

Anyway, something to think about.

-- Jon Williamson (jwilliamson003@sprintmail.com), September 03, 1999

Answers

I'm pretty sure I will not be giving i.s.p. tech support next year.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), September 03, 1999.

As a Y2K "news watcher," I can *guarantee* that my job will be irrelevant next year!

;-)

-- pshannon (pshannon@sangersreview.com), September 03, 1999.

Great question Jon.

Nope.

As a business consultant my specialty was getting people off manual bookkeeping systems and on to Quickbooks and Excel. (Forgive me, I knew not what I did)

As a glassblower I need propane, oxygen and borosilicate glass. My vendors aren't just Y2k non-compliant they are Y2k Hunh?

Most of my wares sell on e-bay.

I'm selling my shop now while I can. Anyone wanna buy a glassblowing torch?

Meanwhile, I'm stocking up on ledger paper. Thank God for solar calculators. Hope they work after roll-over.

-- R (riversoma@aol.com), September 03, 1999.

pshannon... think of the new possibilites!

;-D

Opportunities do present themselves. "Know thyself..." is good advice. (A catalog or skills assesment is wise too. Test yourself by writing a functional--as opposed to chonological--resume).

So... what IS that dream you've been putting off in your life?

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 03, 1999.

I am 99% confident that I will still be doing web development next year.

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), September 03, 1999.

Diane:

No fair!! [G] You introduced a "Prepare yourself for a new job next year" theme when I was only trying to jar loose some thinking and comments about CURRENT occupations.

To paraphrase Scarey Gary, I suspect I may be involved primarily in small scale agriculture next year.

Along with local area defense and possibly trading expeditions.

-- Jon Williamson (jwilliamson003@sprintmail.com), September 03, 1999.

R -

Glass blowing is a skill that could come in hand after rollover. But you'd have to stock, stock, stock as best you could what you need. Maybe look into how they "used to" do glass blowing. Before propane and such...

I apologize in advance if these are what amount to 'ignorant comments'. Just thinking out loud here.

If things go badly regarding y2k, I think my main occupation next winter will be trying to keep from freezing.

-- winter wondering (winterwondring@yahoo.com), September 03, 1999.

Assuming my cloth diaper order arrives in time, I'll still be changing bottoms. :) Hubby is consulting electrical engineer. He designs electrical systems for new construction and tenant finish etc. If anyone is trying to use electricity, they will want services such as his. I assume a down period, and then more work as they attempt to fix things.

-- Mumsie (Shezdremn@aol.com), September 03, 1999.

I work for two non-profit membership based organization dependent upon voluntary dues for income. Hahahahahahaha. No jobs next year. No income. Was offered my old job back - just as bad. Dependent upon subscriptions. (Print reporter.)

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), September 03, 1999.

Have 2 jobs and 1 business. One job as waiter (that one's history shortly into 2000). The other job is in acquisitions in a private University (books....). I'll probably be kept there for a while, but if distribution systems don't re-constitute themselves fast (2/3 monhts), then that job is gone also. Business is internet related, so that is all that needs to be said about that.

-- thomas saul (thomas.saul@yale.edu), September 03, 1999.

It still comes down to the Y2K rickter scale 1-3 you should be doing what your doing today, with great expectations for the worst is behind, up-up and away. 3-6 doing what you have done but mixied with with what you have to do for food. 6-8 very little of what you formally did, mixied with learning new ways to get food and how to keep it. 8-10 only getting food and eating it and wondering if theres any more to get. 10+ making shure your not on the menu...---...

-- Les (yoyo@tolate.com), September 03, 1999.

I Have 2 jobs and 1 business. One job as waiter (that one's history shortly into 2000). The other job is in acquisitions in a private University (books....). I'll probably be kept there for a while, but if distribution systems don't re-constitute themselves fast (2/3 monhts), then that job is gone also. Business is internet related, so that is all that needs to be said about that.

-- thomas saul (thomas.saul@yale.edu), September 03, 1999.

Sorry about the double posting

-- thomas saul (thomas.saul@yale.edu), September 03, 1999.

I recently quit my career and don't plan on working for any corporation ever again. I will let my hobby, sewing, be my post y2k job if I need to work again. I have a treadle and loads of sewing supplies. I told my DH I have completely forgotten everything I learned about my old career so I could not go back to it, even if I wanted to. I detest corporate mindsets. I have seen enough outright lying, injustice, back stabbing, union busting, ladder climbing SOB's to last a lifetime. Sorry for the soap box but I get riled thinking about my previous career.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), September 03, 1999.

Jon, great question.

I'm fairly sure my largest client will have serious difficulties next year. I had planned on breaking into Web work with a couple of associates where I would hustle the work, provide art direction/design for the sites, etc. So, there are a lot of questions regarding my future work that will remain unresolved for awhile. However, I'm lucky.

Even though one of the first areas to be cut during financially troubled times is advertising and marketing work still is done. And, because I was able to "come up" when things were done manually I have skills that kids today aren't even taught. I'm thinking perhaps about becoming a teacher.

If that doesn't work out then I'll roll with it...teach myself a new skill or pick crops. I'll do what ever I need to do to feed my family.

Mike

===================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), September 03, 1999.

Could be a lot of openings in the political arena for many of you. I've got a feeling that many of these knuckleheads who've not followed the oath of office or were in leadership positions at the local, county, state level may still be in hiding or worse off if Y2k is a "5" or above.

-- saveamerica (jb90@hotmail.com), September 03, 1999.

I'll either be fixing corrupt data as a DBM or playing Farmer Hack.

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), September 03, 1999.

I see no change. But we could all be wrong. Just have fun. In three weeks I'll be lost in the Northern Cascades.

Best Wishes,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), September 03, 1999.

Today's "stock-market-friendly" jobs report (showing the economy producing fewer jobs and thus less inflation pressure) noted that there were fairly significant losses in manufacturing and construction jobs:

...One of the big surprises in the payroll data was a sizable 63,000 loss in manufacturing jobs, after a 51,000 rise in July. The sector, which had struggled over the past few years with export-related woes, has seen resurgent demand lately but so far that has failed to translate into a major rebound in hiring... construction companies shed 29,000 jobs in August after a 14,000 rise in the prior month...

Meanwhile, the service sector hums along. Wonder how they'll classify the Sabre and Autodesk layoffs?

Layoffs seem to make the stock market happy. *sigh*

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), September 03, 1999.

Mac -

How true. What's good for Wall St / Bay St is not always good for Main St.

-- Johnny Canuck (j_canuck@hotmail.com), September 03, 1999.

rebuilding to me will be the area in which to work. honestly, based on bible prophecy, it may not be far down the road but i do not think this is the end yet. it is pretty obvious that in order for the NWO to be put in place, technology has to be working again and life has to be "normal" for a while. therefore, i believe we will rebuild/recover. skills that would help recover and untangle the y2k mess for business would be good. analysis, systems, reengineering, programming, etc. also rebuilding and restructuring of everyday life and skills in those areas.

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), September 03, 1999.

Jon,

It s called Y2K Career look-ahead. Or... self-employment contingency planning.

In the past, when it was time to change, always came up with something new and different that intrigued me. Good idea to look at what lifts your heart and gets you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Often found in what you LIKE/LOVE to do as hobbies.

For me... one of many skills is... I like to organize things. Farmers Markets sounds like a possibility.

So many options! Choices... choices.

And... its all local. So, until the rollover...

Diane
Information Navigator & Internet Researcher
(et. al.)

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 03, 1999.

Can't say what my current skills sets are...

But my tools will change.

I'll just have to adapt to a rake, a hoe, and a watering pail.

Oh where did I put that box of bullets? ...here it is.

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), September 03, 1999.

Carol: Do you like to mudwrestle? (Actually, it offers a lot of cardiovascular benefits that sewing does not. And in tough times, you still count on a bunch of guys willing to pay to see a good catfight, so its vocational aspects could be quite lucrative.)

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.com), September 03, 1999.

I am a teacher, and I could be in for a very long snowday. All we need to open the school is heat, running water, electricity, fire alarms, fuel for the busses, phones for emergencies, cafeteria suppliers, and of course teachers in the building.

But I have also had "real" jobs before and I can have one again. But to me, teaching isn't work, it's a pleasure. I try to assure myself that there will always be kids who need to learn.

-- semper paratus (one@long.snowday), September 03, 1999.

Well- I still plan on farming. And am very open to barter- so will happily feed people for firewood or hay or whatever....all of you listing "pick crops" as an option- come on up!! That will be the day when people are jumping at the chance to do field work....(sigh).

My other job- freelance writing- it depends. On the post office, computers for the paper, etc,- who knows?

P.S. Diane- organizing Farmer's Market's is a job in itself!! Helped start one this year- not for the faint of heart!! But- i bet you'd be great at it!

-- farmer (hillsidefarm@drbs.net), September 03, 1999.

I am a government employee. The job may still be there but the paycheck will not and who will work for nothing? The employees will walk after a month or so without pay and they will not believe that the paychecks will arrive any day now. I could retire but the retirement checks will not be there either. What a President. He was warned in 1996 by Senator Moynahan from New York and did nothing. My dad was a farmer. I hope I can remember how to grow things. Curly says it will be bad and will probably be the worst depression during the last 100 years. Thanks Congress.

-- Moe (Moe@3stooges.gom), September 03, 1999.

King of Spain, I was brung up in the woods and my neck is so scarlet that I can't get within 50 ft of a bull and I have a recipe for mud that would bring tears to your eyes.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), September 04, 1999.

A year from today; I expect rationing, Martial Law, widespread unemployment and gas at 10$ a gallon when you can get it.I drive a city transit bus and expect to be doing the same in a year, in fact some of you may end up doing it. With fuel in short supply expect a nationalized vastly expanded mass transit network. Gonna need lots of new drivers. Could be one of the few growth industries in the coming depression. Rush hour in any US city gonna look like rush hour in Shanghai today; buses packed to the limit and a bizillion bicycles going in all directions. Norton expects to be putting in 80 hour weeks down at the sewage treatment plant.He says you yuppies are too full of crap!

-- Ralph Kramden (and@awaywego.com), September 04, 1999.

i'm temping now (thanks Jon, now i'm real happy :<), and my part-time business is based on the telephone, computer, and mail. but i can sew (by-hand), train horses for riding (could be useful for hunting; don't know if anyone will be able to afford one if they don't already have them), do physical labor (started working in a barn 2 weeks ago to get in better shape & more money), and crochet a little. hopefully there will be something i can do. guess i need to buy fabric and yarn, in addition to sewing supplies. i'll bet not many people though about getting those, huh?

-- sarah (qubr@aol.com), September 04, 1999.

Is it me or does there seem to be an overwhelming preponderance of manual labor? I'm not against it, but I would have stayed on the farm if I had really like it. I remember a mind-numbing, hard day's work and I was just a kid at the time. I'm with Diane, there has got to be opportunities beyond the field (sorry, farmer) and I want to seize upon them-- especially if my fledgling communications and design company tanks. Sure, I'm planning on a Victory garden and some other domestic activities, but I also want to be where the money and future is at. I don't see any other way of surviving my current debt load in a depression.

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), September 04, 1999.

I'll be an out of work Insurance Agent, My spouse will (oh i hate to sound soooooooooo negative) be who knows???? He works for the #1 aluminum company....Can I live off my son????He is an emt, who just got a job offer as a Police Dept...Dispatcher....heads up, Cleveland is hiring for those.....things that make ya go...hmmmm

-- consumer (private@aol.com), September 04, 1999.

I don't know if my job'll be there post roll-over or not. Working in the health industry in Canada, my job is semi-governmental. My chances of staying employed just improved because I was hired into a permanent position, so my years of work will now be considered when lay-offs come.

DH works in the telecom field; unless we have big time infrastructure damage, he'll hopefully be okay. In fact, I'm more concerned about him being declared "surplus" if we're at a 4-6 because he's been focused almost exclusively on Y2K for the past year. OTOH, one reason they've assigned him to Y2K is that he's very good and concientious.

If TEOCL (the end of civilized life), all bets are off for everyone, IMHO.

-- T the C (tricia_canuck@hotmail.com), September 04, 1999.