What Gets Me Thinking: What Has the Web Done With My Job!?

Just 20 years ago, desktop publishing was a hot career skill, salespeople looked up prospects in the yellow pages, and financial advisors had market information that you and I didn’t. A lot has changed since then – about markets and our jobs!

Ask a friend if they know any good marketing people and they might assume you’re asking if they know anyone creative – someone to write a jingle for the next Tide commercial. But marketing today is as much about great data analytics and IT integration as it is clever slogans.

This got me thinking. What jobs have changed the most? Here are some that came to mind:

• Police officers scour criminal activity on neighborhood crime sites and Craigslist and they chase leads/tips on Google as much as they do on the street.

• CEO’s can see more of what their competitors are doing on a daily basis so a company’s strategy is more obvious. Salespeople can also follow other salespeople on Twitter.
• Nurses can get their degrees 100% online (scary).
• Church leaders proselyte and freely share beliefs and counsel to members online.
• Teachers interact with parents in school-sponsored communities and post grades instantly.
• Parents can now watch their kids’ interactions with friends and stop problems before they materialize.
• Real estate agents are more like financial & lifestyle advisors since Realtor.com launched.
• Garbage collectors probably pick up more trash as the Web has made it easier to consume.
• Athletes still make plays on the field, but they use Twitter to talk to fans and build their personal brands (which influences their value to a team’s bottom line).
• Farmers still work by the sweat of their brow, but new farmers can learn the ropes before planting their first crop.

How has your profession changed because of the web? Has the web made you any better at what you do?