Non fungible careers

[Cornfed]

The vast majority of jobs require skills that are fungible in the sense that there is one right way (or a few right ways) of doing the job and, provided the worker doing the job is adequately skilled, it makes no difference who the worker is. In today's world this is a highly undesirable position for workers to be in. A huge global labor market with a huge surplus of workers means that however skilled you are at something there are bound to be thousands of others available who can do it equally well. Therefore you have no leverage and there is no reason that you should be paid more than minimum wage, assuming you are hired at all. Already most genuinely productive jobs pay peanuts. Entrenched bureaucracies and others who retain a little power may get better pay and conditions at the moment, but it is only a matter of time before they too are marginalized.

On the other hand, if you had non-fungible skills then you would have some leverage. The trouble is that it is darn hard to think of what such skills might be. The only ones I can think of are creative skills like writing, music, computer programming etc. Even here, it is as if the system is set up to end run this possibility by making these things fungible as well. Internet content writers are generally required to not include by-lines so they can't build up an individual following. Many pop songs are now created by professionals with computers and bimbos are then hired to lip-sync them. Corporate computer programming seems to have been largely stamped out post 1993 under the guise of ISO9001 compliance. What remains seem to be largely hacks and bullshit artists with all the real creative work being done by a handful of small outsourcers. I suspect most bestselling novels are now written by committees with various marketing and political goals in mind, and then some blathering non-entity is paid to claim credit. The Harry Potter books most likely fit into this category. Ultimately the only non-fungible thing will be contacts in elite families.

So what is left? Selling how-to books over the Internet might work if you knew what you were talking about and could build up a following. Building up some other form of Internet celebrity somehow. I really wish I could think of some more possibilities.

[odbo]

Hasn't it been 10 years or so since the media and schooling systems began selling us the idea of "globalization" and how good it is. And they fear-mongered about how an all powerful China is the future, China (and sometimes India) will own us, blah blah blah, they shoved that down our throats, trying to make us believe it. Of course they also did that in the 90s when NAFTA was passed.

It's clear that in the long run the vast majority of people regardless of country will be f***ed over by the "global economy", with a few businessmen striking it rich. And by what I've seen the nouveau riche don't take their success in stride and use their wealth to further f**k over the serfs. Perhaps even worse than the lowering of wages and obsolescence of most careers is the enforced "monoculturalism" which they sell as "diversity". Every year the nations of the world become less and less unique. Instead of culture we have pop-culture, and everywhere else begins to resemble the worst part of America more and more. I don't know of any solution to the problems globalization causes, except to reverse it, but that would require taking our governments back from organized Jewry.

One idea is that westerners should try to pursue some "right-brain" vocation, at least as a back up plan. "Left-brain" tasks not requiring creativity can be done by swarms of Indians or East Asians for pennies on the dollar. And just to clarify, I mean creating something out of nothing, like painting an original piece or creating music or writing an entertaining book. However the Chinese can duplicate famous works of art (such as the Mona Lisa) for pennies on the dollar, and teenagers in India can rip off your computer program and sell theirs for a fraction of the price. Another problem is that even though White Europeans across their history have been light years ahead of other races in terms of innovation, and Indians & mainland Chinese are notoriously incapable of thinking outside of the box, Westerners have not tapped into that part of their brain for a very long time and have gotten too comfortable with the lifestyle and vocations that make them so miserable.

One needs to make himself invaluable, but how??

[zboy1]

One needs to make himself invaluable, but how??

That's a good question, Odbo. I've been struggling with this same question myself for the past few years--being unemployed and unable to find a job; I can't even find a job overseas teaching English, since there's so much competition nowadays. I did get an offer for Russia, but I turned it down because they were skimping on salary and would not even pay for my health insurance or refund my airplane tickets. The future looks quite grim in my opinion....

[odbo]

The future looks quite grim in my opinion....

But globalization will improve all our lives, right..?



I found a couple really depressing/thought-provoking documentaries on China:




Booms never last long and the Jewish bankers controlling the market will likely do to China what they did to Japan in the early 90s, pop the bubble. Remember in the 1980s according to the media Japan was poised to control the world as well, and we know how that turned out, Jewry loves to use red-herrings and demonize the East-Asians. Only before ending the good times they'll probably wait until the west becomes more reliant on imports and every villager in China deserts his home and moves to the crammed big cities for a dead-end job and access to a television with which to get conditioned with.

[Mr S]

The vast majority of jobs require skills that are fungible in the sense that there is one right way (or a few right ways) of doing the job and, provided the worker doing the job is adequately skilled, it makes no difference who the worker is. In today's world this is a highly undesirable position for workers to be in. A huge global labor market with a huge surplus of workers means that however skilled you are at something there are bound to be thousands of others available who can do it equally well. Therefore you have no leverage and there is no reason that you should be paid more than minimum wage, assuming you are hired at all. Already most genuinely productive jobs pay peanuts. Entrenched bureaucracies and others who retain a little power may get better pay and conditions at the moment, but it is only a matter of time before they too are marginalized.

On the other hand, if you had non-fungible skills then you would have some leverage. The trouble is that it is darn hard to think of what such skills might be. The only ones I can think of are creative skills like writing, music, computer programming etc. Even here, it is as if the system is set up to end run this possibility by making these things fungible as well. Internet content writers are generally required to not include by-lines so they can't build up an individual following. Many pop songs are now created by professionals with computers and bimbos are then hired to lip-sync them. Corporate computer programming seems to have been largely stamped out post 1993 under the guise of ISO9001 compliance. What remains seem to be largely hacks and bullshit artists with all the real creative work being done by a handful of small outsourcers. I suspect most bestselling novels are now written by committees with various marketing and political goals in mind, and then some blathering non-entity is paid to claim credit. The Harry Potter books most likely fit into this category. Ultimately the only non-fungible thing will be contacts in elite families.

So what is left? Selling how-to books over the Internet might work if you knew what you were talking about and could build up a following. Building up some other form of Internet celebrity somehow. I really wish I could think of some more possibilities.

I couldn't agree more. For those who still are free-thinkers and function from the right-brain, there is still hope to keep ahead of the herd. The problem is like obdo mentioned, that even the left-brainers are finding ways to copy right-brained creativity. Since the sheeple don't have critical thinking skills anymore they can't differentiate between what is truly original and what is a facsimile of creativeness. The modern Chinese do a great job at copying things but they lack the spark of creativity that their ancestors once had and Europeans used to widely possess until recently. The key is to try to study esoteric higher consciousness materials and attempt to change the circumstances of ones reality. However, this is extremely difficult because the majority of the materials available are compromised BS. If you don't have your intuition already activated then it will be difficult to determine what materials have potential and which are just smoke and mirrors. I've been sifting through this kind of stuff for years and have just started making headway. We'll see where it all leads I guess...

[Mr S]

One needs to make himself invaluable, but how??

That's a good question, Odbo. I've been struggling with this same question myself for the past few years--being unemployed and unable to find a job; I can't even find a job overseas teaching English, since there's so much competition nowadays. I did get an offer for Russia, but I turned it down because they were skimping on salary and would not even pay for my health insurance or refund my airplane tickets. The future looks quite grim in my opinion....

Actually, you can leave whenever you want, however most are fearful of this and that so don't make the leap of faith. Trust me, if you are in alignment with your true self, then the universe will make things work out for you wherever you are. I wouldn't worry about health insurance and return plane tickets cause once you get there your whole reality will change and realign to the current circumstances. People will come into your life to give you things or teach you about yourself that you never imagined. I would say save up around 4-5 thousand dollars, sell all your crap in America or whatever country you live in then just accept a teaching job overseas and take the plunge. Everything will align itself and things will work out in the end even if you feel whatever is going on is utterly hopeless. Looking back on things that happened to me that I though were horrendous at the time were actually meant to happen or eventually placed me in better circumstances. If you remain in your current paradigm then nothing will change, will it?

[odbo]

We'll see where it all leads I guess...

You'd think hard times would bring out the best in people, and would lead to personal growth, new ideas, new perspectives or a rejection of materialism/consumerism. But for most it seems to have resulted in the weakening of principles. Look how many people are ready to be involved in p0rnography, they call it degeneracy for a reason as it leads to degeneration, (your mind and society's in general) despite the short term profit. Likewise people will join the military, or agree to anything no matter how reprehensible (like organized internet trolling) as long as it pays well. At times it seems the only way to make money is to sell your soul or screw over other people and disassociate about the harm you are causing. Hey aren't we in the same boat with Winston, he makes money off a forum which to some extent fuels the eradication the very feminine women it claims to crave by advertising them to the world, leading to exploitation by shrewd mongers. Is there any truly ethical job besides [organic] farmer?

[aozora13]

I was thinking about the same thing. I work in technology but outside this area, I am skeptical about working in teaching because unless I want to go into teaching IT-related work, English teaching does not seem to be the way to go.

I am currently trying to look into other options but usually as Mr. S mentioned, you take the plunge and do a TEFL certificate and teach English. It is a big risk and honestly (compared to other members on the forum) I am really nervous about I should do as I do have a decent amount saved but do not know if I can follow that path of teaching since it is more competition than a few years ago and good jobs are rare because of the global competition.

Options for people:
1) English Teaching
2) Online Business
3)???

[xiongmao]

There's not a huge amount of creativity here in China. Certainly a lot less than I saw in Japan. The most creative people I've seen are some of the poor people who come up with really neat ways of getting attention and thus making money from passers by.

There's a guy downtown who has a water pump in a bag. I have no idea how it works or what he's even trying to sell. But it's original and I've never seen it before.

There are still plenty of opportunities throughout the world. While exporting stuff from China to the USA/Europe is saturated, there is still good money to be made by exporting stuff to developing countries.

There are lots of jobs for English teachers in China but there are some very good teachers here also. At my University there are teachers with professorships. Still, the craze for learning English here doesn't show any signs of going away.

Just remember that other parts of the world are still booming. When I look at the UK news websites it's all doom and gloom, but here in China folk are mostly upbeat, and it's not that hard to find a job.

[Cornfed]

There are lots of jobs for English teachers in China but there are some very good teachers here also. At my University there are teachers with professorships. Still, the craze for learning English here doesn't show any signs of going away.

Is there any way to non-fungibilize teaching English though? It seems to me that it is becoming more proceduralized and de-professionalized, and hence fungibilized. Possibly you could develop some kind of unique brand or course and then market it.

[aozora13]

I think possibly you can get a TEFL certificate and thus work in China and then find an opportunity to get work if you have time move from teaching to another career. I am thinking that there has to be a career beyond teaching. It seems that opening a business does not seem to be as difficult as the US.

Of course outside of China you have BRIC as in Brazil, India and possibly South America to find work but living wages are much smaller. I would have to see if I can improve my Spanish and see if I can then work for a company.

[Cornfed]

This was not mean to be another general career thread. It is about how you can establish a unique personal franchise so that people have to hire you because you are you.

[abcdavid01]

Oh man, important indeed. I wish I had known that through schooling. What a waste.

And yes, most things do seem completely fake. Like there's little besides being an organic farmer. Maybe a professional fighter? Fight Club mentality there. It's like no matter what job I'd take there'd just be that little feeling in the back of my head that it's wrong.

[Ghost]

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[xiongmao]

Teaching is pretty non fungible. This is a career choice where experience and reputation counts for a lot. In fact the best teachers here probably don't have a teaching certificate.

But really the best thing is to be flexible in your career. The job I did for 15 years didn't actually exist while I was at University.