“We’re simply not prepared for this rapid-fire implementation of technology or
the job losses that lie ahead,” warns future of work expert and tech philosopher SOMI ARIAN.
“But by developing four uniquely human skills—ones that technology can’t replicate—we can
take control and carve out new, resilient careers sooner than you’d think.”
Arian’s premise lies within her statement “What is the point of career success if you don’t feel fulfilled?”
Taking three elements which Somi Arian proposes are the key to fulfillment, Career Fear and How to Beat it helps the reader to understand the significance of those points, especially in a digital world where technology is fast replacing the human workforce.
Arian sets her book, Career Fear and How to Beat it into three parts. The setup, the problem, and the resolution.
The chapter on work history I found somewhat elementary. Some of her discourse was interesting and valuable, some of it was speculative and imaginative, and some of what she says could be argued. The history she presents does, however, lay groundwork for her premise, that not everyone has throughout history, or even today, seen ‘work’ in the same light. To substantiate her point, I had an artistic nature all my life and my father, raised by someone from the old country, had a completely different outlook on life. My father once told me when I was growing up that “if you’re having fun doing a job then you’re not working.”
So, indeed, there are different perspectives on the idea of work, to be sure.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Career-Fear-how-beat-Perspective/dp/1789664659
Career Fear and How to Beat it addresses culture in the business environment with a bit of information on how to choose the right culture for your personality. Arian discusses the future of AI, which in itself is highly controversial, but still a haunting theme for most of us to be concerned with. Arian encourages the reader, though, that whenever there are setbacks or challenges, there are opportunities. In Career Fear and How to Beat there’s quite an extended discourse on AI and Arian’s views on the future of technology in the job force. This chapter is worth reading. Arian’s answer to the robot dilemma is that we fulfill our “roles in society”.
Arian discusses several different personality types and their behaviors, and, coming around to her point, what makes those personalities happy. How much can they do without monetarily in order to feel successful. This leads to determining one’s place in the world. According to Arian, understanding what your limits are, what can make you happy, can help determine the ‘job’ or ‘role’ you could be playing in life to satisfy success according to your definition.
In Career Fear and How to Beat, Arian makes some valid points. Her writing style is simple and very personal and easy to read. I found some of her conclusions are a bit too relaxed and could have used scientific data or some other resources to support her theories. All in all, it was a good book.
DL Gardner
