1985 the year I started contracting, 1988 the year I started working from home. My computer used floppy discs, took forever to boot up and I had to go into the office to pick up and deliver my assignments. There was no email, only a few faxes, no webinars or yahoo chat or msn messenger. NO INTERNET. But there were people. Lots of personal contact, either on the phone or in the office. Job interviews were F2F, based on your typed resume with no fancy fonts or pictures. No online surveys, video interviews or phone generated generic interviews. Nope not back in 1988, show up at the company's office - early, in your best suit or dress. Preparation for the interview - friends/family who knew about the company, newspapers, maybe the library. My desk came equipped with an electric typewriter, my computer, my phone, and a drawer for my paper files.
2012 - how the world has changed. Preparation for the interview - google, yahoo, bing searches. Linked in to find out about the person interviewing you. Assignments are sent to you through email, voip, vpn. You need to talk to someone - try bbming, chats, email. Talk on the phone - why bother - I can text. F2F meetings - oh my I would have to get out of my jeans. Oops in 2012 jeans are ok, sweats maybe not. My desk has a beautiful 19 inch monitor, a colour printer and this wonderful machine that copies, prints 50 ppm, faxes and scans. Yes my portable phone is around as well as my cell phone. I have a calendar that beeps to remind me of my appointments. In 2012 I am more well connected than the Prime Minister was in 1985. The only thing missing are actual people. Now we have social media - twitter, blogging, linked in, facebook, etc.
27 years of changes, what is on the horizon, I can't even imagine.
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