Irreplaceable You?

 

The graveyards are full of indispensable men. -Charles De Gaulle

I began a job in August of 1980 as a design draftsman for a company known as Graham Mfg. It was one of the nicest places I have ever worked. Things were going well for me as there was plenty of work to be done and I was pretty good at it. A good draftsman was one who received an ejector and condenser package on Monday morning and could turn the drawings back in by Friday before going home for the weekend. In June 1982, during my evaluation I got glowing reports. My supervisor told me as far as he was concerned I had a job for life and he was going to recommend me for the engineering education program.

 In the July a new piece of equipment showed up. The way of the future they said. It was called a C.A.D. system. Better known as Computer Aided Drafting. We as draftsmen thought it was a lot of hype and could not believe the company spent almost $30,000 (my salary) for this thing. After a month of work, Chris the technician (not a draftsman) still was not producing any significant work and it was kind of the lunchroom joke. Then about September it took off. All of a sudden an ejector and condenser package would be handed to Chris on Monday morning, he would work his magic on his little keyboard and then while we were at lunch it would be printed out on a plot printer. After lunch they would hand Chris, the technician, another package. By the first week of October I and several other draftsmen were in the unemployment line.

That was when I first realized that technology changes things and that if I could not adapt to the changes I would be in trouble. I had not even paid off my student loan and I was faced with a decision as to where I was going in my career.

While finding my way from job to job, I was given a book by Mark O. Haroldsen called, How to Wake Up the Financial Genius Inside You. The dreams opened for me to work in a career in real estate. A career that depended on my personal skills and the captive information held by a private club that I was privileged to enter, as soon as my check cleared. Yes, I became a Realtor. This business has been good to me. I am a Real Estate and Mortgage Broker. I have also been a principle owner of multiple properties. In the last few years my tax returns have given me glowing reports. Uncle Sam said as far as he was concerned I have a job for life.

Now technology is taking over again. But this time I will not get caught laughing at it. The hardest work that a “seasoned agent” such as myself has to do is get educated in what’s possible and then embrace these new tools with the sales ability we already have. Take classes, read some books and educate yourself.

Zig Ziglar said, “A formal education will earn you a living. Self-Education will earn you a FORTUNE.”

There are still draftsmen in the world and there will continue to be real estate agents too. The next  year will see old competitors dry up and disappear while new blood will be making the money left on the table by those who were to busy crying to see it. Things are changing. Embrace it. If you don’t adapt you will be left out in the soup line.