Should America Give Up On Technological Jobs?

When I grow up, I want to get a job as a computer programmer, or a job related to technology. However, after looking into outsourcing, I found that getting a job in technology was just a waste of time, for outsourcing would "move" my job to another country. This put me in quite a panic because I thought I'd have to compromise my dream job for something else. Outsourcing has been the supposed silent killer of many jobs in technology and yet somehow our economy's savior, for outsourcing, "gained momentum after the Internet started bringing together every corner of the world"(Ghimire). However, because of this momentum, Me, as well as many other teens should be aspiring for technological jobs now more than ever for progression and innovation of technology. 

Many have said that outsourcing and off-shoring, although has reduced the prices of many products, has put many people impoverished. However, due to the recent recession, "those jobs would have been lost regardless of the outsource option being available or not"(Tony). Our country is slowly losing many of its high-wage workers because many companies are dying off regardless of outsourcing. Outsourcing, many times, is a company's last resort to avoiding bankruptcy. However, because of this recent conspiracy that off-shoring puts technological jobs at risk, many American teens, fear going into technological jobs because they worry it will be off-shored. Because of this questionable information, "students are concerned that their jobs could eventually be outsourced internationally and are therefore deciding to focus on their business skills"(LaMarca). But what many don't realize is that America must change it's direction of technical occupations. Now that many countries are capable of doing many manufacturing and service work, America must move onto being inventors. This is just and observation, but the most popular companies in the world are companies like Google, Apple, and Disney, are filled with inventors, creators and merchandisers. These companies each started with one inventive idea, that has been expanded upon so much so that they are the powerful company they are today. We too, should be looking for jobs like those in Google, or Apple, that are creating many new ideas for the internet, phones, and computers that revolutionize technology.

I, as well as many other aspiring teens, when deciding their career or major in college, should be looking for something that is creative, and expansive. If we aren't the ones to be in the call centers, then we should be the ones making call centers more efficient. In other words, we shouldn't be the "machines" doing all the work technology can do, but being the ones inventing the technology to fill in those jobs. Outsourcing is just another way of making companies more efficient. We should look for jobs the same way Frederick Winslow Taylor did in 1909 when he revolutionized the job market with his book, The Principles of Scientific Management. When he made this book, in the time of the second industrial revolution, machine was replacing many manufacturing jobs, Frederick's theory was that instead of firing many manufacturers, they should put them in higher management to make manufacturing more efficient. Frederick's principle was that, “In the past the man has been first; in the future the system must be first”(Taylor). Although it's a century since his book, we should also apply his thinking when applying for jobs. We shouldn't be picking jobs that machines or other people can do, but jobs that are making the machines, or people more efficient. Therefore, for those who are interested in technology, like myself, should be looking for a job that are creating new ideas, and not ones that are carrying out ideas (like service jobs or manufacturing). America should definitely not give up on technological jobs, for creating technology is the way of the future. 

Works Cited:

Tony. "(Important) Computer Science Jobs Are Not Outsourced." CompScicablog RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.

Ghimire, Bhumika. "IT Job Outsourcing." IT Job Outsourcing. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.

LaMarca, Tina. "Outsourcing America's Future." N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.

Taylor, Frederick Winslow. The Principles of Scientific Management. New York: Norton, 1967. Print.