http://ripples.typepad.com/ripples/2006/03/if_you_are_empl.html

While very depresssing, sort of like “in the end, we’re all dead”, this blog entry highlights the changing metaphor in employment. Originally, at least from my pov, there was the “gold watch” era of my Mom. Then, there was the era of “pretending”, (you pretend to work and we’ll pretent to pay you). Then there was the entreprenurial era (“You Inc.”, intraprenurship, coopetition). Now I think we are in the era of “bleakmanship” (i.e., there is no salvation, no silver bullet, no hope, work for who will pay you, build your own skill, diversify, build networks of people who can help you). I do think, and I advise youngsters, that the model for their sucess is: get a cost-effective education for a white collar job, build a blue collar skill other than flipping burgers, develop side businesses like ebay, and be a ruthless manager of money. If I could come up with a sexy label it would be the “insecurity” era.