I heard a guy on a radio interview today talking about how the job market in the U.S. is changing. Some tasks can and will be done more cheaply or efficiently overseas (he mentioned accounting that can be done as well and much cheaper by being outsourced to some developing countries like India, but even medical tourism, in which U.S. patients go overseas for a vacation and an operation and end up saving money while getting similar levels of medical intervention and often better rooms and levels of nursing care). The interviewer asked the labor expert what Americans can do about this trend. His answer was simple: Upskill. I had never heard of the word (and perhaps it is a new word), but I understood instantly what it meant. In this new world, where jobs are mobile and the world is flat, you’d better make sure you upgrade your present skills and add new ones often.

I have been doing this over the past year or so by learning some simple but powerful methods of doing marketing, publicity and sales over the web. I have learned easy website design, I have learned how to create and update a blog, I have learned to create podcasts, digital audio and video products and so on. If for some reason, the other parts of my career that are earning me the most income at the moment were to disappear tomorrow (I suddenly couldn’t travel to give workshops, my print books stopped selling), I could still earn a decent living using these “upskills” I have.

My suggestion is not to be a victim of a changing workplace and world, but to eb a lifelong learner and upskill. Since we know the future is moving more and more to the ‘net, why not attend The Web Whisperers Boot Camp. Ryan and I can cut months, perhaps even years, off your learning curve and upskill you in five days. Visit: http://thewebwhisperers.com for more details. Time’s a wastin’. The world is getting flatter. Upskill soon and avoid being a victim.