How to surf the technology waves we created
Dennis Tsichritzis · Communications of the ACM · 1997
Retired people seldom have the luxury of doing the things they missed when working; they may even have to work.Finally, many people, including computer professionals, can become unemployed-previously an unheard-of possibility.Good computer professionals had only to worry about which job to accept and which was the best place to live-not whether the ship was sinking while they were doing a great job.There were a number of basic truths and accepted wisdoms that are hardly true any more:• What you learn in school is relevant to what you will do in your career.• Specialization translates into a stable job.• If you do a good job, you have nothing to fear.• Every new technology brings new opportunities for advancement and absolutely no risk.• Moving to middle management is both lucrative and safe.• Every job change means more responsibility and more benefits.