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<o:Author>KEVIN FREELS</o:Author>
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<DIV>An article I read <!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><![endif]>that analyzes future trends in
employment has me a bit nervous:</DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://education.guardian.co.uk/further/story/0,5500,1074083,00.html">http://education.guardian.co.uk/further/story/0,5500,1074083,00.html</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Being a mortgage broker for the last few years, I have enjoyed watching my
job become simpler. The technology improvements so far have made it possible for
me to work from home.</DIV>
<DIV>A careful analysis of this trend however has forced me to accept a
frightening possibility. My job may not exist 10 years from now!</DIV>
<DIV>Currently, many specialized web applications exist that allow me to put in
a customer's application and get an underwriting decision in minutes. All that
is left is selecting the right loan, gathering the required documentation, and
submitting it to an underwriter who then decides if that documentation is
acceptable to meet the neccessary guidelines for that particular loan program.
At this point, they prepare loan documents and send them to the closing agent
for closing.</DIV>
<DIV>It only stands to reason that when solid verification software and text
reading software come online that are capable of handling these duties, the job
of brokering, and even underwriting will be left to computers. This can be
handled without any AI. It will only take some very complicated software.
Software that could probably be built right now if someone wanted to invest
millions in development costs. In time, it will come.</DIV>
<DIV>This is a business that I know well, and it is all I am formally trained in
with the exception of a 4 year old A+ certification that isn't worth a dime any
more.</DIV>
<DIV>I have decided that I need to find a new career and go back to school. The
only problem is, what should I do?</DIV>
<DIV>To put it bluntly, I have always achieved below my ability level. I was the
high-school kid who could have had it made with scholarships, consistently
testing in the top 1% of the nation, only to have spent much of my time chasing
girls instead of focusing on homework. Rather than go to college, I got my
girlfriend pregnant at 17 and got married. That turned into a mess which ended
in divorce by the age of 19. Since then, I have chased my tail trying to make
enough to support myself and pay child support. Much of the time until I became
a mortgage broker 3 years ago was spent working two jobs.</DIV>
<DIV>Now I am 32. Going to earn my degree is something that I always wanted to
do, but didn;t have the resources. Now I have those resources and the time to do
it, but I am scared stiff. I don't understand how it all works and what jobs are
available. My major weaknesses are the higher maths and chemistry although I am
sure that I could fix that easily enough. But I am concerned with my ability to
learn the material as well as someone younger. </DIV>
<DIV>I have a broad education compared to many people with degrees, but it is
mostly comprised of self-directed reading on a variety of subjects and has many
holes. A couple of things I find fascinating are evolutionary biology and
anthropology. But these are interesting from the safe confines of my home. I
don;t know if I have it in me to even peg an insect to a board or handle the
corpses of dead animals. Also, I don;t know what kind of jobs that would offer
except for teaching positions at a local college.</DIV>
<DIV>Nanotechnology seems very interesting, but the background needed eludes me.
Same with biotech. </DIV>
<DIV>World is intersting to me as is the history of religions. But details
tend to elude me as I am better working with broad patterns and ideas and making
connections that others miss while examining the details.</DIV>
<DIV>So I am stumped. I need to find something with a future. Something that
will be around right up to those last moments precluding a singularity. </DIV>
<DIV>I am looking to all of you for suggestions. </DIV>
<DIV>Thank you</DIV>
<DIV>Kevin Freels</DIV>
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