We live in a very different society than our grandparents. Yes, we have the Internet and iPhones to entertain us when our grandparents were content with black-and-white films; it is undeniable that technology has changed our lives and the world. Because technology is highly relevant in the world we live in today, we must keep up with the changes it brings to our workplace; an example is the rise of new terms such as “academic writing” and “new capitalism.” Therefore, learning about the changes in the workplace is vastly beneficial to anybody who wants a leg up in the job market. By learning about the essential points of “new” capitalism, we can be in better shape for finding work in the job market and keeping up with the changing times.

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Collaboration

One conspicuous difference is the presence of the World Wide Web, which has made information very accessible and brought people from different parts of the region, country, and even the world together; as a result, the sharing of knowledge has prompted a shift in emphasis from individual work to collaboration which largely defines the new capitalism of today. Before the rise new capitalism, old capitalism was the norm and represented the period of great economic success in the post-WWII US. Old capitalism is essentially a top-down system where the bosses—on the top of the ladder—held the knowledge and power over the workers who were on the bottom. However, with the rise of technology, namely the Internet, there is greater pooling and distribution of knowledge. Now, knowledge is no longer reserved for the elite few but is available for the common man. This is why there is a shift for more collaborative work that defines new capitalism. Furthermore, collaborative work allows for greater productivity and smarter solutions, as the old say goes “Two heads are better than one.”

Marketing Yourself

New capitalism focuses a lot on resume building, or what is called the portfolio. Because jobs today are not limited to repetitive tasks or one discipline, it is important for people to create a portfolio that documents their accomplishments, skills, and experiences in order to market themselves and stay competitive in the job market. Job security is rooted in the portfolio, and also in the three types of design: identities, affinity spaces, and networks. In short, it is important for a person to maintain an ongoing relationship with customers (from a business sense); create an environment (physical, virtual, or both) that promotes communication, the sharing of knowledge, and a common goal to link people; and establish a network that harnesses the power of unfamiliarity so that people of diverse backgrounds can get together and learn new things from each other. All these factors are important in keeping a person connected with society and continually learning from other people—peers as well as people outside their discipline—and it all helps build worldliness.

Personal Experience

The shift from the top-down system of knowledge to a more collaborative system has also seeped into many educational systems. For instance, in my BIO 204: Fundamentals of Scientific Inquiry in the Biological Sciences I class, there is a huge emphasis on group work. The syllabus for the lab states that science is growing into a collaborative field, and is abandoning the image of the lonely scientist kenneling in his laboratory. During class, we would always work in groups of two or fours, and much of the lab work promotes communication. This shift in learning environment to be beneficial and practical because it reflects the bigger picture and will prepare us for the changing work environment where collaboration is the norm.

Outside the classroom, I am becoming increasing aware of the importance of maintaining marketing myself. Even before college, I knew that a resume is necessary to apply to summer internship programs or jobs. Over time, I was able to gain experience and could expand my resume; however, that is only a small part of what I needed to be competitive in the job market. James Paul Gee’s “Shape-Shifting Portfolio People” discusses the importance of creative rearrangement of resumes to add a competitive edge in changing circumstances of the job market. As I read this piece, I was reminded of a previous concept I learned: Intellectual Entrepreneurship which is the idea that people should not limit themselves to one discipline but to think creatively about multiple disciplines. In other words, people can expand their portfolio to show multi-disciplinary expertise and broaden their job opportunities.

In sum, we should keep up with the rapidly changing technology and job market by adapting to the new requirements of new capitalism. It is the only way if we want to remain strong competitors.