Job Architecture

4Technologies and Transformation

My mom started her career in a job you don't see at all anymore: typist.

She went to secretarial school, got certified on a specific IBM typewriter, and got a high enough words‐per‐minute score (85) that she was able to get a job at a law firm in Westchester County, New York. After working for several years in this role, things started to change.

Like many typists of her age, she saw the transformation of her industry. Typewriters were replaced by computers, which were easier to use and had greater functionality. Typing became expected as a basic skill set for more and more people, which meant that fewer intermediaries (typists) were required to complete basic tasks.

As the typist job went away and became automated through the personal computer and other transcription services, my mom's career didn't suffer; in fact, it took off. Because some of her tasks had become automated, she was able to take on different and more responsibilities. Her job transformed into what today we would call an administrative professional, scheduling meetings and supporting her bosses in many different ways beyond typing. Her responsibilities continued to evolve, and eventually, after moving through several different administrative roles, she ended up organizing and managing the many subsidiaries of the large holding company where she worked. She was basically in charge of a massive database, full of information about the hundreds of companies owned by her employer. ...