I came across an interesting article last week that was looking at the different jobs that existed 100 years ago that don’t exist now. Most I’d never heard of such as Hokey-pokey men (Ice cream vendors) and devils (apprentice printers) but there are other jobs many of us can remember that are obsolete now. Toll booth operators, cinema ushers and milkmen have slowly died out over the last decade or so as new jobs begin to replace them. So this raises the question, which jobs will still exist in a century, and will project management be among them?
Many of the jobs that have become obsolete have gone that way because of technology. Developments in technology are moving very rapidly and have resulted in some amazing additions to the field of project management. We also know that the technology our software is based around is one of the most flexible and evolving applications on the market. But will technology ever be advanced enough to replace project managers?
Rest assured, I don’t think so. Although many of the projects around today could never have been completed without technology, it takes a human mind to carefully manage schedules, people and budgets, identify potential issues, solve problems and ultimately, create something amazing. Technology like our construction project management software simply assists that process and ensures everything runs smoothly for the project manager. But you never know, in 2112 there may be robotic project managers running jobs all over the world!
What do you think? Are there any jobs in the project related industries that won’t exist in 100 years time?