TWIF+Chapter+6

The World is Flat Chapter 6

Chapter 6—//The Untouchables// The untouchables, just the chapter name sounds enthralling. Who are these untouchables? Well first and foremost this chapter explains that competition has increased dramatically throughout the years and is going to continue to intensify. In order to survive, Friedman suggests that we need put ourselves in this category of untouchables. We need to reach this target step. He expresses his point, //“It is going to take more than just doing your homework to thrive in a flat world, though. You are going to have to do the right kind of homework as well.”//(page 279) He is basically saying, that doing what your told is good enough anymore. You have to go beyond and above everyone else. He lists three separate categories as untouchables. First, specialized jobs such as lawyers, Madonna, Michael Jordan, your brain surgeon, and the top cancer researcher. These individuals can never be outsourced. Secondly, those who are “localized” and “anchored.” These individuals require jobs to be done at a specific location, for example; plumber, nurse, dentist, and electricians. The final category includes the middle class jobs; however the problem here is middle is not prepared for the competitive future. Another important point Friedman makes is //“The further we push out the boundaries of knowledge and innovation, the more the next great value breakthroughs—that is, the next new hot selling products and services—will come from putting together disparate things that you would not think of as going together.”// (page 287) This makes a crucial point because working collaboratively and creating new ideas also widens the horizon for a chance for jobs to surface within the industry. A key point here is that tactic for preparing for these positions need to acknowledged and clarified if we want to continue to have these career options to continue to exist for the flat world. Are we behind? Yes, but we do have some things in our favor, such as the openness of American society allows us to rationalize and take many factors into consideration when referring back to the flat world. Job security is not going to be easy, make yourself an untouchable!

~Andrea DeSantis~