So… What do you do?

Adam Ellison
Aug 31, 2018 · 4 min read
Illustration By Jamie Jones

Recently, my response to the very British conversation opener, ‘So… what do you do?’, has been a bit difficult to answer. When asked, I try to explain how I’m self-funding a research project into a ‘problem’; one, which I hope to create useful solutions for. This answer often causes the person asking to look confused, and quickly divert away from this otherwise conversational safe space. To me, this interaction highlights the level of comfort people gain from being able to answer this question, and being able to understand the answers given by others. It is this very desire which is at the core of my project. More specifically, how we can deal with not having an answer.

Firstly let me explain why I’ve been thinking about this at all.

The project began with a problem which I’ve seen bubbling up in culture lately. Having become accustomed to the benefits of modern technology in our everyday interactions, we have started to ask bigger questions of its influence on our society. One in particular that grabs me is: what will the future of work look like when automation increases?

You may be thinking, is this a problem? But as productivity by automation increases, more can be done by less people, which could mean a dramatic decrease in the need for human workers, and therefore less jobs for us humans.

The Post-Work World

This idea of a world with less, or no, work is referred to as the post-work world — an interesting and complex subject that I won’t be diving too deeply into here (though if you’re interested in this subject I recommend reading ‘The Wealth of Humans’ by Ryan Avent, or The Guardian article ‘Post-work: the radical idea of a world without jobs’ by Andy Beckett). Instead, I’ll be focusing on one challenge which I see becoming more prevalent as this world starts to form. A challenge that is already faced by many today: redundancy.

Redundancy

This transition from employment to unemployment is a situation where the question ‘What do you do?’ is both practically and emotionally difficult to answer.

The word ‘redundancy’ has many negative connotations, mainly fuelled by the large emotional impact it has on individuals. In my research I have spoken to people who have been thrown into financial insecurity, their known day-to-day routines lost and replaced with a monotonous, de-motivating online job hunt, where low levels of feedback lead to a huge decline in self confidence and self worth.

That’s not the case for all, though. For some people, redundancy offers an opportunity to change careers, take time out, reflect on their life, or transition into an early retirement. For everyone however, it is the practical problems which take priority, such as paying bills and buying food. As Maslow’s hierarchy of needs shows us, people need to eat.

Key Human Qualities

Let’s not forget, a key human trait is our ability to see the bigger picture, foresee future problems, and to creatively, consciously and collectively adapt. This is a human quality, still out of reach of automation, and one I believe we will start to lean on more and more in the post-work world. It’s a sentiment I feel is echoed in the following statement made by Professor Peter McOwen, the Vice Principal of Queen Mary University of London, during last year’s Artificial Intelligence Committee, to the House of Lord’s Select Committee.

‘The one thing we can be certain of is uncertainty in the future jobs market, and that is not just necessarily due to artificial intelligence or [other technologies]… it is flexibility, those transferable skills, those abilities to reason and to be entrepreneurial [which are important]’

What Does This All Mean?

Now, in the context of redundancy, I believe this means we need to find a way to curb the knee-jerk reaction of jumping back into ‘any’ job. Instead, we need to learn how to become comfortable in this transition, take the time to understand it and ourselves better. Then we can develop ways to take control of the situation and increase our chances of finding the next step to suit us.

This is the subject I aim to look into, and aim to create an organisation around. To do so, I hope to learn more from the people that face the challenges caused by redundancy and unemployment, and then work with them to imagine, test and create solutions which all will have access to. If you’re interested in getting involved, or have stories to share, please do get in touch.

Email: adotellison@gmail.com

Website: adamellison.co.uk/redundancy/

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Illustration by Jamie Jones

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