How the World Works Now

Disaggregation. Things Fall Apart.

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/12/design_your_own_profession.html

Thoughtful post, and a handful of comments thus far, on the new shape of jobs, employment, and the workplace. 

Sources of change: technology, shifts in the economy, downsizing ("we don't need Harry to work here anymore, so Tom and Dick are now responsible for his work... Oops, Tom--sorry, you're laid off. Looks like Dick is now doing the work of three people, for one paycheck.")

For some people, that means that what used to be a fulltime job is now a part-time "consultancy." That's a fancy term that means you don't get health benefits, and you're responsible for paying taxes quarterly because you are now "self-employed."

On the flip side, this author describes a way you can use this fracturing and falling apart to your own advantage.  It strikes me as a bit difficult; it's hard to identify what a company needs, design your own job, and then convince them to hire you. But it does suggest ways you can work from within if you've landed a temp job or a bottom-rung job. It also seems like a good trend to keep in mind when you do land a job--keep moving, keep making yourself valuable to the organization.