How to survive and thrive in the new economy

Thomas Friedman, in his best-seller The World is Flat, talks about the "untouchables" -- people whose jobs will not be outsourced or automated or digitized (captured in the form of expert systems online or semi-automatic diagnostic software tools).

These untouchables can be summarized by the 4 S (this is my invention, not Friedman's):

1. Special talent (Bill Gates, Barbra Streisand, Michael Jordan, etc.)
2. Specialized professionals (surgeons, attorneys, etc.)
3. Site-specific (hairstylists, massage therapists, nurses, etc.) or system-specific (civil servants)
4. Self-learners and serial skillers (people who learn fast and adapt quickly to new conditions)

If you're in categories 3 or 4, your job might be relatively safe; however, it is likely that you won't be paid a lot. That's because of the low leverage potential.

For instance, workers in category 3 can only serve people one at a time. Workers in category 4 don't build a valuable base of knowledge or core competencies, since they are too busy learning new skills demanded by new market conditions.

People in categories 1 and 2 have more chances of being successful in the long term.