In the future, work will be transparent, flat, competitive, and on demand. In a growing number of industries, who you are and where you come from will not matter. Most important will be what you know and the unique set of skills that you bring to the table. Competition will be fierce because individuals in the knowledge economy are not geographically constrained. And in a flat world, every individual has the tools to compete.

We can spend our time fighting the new paradigm, or we can figure out how to educate ourselves so that we will thrive in this new world, instead being left behind. Check out this video created by oDesk. Yes, it’s an advertisement, but it paints an accurate picture for the future.