With rapid technological advancements, the job market is evolving, and some once-profitable careers are now fading away. As these changes continue, here are some jobs that, despite their past success, are now nearing the end of their relevance.
Postal Service Workers
In the old days, postal service workers enjoyed stable employment delivering mail and packages, and without them, society would crumble. Sadly, the rise of email, instant messaging, and digital documents has greatly reduced the volume of physical mail. As a result, the need for postal workers has significantly declined.
Bookkeepers
The financial records of businesses were once handled manually by bookkeepers, and it was a lucrative job to have. Unfortunately, today’s advanced accounting software and automated systems have completely replaced them, with even the smallest businesses handling their own finances with automated apps and software.
Bank Tellers
Young adults these days have likely never even heard of bank tellers, a career that is now almost nonexistent. Bank tellers handled in-person transactions and customer service at bank branches, but with most physical bank branches shutting down due to online banking, they’re now very rare to see.
Travel Agents
In the past, travel agents made huge business planning trips for other people. These days, that’s just not necessary; the rise of online booking platforms has made booking your own trips much more accessible, with TravelPerk pointing out that this has been met by immense losses for traditional travel agencies.
Newspaper Reporters
If you were running a news firm decades ago, this was only made possible with newspaper reports. However, digital news and social media have drastically cut into traditional newspaper circulation, a shift that has led to significant downsizing in the newspaper industry, impacting reporters’ job security.
Typists
Businesses once depended on typists, who would transcribe important conversations and legal cases into documents. Nowadays, computer automation and, most notably, voice recognition software have rendered this skill totally unnecessary, leading typists to find alternative ways to make use of their rapid typing.
Factory Workers
The manufacturing industry once relied on factory workers, but not anymore. Automation and outsourcing have drastically changed production processes, with many manufacturing jobs either being replaced by machines or moved to countries with cheaper labor costs. Unfortunately, any remaining jobs are certain to disappear within the next decade.
Data Entry Clerks
As with other jobs on this list, automated software has destroyed the careers of data entry clerks. Inputting complex information into computer systems was once a lucrative skill, but advances in data capture technology and artificial intelligence have streamlined this process, greatly reducing their spending on data entry clerks.
Film Projectionists
Movie enthusiasts once dreamed of becoming film projectionists, a lucrative job handling movie screenings in theaters. However, the shift to digital cinema has removed the need for manual film handling; now, everything can be handled automatically in a playlist, and there’s far less maintenance required.
Switchboard Operators
Another lucrative job that Gen Z has never even heard of was switchboard operators. These workers managed phone call routing for businesses and organizations, and you’d have to speak to one manually to make a phone call. This seems archaic in today’s age of simple phone calls and voice messages.
Telemarketers
If you wanted to purchase a specialized item in the early 2000s, you’d deal with telemarketers who once had a strong sales and marketing presence. However, the increasing use of automated calls and shifting consumer preferences towards online mediums have led many telemarketers to lose their jobs.
Watch Repairers
Back in the day, we used to fix anything that broke, including watches. This meant that watch repairers were in high demand, especially considering their intricate process. Unfortunately, digital and smartwatches have ruined their business, and even those who do wear regular watches tend to replace them rather than repair them.
Photo Lab Technicians
The kids of today would be shocked to learn that photo lab technicians once developed and processed film photographs. Nowadays, everyone has instant access to photographs on their smartphone, so photo lab technicians are almost completely obsolete, except in some highly niche photography industries.
Librarians
It’s a sad fact that librarians aren’t needed these days. These wise employees would manage collections of books and resources in libraries, helping you find the information you need. The internet and digital media enable us to access information online easily, so the services of librarians just aren’t necessary.
DJs
When you visited a disco or club in the past, DJs were in charge of the music, and the night wouldn’t have been the same without them. They were paid handsomely for their services, but nowadays, many venues just use streaming platforms or playlists, making DJing a dying career.
Insurance Underwriters
The complexities of insurance law and risk assessment were once handled by human insurance underwriters, one of the most lucrative careers on this list. However, just as with other data-related jobs, automated underwriting systems and advanced algorithms now perform these tasks more efficiently, leaving underwriters jobless.
Lawyers
While there are still plenty of lawyers, algorithmic assistants and automated data software can rapidly analyze laws and cases, coming to legal decisions that are more thorough and fast than a lawyer could ever provide. Unfortunately, it’s only a matter of time until the career is no longer an option.
Embalmers
Burials used to be the preferred means of funeral, so embalmers were an essential part of the process. They prepared bodies for open-casket funerals, applying makeup and applying treatment processes. Nowadays, funeral practices and preferences have switched toward cremation, greatly reducing the demand for embalming services.
Radio Operators
It’s sad that radio is no longer as big a thing as we used to love it. It’s been completely taken over by streaming platforms and podcasts, and sadly, this has reduced the need for radio operators greatly. They still exist, but it might not be long until they’re gone.
Programmers
You’ll be shocked to learn that programming, a skill that has been taught to be on the cutting edge of career paths, won’t be needed soon. AI models have been trained to produce customized code in seconds, so while the world still depends on programmers, this won’t last long.