Maybe these are the words some people will hear in 10 or 20 years if they try to apply for the jobs we see all around us today. IT development and globalization will take many of these positions off the market. We have made a list of the careers most likely to disappear and what lies behind it.
Cashier
More and more retailing is happening online or with self-service payments. Huge businesses are in a race to reduce prices, and staff cuts are one of the ways to do so. Now we pay using banking cards. Statistics from the European Central Bank Report for 2015 declare that 46% of all payments are made using cards, adding up to €27.2 trillion (i.e. 71% of the EU total). And these numbers continue to grow year by year.
We face self-service cash desks in grocery supermarkets (for example Tesco), in Restaurants (for example McDonalds); and Public Transportation, Taxis, and Buses don’t require cash payments.
Retail Jobs, News, and Street Vendors
And the rush to reduce expenditures also affects retail staffing. The number of consultants, sellers, and client managers will also go down. It began when the era of supermarkets started to develop. More and more businesses across the world will suggest that you self-service during shopping.
Also, the amount of full self-service shops continues to grow. Vending Machines, In-line Shops with Out-Posts or door-to-door deliveries are the killers of the retail labor market. For example, in the UK digital commerce made up 30% of the economy in 2015; and in Japan, 97% of internet users shop online. Amazon, E-bay, Ali Express – sell everything you need and can deliver anywhere, 24-7-365.
Postal and other Delivery Carriers
The invention of just two technologies is to change the world as we know it now: self-driving cars and drones. Ten years ago this was a science fiction story, but now it is about to be a reality. It saves time and money. Car and truck drivers and delivery carriers will not be needed anymore.
One of the first companies to implement these technologies was Amazon, and the numbers speak for themselves. Drone delivery costs $1.00, and it takes 30 minutes for goods to be ready to use once you have paid for them. Sometimes it is faster and cheaper than going to a regular store (and the prices are usually lower). For example, usual express delivery takes from 2 hours to 2 days and costs $7 – $20. The first legal delivery in the United States via drone took place on July 17, 2015.
The next step is self-driving trucks. Google has applied for a patent for this invention and is a leader in the field. “The patent explains that the truck would use a combination of sensors such as radar, video cameras, and range-finding lasers to see the road and traffic around it. Customers could request a delivery, choose the method they want for unlocking the secure compartment, and even be notified by text when the truck is close to arrival.”
Journalists
Internet coverage and the ability to be not only a user but a creator of content will take journalists out of the news field. If we analyze where people get the news and information they need – the answer is social media. Facebook, Twitter even Instagram – are not resources just for chatting with friends. They are a platform for spreading any kind of information, including official announcements.
Most of the Politicians, Companies, Celebrities, and Information Agencies broadcast news in social media. It’s faster and cheaper, and offers wider coverage. The journalist as an intermediary isn’t required now. Every user can be and is a newsmaker. Use the hashtags for publishing and use it for search – this is how journalism works nowadays.
Travel Agents
Technology has made it easier to book everything you need for your trip by yourself without paying for agent services. We book flights online, we book hotels, apartments and hostels online (and you can even get free accommodation with many websites), and we buy travel insurance online. It’s easier, faster, cheaper, and offers a broader selection. So travel agencies and tour operators are not on a rising tide anymore.
Librarians
E-books and online access to libraries are the main reasons we may not interact with librarians in 10 years. With every passing month, more and more books are converted to digital versions; and lots of resources provide remote access to data stored in libraries, not ones around the corner but anywhere in a world.
Flight Attendant
Low-cost airlines – a new trend in air travel for the price of a bus ticket. But these low prices don’t come so easily, airlines cancel many services, and attendants on the airplane don’t do anything but address security issues during the flight. So staffing is falling along with the list of services provided on board.
Taxi Dispatcher
The emergence of Uber and other services where you don’t need a person who finds you a cab is making taxi dispatchers obsolete. Why call an operator when you can set a pick up point and destination exactly with a pin on the map, choose a driver you like, a car you want, and all the other characteristics of your trip. We all remember times when you had to call a taxi in a loud place and literally scream into the phone to be sure that the taxi would pick you up at the correct address. And this has now turned into a few clicks on a website and a few taps on your smartphone. There is no place anymore for a taxi dispatcher.
This article was originally published in Youth Time print edition, 35th issue. Click here to check the content of the issue, subscribe here.
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