[Jude DSouza] I recently met a smart Gen-Z young man, who, during the course of our conversation, asked me which careers or jobs are likely to disappear or become obsolete over the next 10 years. I have no crystal ball, but, given the interesting times we are living in, where technology is accelerating change every day, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to realize that there will be many jobs that will be automated and/or rendered obsolete over the next decade.
Some of these jobs, which are already facing rapid declines in demand, include
Bank Tellers – given the advancement of online and phone banking
Cashiers – given the development of contactless and cashless payment systems
Factory Workers – automation and robotics is already disrupting this field
Legal Assistants – given the digitization of legal case history and legal solutions
Librarians – given the availability of digital libraries at our fingertips
Mail Carriers – given the advancement of sophisticated drones
Real Estate Agents – given the easy availability and accessibility of apps and websites that help you check homes, amenities, school systems, locations, etc
Telemarketers – while most people may be pleased with this one, the replacement automated sales calls will be even more annoying
Travel Agents – given the availability of many travel apps and easy to use travel websites
Truck and Taxi Drivers – given the advancement of driverless technology
There are many more jobs that may also disappear, which I have not listed or may have missed and I welcome additions/inputs.
My goal here is not to depress you (if you or your loved ones are in any of these industries). It is just to get you thinking, so that you can take appropriate steps, to be on the forefront of a new world with new opportunities. Also, many of these jobs are likely to be redefined as opposed to eliminated, with skills that can be transferable to other roles. A willingness to change will be an important, if not essential attribute, in the future job market. To quote Albert Einstein, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change”. That said, it’s not all bad news. A report by tech giant Dell said that 85% of the jobs that will be available in 2030 have not been invented yet.