Living in a digital era means a substantial number of jobs have lost their relevance. Tasks that were once performed by humans are now being achieved easily and quickly through technology.
It is scary to think that one could study to become something only for that particular field to go extinct.
But do not panic, it is going to take some time for some of these jobs to disappear completely, which should give young people enough time to look at their options before being replaced by a robot.
Here are some jobs that may not exist in the future:
Print industry/Journalists
As much as writing will always have its place in the world, print media may not survive the digital era. With more and more people consuming information online, it is rendering print media irrelevant.
People are grabbing their mobile devices to read the news, it is easier and cheaper because in most cases news is free online.
Journalists are also in trouble because citizen journalism is taking over.
So before heading to journalism school, think carefully because even though digital media is growing rapidly and may keep journalism alive it is also opening up space for just about anyone that can string a sentence together to call themselves news ‘reporters’.
Bank Tellers
Digital banks have already started taking over with the launch of Tymebank – a completely digital bank – in South Africa. Banks like FNB, Capitec, Absa and Standard bank are also embracing the digital era with open arms.
Due to that though, some of these banks have had to let go of staff because their roles were now being performed by artificial intelligence technology.
Uber drivers
With technology progressing at an unbelievable rate it is no wonder that cars will soon be entirely able to drive themselves. Such autonomous cars already exist but reportedly they have not reached the level of not requiring human assistance in some way.
So taxi or uber drivers can relax for now, it is going to take a while for fully autonomous cars to be a thing, and it will probably take even longer for people to trust that technology.
Travel agents
With people being able to compare and book flights online and travel packages being only a click away, the need to visit a travel agency seems a bit old fashioned.
As much as some people love human assistance, they might not be able to afford to pay for a service they can do for themselves, which means travel agents might be in trouble.
Librarians
Libraries might be making a comeback with millennial’s making them trendy again but librarians are still in danger of becoming extinct.
With the rise of E-books, libraries have suffered, and it is costing a lot to keep libraries open when most people are not even using them. In Durban alone it has been reported that about seven libraries face closure due to lease issues.
Even though our need for information will always exist, how we want to consume the information will determine whether libraries and librarians survive the digital era.
Alternative options
Even though the future seems a bit bleak for some, there are other options that people can consider, jobs that may not be affected by the digital era.
Here are some to consider:
Jobs that require your creativity
Creativity is a unique skill for each person and jobs that require one to be creative may last a very long time. These jobs may include, artists, scientists and designers.
Jobs that require human relationships
Jobs that require you to assist people like for example with their health, so doctors, surgeons, therapists and so fourth will most probably always have their place in the world.
A career in technology
If you can’t beat them, join them right? So maybe look into jobs that are in demand in the technology sector. Web developers, software developers, IT managers and so forth seem like a good bet.
