Will Twinkies outlive travel agents? Does soy sauce have a longer shelf life than the social media manager?
According to The Job Network‘s list of jobs that won’t exist in 2030, some of the foods in your pantry have a better shot at being viable in a few years.
Whether you’re entering the workforce or considering a career change, it’s smart to research the outlook for each job, just like you’d check a food’s expiration date. It might be just as shocking as the actual shelf life of some of your favorite foods.
Social Media Manager
Social media manager made the list not because social media is going away but because we’re all becoming social media managers. The Job Network points out that while some jobs may still exist in some form in 2030, they likely will have different titles and involve skill sets never required by positions of the past. And with the proliferation of social media, it’s likely that social media job titles will evolve entirely, and other jobs will absorb some of the duties of what today’s social media managers do.
Travel Agent
The foreboding predictions for travel agents result from the trend of empowered consumers booking their own travel through sites like TripAdvisor and Kayak, diminishing the need for assistance. But Skift, which covers the travel industry, reported that this trend may be turning around.
Research indicates more travelers are using agents than a few years ago. It happens at the same time that the industry’s seen agents move away from traditional storefront agencies to working as independent contractors. The industry, aware of its need to find tech-savvy new agents to replace its aging workforce and to address the closing of dedicated schools for travel agents, now offers online courses geared at people who may work as agents from home.
Travel agents who have survived often serve a niche — for example, one might specialize in booking adventure travel.
The American Society of Travel Agents also reports that millennials are more likely to use a travel agent than any demographic group for older travelers.
So if the trend is true, and if working from home and specializing in your favorite type of travel appeals to you, there may be a way to keep this job title alive.
Librarian
With digital downloads now available, libraries aren’t as popular as they once were. And that means local governments, schools and universities are struggling to fund and justify the expense of libraries – and librarians.
But before you throw the idea of a library science degree out the window, be aware that librarians are a scrappy bunch, fighting for their profession to stay alive. Now accustomed to hearing that the printed word is dying, they argue that the shift to digital mediums and digital technology opens a world of opportunities to information professionals.
And the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that employment of librarians is projected to grow 9 percent from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average for all occupations. According to the BLS website, : “Communities are increasingly turning to libraries for a variety of services and activities. Therefore, there will be a continuous need for librarians to manage libraries and help patrons find information.”
Also making the list were telemarketers, receptionists, cashiers, paperboys/papergirls and word processors. Before you write off one of these jobs, make sure you research it fully. You can start researching a job or career at PayScale’s Career Research Center.
Tell Us What You Think
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