If you find yourself lost in the transition from service in the military to the civilian world, there are a few things to keep in mind while searching for jobs. One of the most important is job security: Working for years in a specific industry does not guarantee that your position will even exist in the coming years. Yahoo! collected job data and came up with a list of the top 10 dead-end jobs, which we've compiled for you below.
Take a look to see whether you may need to change professions.
1. Social Media Expert
Social media is a hot-button item in the business world. Companies have been quick to understand and utilize the public relations power that Twitter, Facebook and other social websites can provide. This has given rise to the so-called social media expert position: an individual who stays on top of a company's social media presence.
However, this is due in part to a lack of general understanding and training. As time goes on, Yahoo! predicts that social media know-how will become increasingly ubiquitous to the point of being a basic requirement for many positions.
2. Taxi Dispatcher
While taxis themselves aren't yet in danger of going away, the way they're sent out may be. The rise of smartphones has given birth to a slew of apps designed to connect travelers with taxi cabs, making the time-honored dispatcher position obsolete. There's no clear deadline for this job, but it's very likely that as taxi companies get more high-tech, dispatchers will need to shift careers.
3. Toll-Booth Operator
If you live in a big city, you know that a lot of public transit systems are using relatively new methods of collecting fares. Most prevalent are digital passes for trains and buses, but this extends to bridges and anything requiring a toll booth. Commuters are usually offered the use of devices that can be scanned as they pass through a gate, bypassing the need for someone to sit in a booth and collect funds. It's very possible that within the next 10 years, these systems will become ubiquitous enough to remove the toll-booth operator position entirely.
4. Retail Cashier
The retail industry is always looking for new ways to sell products faster and easier. One trend meant to do so is the removal of cashiers. This is happening by implementing mobile and automated registers. In many outlets, employees are using handheld devices to ring up items and swipe cards rather than standing behind a bulky till. In others, the registers are so user friendly that customers can scan their own items and pay for them. It is very possible that your local, friendly ringer may not be performing the same job in about 10 years.
5. Word Processor/Typist
There was a time when word processing and typing were valued skills, but now they're commonplace in the working world. Because most jobs requiring a large volume of typing can be performed by just about anyone in an office, these positions are largely disappearing.
6. Switchboard Operator
The telecommunications industry is rapidly changing, thanks to the internet and cell phones. Switchboard operators used to ensure smooth communication across the country, but that job is being replaced by programs that automatically optimize a given system.
7. Photo Finisher
Touching up a photo once it's printed is becoming a vastly outdated art form. Programs such as Photoshop have provided photographers with a wide variety of very powerful tools to enhance pictures and even create unique standalone art.
8. Postal Worker
The sending of physical mail has declined drastically in the past few years. People simply don't need to send letters as often as they used to, thanks to numerous digital alternatives. As such, postal services are seeing decreased revenue and need to make cuts to their budget to survive. Unfortunately, this has resulted in the cutting of postal worker positions.
9. Video-Store Clerk
The internet has provided an unprecedented level of ease of access to all types of media, videos included. Major movie-rental companies are closing up shop, and it's still very rare to find storefronts selling or renting tapes or DVDs. While sites like Netflix and Hulu perfect their monetization methods, it's unlikely that clerks at video stores will retain their job in the coming years.
10. Print Journalist
The fate of print publications has been debated vehemently for the past few years, but Yahoo! is calling it: Print journalists need to move on. People can access the news more quickly and with greater ease by browsing the web. While the precise fate of this industry is still more or less in question, the trends cannot be ignored.
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