5 Dying Jobs You Can Convert Into A New Career

While a doctor seems like a job that will stay important into perpetuity, other professions are not so lucky. Lamplighters, bowling alley pinsetters, and ice cutters are a few examples of tasks that no longer exist, and that list is sure to grow as technology takes over.

If you find yourself in a job that’s set to be phased out soon, know that it’s not the end of the world. You have specific skills that you use to do that job, and those skills can be transferred to something else.

Here are some examples of dying jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that can lead to other forms of employment:

1. Executive Assistants

This position is expected to decline in demand over the next ten years. At the same time, similar positions are expected to experience job growth. In other words, losing your executive assistant post could lead to something better.

You could become a billing or posting clerk. You could also become a legal assistant or paralegal, as all of these posts will need to be filled to meet their growing demand.

2. Mail Carriers

Have you noticed fewer letters in your mailbox? As companies transition to online billing, you’ll see even less physical mail in the years to come, provided you don’t order from Amazon daily.

While Amazon will almost inevitably grow, fewer letters and similar mailbox clutter will lead to a decline in postal service carriers.

The good news in this realm is that similar jobs will grow. Examples are messengers and couriers, plus delivery drivers.

3. Bank Tellers

Online banking makes financial transactions more convenient for consumers. On the flip side, the move to online banking lessens the need for in-person bank tellers.

If you are currently a bank teller who’s worried about the future, you could transition into work as an information clerk or receptionist. Both carry similar average salaries than tellers and are expected to grow steadily over the next ten years.

You could also work as a health information technician or in medical records. While those jobs are in a different field, they require similar skill sets and come with an average pay that’s around $10,000 higher than tellers.

4. Typists

Typing is a skill that translates across many industries, so if you’re a typist or word processor, don’t fret. Yes, those jobs are expected to experience a deep decline in demand, but the skills can still translate into other work with similar pay.

Become an insurance claims clerk, or look into medical records jobs. Both will need workers in the coming years, so keep an eye out.

5. Travel Agents

The Internet makes it incredibly easy to book hotels, flights, and other travel-related services. As such, being a travel agent in the near future isn’t ideal in terms of job security.

While you may not help people book trips anymore, you can use your travel agent skills for two higher-paying jobs: loan officer and customs broker. Both will see growth in the next decade, and you can nearly double your travel agent income with either post.