Vanishing Jobs: The Rise and Fall of Jobs We Once Needed

vanishing jobs

Every “futurist” and analyst worth their salt has long been predicting which jobs will become obsolete thanks to our robot overlords / AI.  Sure, we may be OK with seeing telemarketing jobs go away but there are other jobs we will miss if they become obsolete thanks to technology.

I always though the job of “Travel Agent” was alluringly glamourous…exotic even.  Toula (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”), after all, went back to school at night to “learn computers” …and then started working at Aunt Voula’s travel agency where she re-connected with Ian and thus, eventually, had the wedding from which the movie draws its name.  

Interestingly, while the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted the continuing decline of travel agent employment (a decrease of 9% between 2016 and 2026), there is now a prediction of growth in the profession as travel agents become more specialized, home-based, and work as independent contractors.

Huh.

But, in any event, jobs and occupations come and go. For any variety of reasons.  I went down an internet rabbit hole last night reading about obsolete jobs. A few favorites:

  • Leech Collector – These folks collected leeches, in bogs and marshes, by getting them to gather on either the legs of an old horse or onto the collectors’ own legs. After the leeches had sucked enough blood, the collector would disengage them and collect them in a jar to be sold to medical practitioners. Declined by mid 19th century due to over-harvesting and exporting of leeches.

  • Cigar Factory Lector (Reader) – With an origin in Cuba, lectores were paid for by unions or by workers pooling their money and the workers would chose the reading material. The role of the lector was to keep workers entertained by reading books and/or newspaper aloud. Discontinued in the US in 1931 after the Ybor City cigar makers’ strike.

Then, of course, there are some jobs that are still (barely? maybe? sort of?) hanging on but in vastly different ways than they existed 10 – 20 years ago:

  • Photo Developer – Someone somewhere is still doing this; the drug store chains down the street from me all still have “photo departments.”  It would be fascinating to know the volume of business they get!

  • Check Processor – There used to be whole departments with rows of folks just doing this job.

  • Yellow Pages Delivery Person – I feel like I got a Yellow Pages delivered within the last two years – certainly post-Covid – so these folks are still around in some capacity.

  • Television Repair – we are so used to tossing away and buying new (and let’s face it, the cost of many electronics has gone down enough to allow us to do that) but there are still folks that want to get a good old-fashioned CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) TV repaired. There is one (and I think just ONE) shop in my city and rumor is they are so busy it takes months to get something repaired.

The graveyard of obsolete jobs is a solid measure of human progress. Every gig that’s bitten the dust – elevator operator, switchboard operator, human alarm clock (yes, that was a thing) – got the boot because we found a better, faster, or less soul-sucking way to do it. And that’s a win.

Technology absolutely shuffles the cards in the job deck. But while we’re sending some jobs to the dustbin of history, we are also creating new roles that (ideally) let us spend less time on the mind-numbing and more time on the enjoyable.  

Now to adequately prepare our future workforce…

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The Cult of HR Self-Importance: Why We Need to Get Over Ourselves

HR self-importance

I’m going to go out on a limb here and postulate that most of us want the work that we do (our job/career) to “matter” in some way, shape, or form.  This holds true whether one is a Obstetrician bringing babies into the world or a Clerk in the city’s police department with responsibilities for collecting fees generated by traffic cams.  

This desire to have our work “matter” in some way has become conflated, however, with the need for work to be “meaningful.” Or “impactful”. We attempt to ascribe significance to the work we do that, more often than not, FAR exceeds its impact in the world.

Peruse the agenda for any HR conference or event – from the local SHRM chapter’s monthly meeting topic for a group of 50 to global events with keynotes for thousands upon thousands of attendees – and you will note the ridiculous pretentiousness (and preciousness) of it all.  HR is forever building, transforming, and re-imagining. Not to mention empowering, disrupting, and forever (apparently) “unlocking” the mysteries of everything.  

How incredibly full of ourselves can we be?

We tell ourselves we’re creating meaning at work, but in reality, we’re often just engaging in glorified administrative tasks with fancier job titles. It’s hard to feel like a purpose-driven change agent when you’re resetting someone’s password for the fifth time this month or answering yet another Slack message that could have been resolved with a quick Google search. But we can’t just admit that, can we? No. We must make everything seem grand, sweeping, and vital to the very fabric of society. We must be architects of “The Future of Work” and stewards of “Human Capital Evolution.”

And fittingly (it’s as if Alanis Morrisette was sitting in the back seat singing), just as their respective teams were getting ready to set up their booths (flashy HR conference, Expo Hall with booths kitty-corner from each other) the Rippling/Deel lawsuit news dropped. This story has it all – from tortious interference to racketeering!! It also, quite excitingly, features the story of how Rippling set up a “honeypot” to catch the alleged offender in action.  This is like an episode of The Americans – only it’s HR!  

No wonder we develop these illusions of grandeur.

Meanwhile, out in the real world, the US is rapidly careening into autocracy as we watch destruction of the American experiment in real time. I’m willing to bet we don’t make it in one piece to next year’s celebration of 250 years since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Yet, here we are. Continuing to talk about shit like whether our engagement surveys are adequately measuring belonging. Encouraging employees to embrace their “whole selves” at work while simultaneously tightening policies around acceptable Zoom backgrounds. Because that is what will save the workforce. This nonsense is what will keep civilization from crumbling. Right.

Maybe it’s time to admit that our work is just work. It doesn’t need to be a calling, a mission, or a spiritual journey. Maybe, just maybe, it’s okay to stop this self-congratulatory verbal masturbation around the HR profession.

I myself am taking a deep breath, stepping off the “HR self-importance soapbox”, and vowing to never use words like build, transform or re-imagine in a session title, a podcast episode, or a blog post ever again. (talk about fucking pretentious – ha!)

Work is just work – let’s stop pretending it’s a spiritual calling.

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Writing for HR: Why the Pen is Still Mighty

writing for HR

Circa 2009 I started writing HR content. Although, let’s face it, not a single soul used the term “content” – a word that now makes me want to barf (“I’m Susie and I’m a Content Creator!”).  So most assuredly not “content” – it was just writing.

I started by contributing “guest posts” on friend’s HR blogs before launching my own site – and an archived version of the original HR Schoolhouse is still floating around out there in the web-o-sphere. There was self-hosting, name changes, a loss of a few years of posts(due to the switching around of hosts), but I’m happy to have kept it alive now for 15 years.

I certainly don’t write as much as I used to; back in the glory days of HR blogging I churned out 2 – 3 posts per week. But I’m getting back in the swing of things.

And I find that the same things that compelled me to write circa 2009 are the things that keep me writing today:

  • writing allows me to organize my thoughts
  • presenting a persuasive argument (or making a point!) requires me to be clear and concise
  • the very act of writing, on a topic which I may not have my thoughts fully formed, often forces me to educate myself and, potentially, form an opinion
  • writing regularly is akin to creating a time capsule for my life; I can quickly be reminded of what I was doing or thinking at a particular moment in time
  • I enjoy the deliberative moments and flights of fancy when I think about  the  “nonsense” we encounter in the world of work

And now, in the year 2025, I realize there are some additional reasons why writing is appealing:

  • the world is falling apart (hyperbole? I’m not so sure…) and writing in solitude provides me with a way to “center” myself
  • it’s my way of battling the ridiculous and never ceasing continuation of “thought leadership” articles and/or LI posts that are merely contracted writing passed off as being from the minds/pens of Susie CEO or Bob HR Chief
  • I want to fight against the AI generated crap passed off on site after site as being written by a human
  • I want to ensure my personal vow – and forever crusade – to NEVER write a post entitled “6 Ways to Do XXX…” stays intact

But to tell the truth, it’s even more than that – and this is certainly not unique to the HR profession/field.

I have long found it both amusing and curious that there are folks who run around seeking out (desperately seeking out!) the moniker “influencers.”  Styling up a personal “brand” and then, through sheer force of will, scrabbling for industry celebrity status where worth is seemingly measured by engagement metrics on Linked posts, number of YouTube views, and ever-increasing newsletter subscribers.

In the days when everyone, seemingly, has a podcast or LinkedIn/YouTube show, the need to stand out and differentiate oneself is fascinating to observe from afar.  OK; maybe I’m not one to talk since the Drive Thru HR podcast is out there and still going strong after 15 years and close to 1,700 episodes. But at least our longevity – and lack of monetization – speaks to doing it well before it was cool.

Am I shaking my fist at the sky and lamenting the youngsters? No; it’s not that at all. I love that we have choices and variety and new and exciting voices. I think it’s spectacular that there are multiple places for HR folks to have interesting conversations and be provoked by fresh and hot new takes. We need that – every profession needs that. There are some super communities and collectives and gathering places out there where people are connecting and learning from each other.

It’s just, I dunno, somewhat comical that people who have spent a hot minute*** working in or around HR have decided to brand themselves as “experts” and strive to become HR famous. Is this what they truly see as their entre to all the riches and accolades that are showered on us?  Can someone who has never had to deal with an employee feces or masturbation issue really call themselves an HR “expert” in the first place?    (*** hot minute defined as anywhere from 6 – 24 months).

So I guess, if I’m being honest, I write to keep my hand in the game. I write to keep my voice and my thoughts out there. Probably, if I’m really being honest, it’s because I want to remind folks who mill about in and amongst and around the HR industry that I’m still here.  And still relevant.

I guess my rallying cry it to bring back the written word:  real, actual-baby-Jesus-approved writing. Not AI generated “content” designed to get engagement on LinkedIn posts. Not hot takes on TikTok.

HR bloggers unite!

Help Wanted: A Review

Help Wanted: A Novel

HR folks spend their days navigating sexy stuff like organizational policies, metrics, performance reviews and trying to understand AI. But what they should do – and the “care of whom” where they should focus their time – is people.

I recently read Help Wanted: A Novel by Adelle Waldman – a compelling, funny, sad, and deeply insightful novel about the humanity behind every employee’s ID number or nestled alongside the badge they use to clock-in when they start their shift.

This is not a “business book” – not sure I’ve read one of those in quite some time. Rather, it’s a story about human beings in all their messy glory – complete with their quirks, fears, ambitions, dreams and personal struggles. Set in a large chain “big box” store called Town Square (I kept debating with myself whether it was WalMart or Target) in upstate NY, the book is about the lives of staff members, working the early shift. These members of Team Movement empty the trucks, organize the merchandise, stock the shelves, and head out (often to a 2nd job) before the store opens for the day. There is also, obviously, a “Corporate” office filled with various and assorted Vice Presidents and decision makers who, with a hastily typed email, can drastically alter the lives of every employee at location #1512.

Oh, and, naturally, all the employees at Town Square (except managers) have been reduced to part time so as to ensure they remain ineligible for benefits. Of course.

THIS is the kind of book that HR professionals (and business owners and leaders) should devour. Not only is there some good and highly relatable storytelling, there are also critical lessons about how we work with each other in the workplace…and some of the self-inflicted wounds we give ourselves.  This was truly one of my favorite workplace/HR reads since Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber. (another book I recommend over and over again to HR folks).  

Why should you read Help Wanted?

When we put on our HR hats (or cardigans and pearls) and slip into HR-mode at work, we often default to looking at employees through the lens of processes and systems: Why are retention rates dropping? How can we create better career pathways? What benefits program will ensure engagement? What can I put on my scorecard to share with the C-Suite? Blah Blah blah.

But what Waldman so beautifully illustrates is that employees are complex, messy, and gloriously human. They are so much more than engagement scores or flight-risk metrics. They are individuals whose motivations, relationships, and histories shape their decisions in ways we will NEVER (ever) be able to fully predict or control.

The book forces us to step back and remember that our work isn’t about crafting the perfect initiative or, God help us – the perfect “HR program”. Rather, we should think about how we can understand and support people in their imperfect and multifaceted lives.  

My Top Takeaways

Misguided Corporate Initiatives: Fixing Symptoms, Not Systems

Throughout the book, we see characters struggle in workplaces designed with good intentions but flawed execution. It’s a stark reminder of how often organizations focus on the symptoms of a problem – like low morale or high turnover – without addressing the systemic issues driving them.

How do we fix this? First of all make sure we’re actually listening to employees – about HOW to do the work or WHAT conditions are satisfiers vs. de-motivator –  rather than simply assuming we know what they need or want. (We’re super good at those assumptions).

The Personal Nature of Work Decisions

One of the “themes” I picked up on in Help Wanted is the realization that no matter how much “data” we collect, we’ll never ever EVER fully understand why people stay at or leave a job. For some, it’s about ambition; for others, it’s about a sense of belonging. For many, it’s deeply personal: a manager’s dismissive comment, a feeling of stagnation, or a need for something more.

Sure…we should strive to understand pattens and trends. But we also need to realize that individual employees make highly personal decisions …and they will never ever EVER vocalize them to you. And all the programs and surveys and data aggregators in the world will never be able to account for this variability.

Humanity and Empathy as a Core Leadership Competency

And you know what? I was struck when reading this book, how deeply I cared about these characters. I was super invested in their struggles, missteps, decisions and triumphs.

In that respect, the book was a bit like a mirror – reflecting the humanity that we often overlook in the REAL corporate/HR world. Why do we often forget, in real-life workplaces, that every individual is a world unto themselves – with a constellation of experiences, values, and needs that influence their work lives?

As HR professionals, it’s our job to honor their humanity. Not to fix it, control it, or even to fully understand it. Rather, it’s about creating environments where humanness can thrive.

If we want to build better workplaces, maybe we have to start by seeing the people in them – not just the skills they bring or the roles they fill. Are we designing workplaces for policies … or for people?

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