Jobs to Disappear in 2012

With all of the emerging technology entering the workplace these days, it is no surprise that some occupations that were once on the rise are now suffering from the technology surge. A CBS News article by Louise Tutelian published at the end of the year 2011, emphasizes 10 specific jobs that may begin to disappear in the coming months of 2012. The 10 jobs were pinpointed because it may come as a surprise that some of the positions will begin to wane this year.  Some of the jobs the article mentions may not exactly disappear per se, but the outlook for them is so melancholic that finding a job will be next to impossible. The top 5 jobs that the article mentions will disappear are:

·         Judge – The author of the article feels that judges and magistrate jobs will begin to diminish due largely to budget cuts. Additionally, since judges serve long tenures, there will be low chance of promotions for lower level positions to judges in the legal system.

·         Fashion designer – The amount of fashion designers may decrease because there are already enough designers in the world for the industry to function. The world just does not feel the need for multiple Donna Karan’s and anymore Donatella Versace’s.

·         Insurance underwriter – The insurance industry is not quite doing as well as it used to be and insurance underwriters are suffering. New software is another reason as to why the careers of insurance underwriters are being overlooked.

·         Travel agent – For travel agents, job outlooks are not so bright. Websites such as Travelocity.com and Expedia.com have decreased the need for travel agents. Consumers are doing their own travel planning and “the number of traditional travel agencies has been sliced in half.”

·         Newspaper reporter – The Internet is causing print industry jobs to lessen at an alarming rate. “According to the BLS, a whopping 4,400 jobs will disappear by 2018.”

Unfortunately, these findings can certainly discourage college students from pursuing their dreams. For instance, I have come across many students that long to become a fashion designer one day, however with such a dim job outlook, this type of aspiration may never become a reality. Although these results are somewhat disappointing, college students, this is what it is going to be like in the “real world”. My advice is to be knowledgeable and prepared when it comes to your respective industry and career ambitions.

Shayla Frinks

Career Educator