11 Once-Essential Job Skills That Are Now Obsolete

The workforce is always evolving, and it’s nothing new. Just like there is no longer a demand for human alarms or rat catchers — which once was a thing — certain skills like “proficient in fax machines” or “excellent at taking dictation” have also become obsolete over time. 

According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, 22% of workers' skills will be outdated by 2030. 

Here are 11 job skills that were once essential but are now as outdated as a Blockbuster membership card. 

Manually entering invoices, customer details, and endless spreadsheets used to be tedious but necessary work. Not anymore. 

A report from McKinsey & Company, a global consulting firm that advises businesses on economic trends and workforce shifts, found that 60% of occupations have at least 30% of their tasks that could be automated — and data entry is one of the first on the chopping block.

To this day, my accountant pulls out a ledger and starts jotting down numbers when working on my taxes. It drives me crazy because I know it can be done in a split second — but then again, what do I know? Freaking millennial. 

Anyhow, the bad news for accountants like mine: a study predicts that 56% of accounting jobs could be automated in the coming years. Softwares like QuickBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks now handle transaction categorization, bank reconciliations, and financial reporting without human input. 

Even the IRS is increasing its use of AI to streamline audits and fraud detection in ways that human accountants simply can’t match. 

Companies are swapping out human cold callers for AI that dials, pitches, and follows up faster — and never takes a coffee break, no matter how bad the morning shift is. Chatbots and automated sales systems can engage leads 24/7, never get discouraged, and don’t expect commissions. 

Self-checkout kiosks and mobile payment apps are replacing human cashiers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, cashier jobs are expected to decline by 10% over the next decade as more retailers shift to automation to cut costs and speed up transactions. But let’s see a self-checkout notice your new haircut, or tell you how much your baby has grown.

Basic programming skills — like writing simple code for websites or repetitive coding tasks — are being automated. AI coding assistants like GitHub Copilot now generate entire blocks of code with minimal human input. Studies suggest AI-driven code generation could cut programming time by 50%. 

Being able to type 80+ words per minute was — and still is — a brag-worthy skill.But listing it on your résumé no longer holds the same weight. 

With AI, voice-to-text, and autocomplete handling most of the typing workload, speed on a keyboard isn’t the career boost it used to be. Unless you’re entering a typing competition, it’s probably not the skill that’s going to land you the job.

Administrative assistants and secretaries once needed shorthand skills to transcribe meetings and dictations quickly. Now, voice-to-text software does the job instantly. A Deloitte study found that 75% of businesses have adopted some form of AI transcription. 

Fax machines were once the bridge between businesses — literally screaming at each other through a phone line. Now, email, PDFs, and e-signatures have made faxing about as relevant as sending a telegram. 

Remember darkrooms? Neither does the workforce. Film development has been replaced by digital photography, with most photos now living in the cloud instead of albums. 

Retail workers used to be able to count back change flawlessly in their heads. Now, cash registers and contactless payments have made this skill practically irrelevant — who even uses cash anymore?