13 Unnecessary Jobs That Offer Little Value and Should Be Phased Out
While certain jobs appear crucial to society, others are perplexing and leave us pondering their significance. We reviewed some of the most peculiar and useless jobs that exist today and considered how they lasted this long.
Gas Station Attendant
Due to self-service pumps and digital payment systems, it is a wonder that gas station attendants still exist in some regions. Their primary tasks include fueling vehicles, cleaning windshields, and taking payment, all of which are easily performed by customers themselves. Consequently, attendants’ roles have diminished in necessity and practicality, rendering the job largely redundant.
Sign Spinner
A sign spinner stands on the side of the road and spins a sign to advertise a business. It may catch the attention of a passerby, but it’s hard to believe in the modern age it’s still used as a legitimate form of advertising.
Online Dating Ghostwriter
In today’s digital age, it’s common for people to hire someone to write their online dating profile. However, the job of an online dating ghostwriter takes things to a whole new level. These individuals are employed to create an entire persona for their clients, which can include everything from writing their bio to responding to messages on their behalf.
Image Consultant
An image consultant helps individuals improve their appearance, behavior, and communication skills to project a more positive image. While this may seem useful for celebrities and public figures, it’s hard to justify the high fees they charge for these services.
Paparazzi
The job of a paparazzi is to capture photos of celebrities in their private moments and sell them to the highest bidder. Some may argue that it’s a necessary evil to keep celebrities in check; others see it as a complete invasion of privacy.
Self-Storage Manager
The job of a self-storage manager is to oversee a facility where people can store their belongings. Storage might be a demanded service, but it is hard to justify the need for an on-site manager to oversee a bunch of storage units.
Lifeguard at the Swimming Pool at the Olympics
While it may seem like a glamorous job to work as a lifeguard at the Olympics, the reality is that it’s a tedious job. The odds of someone drowning in the pool are slim to none, and most of the time is spent sitting in a chair doing absolutely nothing. So why do they need a lifeguard at all?
Homeopathy Healer
Homeopathy is a practice that involves using highly diluted substances to treat illnesses. Homeopathic practitioners believe that the solutions retain the “memory” of the original mixture, even when diluted to the point that none of the original solutions remains. Despite the lack of scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of homeopathy, practitioners still charge exorbitant fees for their services.
Odor Tester
Odor testers assess the scents of various products and environments, often receive salaries that seem disproportionately high when compared to the skill set required for the position. While it is true that a keen sense of smell is essential for success in the role, the relatively low barrier to entry and the minimal training required do not seem to justify the generous compensation.
Luxury Concierge
A luxury concierge is a professional who helps the ultra-rich with every whim and desire, including booking private jets to secure reservations at exclusive restaurants. Glamorous job to some but can also be incredibly demanding because luxury concierges must be available all day long.
Weatherman in San Diego
Being a weatherman in San Diego might sound like a dream job because the city is known for its sunny skies and mild temperatures. With minimal variation in the weather from day to day, weather forecasters in San Diego often spend most of their time coming up with new and interesting ways to report on the weather.
Video Store Owner
In the age of Netflix and other streaming services, owning a video store might seem doomed. However, some die-hard fans of physical media still prefer to rent DVDs or Blu-rays from a brick-and-mortar store. The job of a video store owner is not just about stocking shelves with movies; it also involves maintaining relationships with distributors, managing inventory, and dealing with the occasional irritating customer.
Restroom Attendant
Restroom attendants are typically seen in high-end restaurants, nightclubs, and other establishments where customers are expected to dress up and behave in a certain way. The job of a restroom attendant is to keep the restrooms clean and well-stocked and provide customers with various amenities, such as mints, hand towels, and even cologne.
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Josh Dudick
Josh is a financial expert with over 15 years of experience on Wall Street as a senior market strategist and trader. His career has spanned from working on the New York Stock Exchange floor to investment management and portfolio trading at Citibank, Chicago Trading Company, and Flow Traders.
Josh graduated from Cornell University with a degree from the Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management at the SC Johnson College of Business. He has held multiple professional licenses during his career, including FINRA Series 3, 7, 24, 55, Nasdaq OMX, Xetra & Eurex (German), and SIX (Swiss) trading licenses. Josh served as a senior trader and strategist, business partner, and head of futures in his former roles on Wall Street.
Josh's work and authoritative advice have appeared in major publications like Nasdaq, Forbes, The Sun, Yahoo! Finance, CBS News, Fortune, The Street, MSN Money, and Go Banking Rates. Josh currently holds areas of expertise in investing, wealth management, capital markets, taxes, real estate, cryptocurrencies, and personal finance.
Josh currently runs a wealth management business and investment firm. Additionally, he is the founder and CEO of Top Dollar, where he teaches others how to build 6-figure passive income with smart money strategies that he uses professionally.