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'Travel agent' is named as one of the eight most useless jobs

Friday, 23 August 20133 min read

A website has named ‘travel agent’ as one of the most useless jobs.

The new site, CareerCast.com, faces a backlash from agents after it claimed technology has rendered their job useless.

The list of Most Useless Jobs, posted at http://www.careercast.com/career-news/useless-jobs, includes, in alphabetical order, atmosphere coordinator, compositor, data-entry keyer and/or word professor, medium/professional clairvoyant, shoe repairer, sign spinner, telephone operator, and finally, travel agent.

"Technology is the most consistent factor in rendering a job useless," the report notes.

It said online sites have made travel a "do-it-yourself endeavor: you can book accommodations, transportation, discover restaurants and entertainment, and navigate your route online. Thus, the traditional travel agent is no longer necessary".

But it added: "Specialised travel agents still exist to tackle unusual or exotic requests, usually from wealthy clients. They’ve created a niche that has turned a useless job into a profitable one."

By Cheryl Rosen, Editor TravelMole US