23 Outdated (Or Almost Outdated) Jobs

Thanks to advancements in science and technology, you can't list positions like slubber doffers and night soil men on your resume anymore. Discover these obsolete careers and more in this compilation, adapted from an episode of The List Show on YouTube.

1. Lectore

In the past, factories employed individuals to read stories aloud to entertain workers. This role of the 'lectores' emerged in Cuban cigar factories in the 1860s. The lectores would audition for the workers and, once hired, would read stories that matched the workers' preferences—typically a mix of current events and literary works.

2. Town Crier

Being a town crier meant you had to be comfortable in front of a crowd, shouting out important announcements like court orders. Though town criers were a common sight for centuries before fading in significance, some still exist today. In certain places, they participate in parades and ceremonies, and there are even town crier competitions for the true professionals. These competitions judge participants on aspects like clarity, volume endurance, and overall demeanor.

3. Lamp Lighter

Another job that saw its peak in the 19th century but still exists today is lamplighting. In cities, workers would use long poles to ignite the gas street lamps at night, then extinguish them in the morning. London still has a few lamplighters who take care of 1500 gas lamps.

4. Knocker-Upper

Before iPhone alarms, people still needed a wake-up call for work. Even though mechanical alarm clocks were invented in the late 18th century, they were costly. Starting around the Industrial Revolution, a person called a knocker-up would tap on windows with a long stick to wake people up. This was mostly a job in Britain and Ireland, and in some places, it didn't disappear until the 1970s.

5. Human Computers

Those who have seen Hidden Figures will be familiar with 'human computers'—individuals hired to do mathematical calculations by hand. The first major event in human computing took place in 1757, when French mathematician Alexis-Claude Clairaut enlisted a group to help calculate when Halley’s comet would next appear. Machine computing wouldn’t take over fully until the 1970s. Human computers were also employed during both World Wars.

6. Dispatch Riders

Dispatch riders used motorcycles or other means of transport, such as camels and horses, to carry crucial messages on the front lines.

7. Cavalryman

Another unexpected job from World War I and II was cavalryman—a soldier who fought on horseback. Despite the increasing use of technology like guns, tanks, and cars, every major army involved in World War I still had a cavalry. In World War II, a notable cavalry charge took place in the Soviet Union, likely marking the last major cavalry charge in history.

8. Aircraft Listener

Before radar technology existed, the military still needed a way to detect enemy aircraft. This gave rise to the role of aircraft listener. The British, in particular, used acoustic mirrors to enhance hearing and pinpoint the direction of an approaching airplane; some of these mirrors are still around and are being restored. The Japanese, on the other hand, used 'war tubas,' and yes, they were exactly what you imagine.

9. Soda Jerk

The role of the soda jerk became widely popular starting in the 19th century. These individuals were responsible for creating and serving drinks like malts, milkshakes, and sodas. Before cocaine was regulated in 1914, it was common for soda fountains to include a mix of syrup containing both cocaine and caffeine. Even after the removal of cocaine, soda was still a hit, and people continued to frequent their local soda jerk. By the 1930s and '40s, over half a million people held this job in the U.S. However, the rise of fast food and drive-ins, among other factors, marked the end of the soda jerk era.

10. Milkman

Milkman was once a widespread job across the world, but it has become much less common today. In the 1920s, milk was commonly delivered directly to people's doors. By 2005, only 0.4 percent of milk consumers still received their milk this way, though with the rise of grocery store home deliveries, milk delivery has seen a small resurgence.

11. Ice Cutter

Until the early 20th century, ice was primarily harvested by cutting into frozen lakes, creating the chilly job of ice cutter. While ancient civilizations like Greece, Rome, Persia, and China collected and stored ice during the winter for use in warmer months, the ice-cutting industry truly grew in the early 19th century. Ice cutters would locate areas of thick ice on frozen bodies of water, cut it out, and transport it to storage and delivery locations. However, as refrigeration technology improved, the demand for manual ice cutting declined.

12. Toshers

In Victorian England, toshers spent their days, and sometimes nights, rummaging through sewers to find valuable items like coins or silver spoons. Armed with large sticks, toshers would sift through the sewage to uncover shiny treasures hidden within.

13. Night Soil Men

In areas without sewer systems, night soil men, also known as jakes-farmers, were responsible for emptying toilets, often working under the cover of night since waste couldn’t be easily flushed away. The development of modern sewage systems in the U.S. began around the mid-1800s.

14. Saggar Maker's Bottom Knocker

A saggar maker was a skilled potter who made adjustments to the pottery while it was inside a saggar—a protective vessel that held pottery during the firing process. The saggar maker's bottom knocker had the specific job of shaping the bottom of the saggar by pushing clay through metal loops. This role was most commonly found in Staffordshire, England, as not many places specialized in making saggars.

15. Telegraphist

A telegraphist was the person responsible for operating the telegraph, a device used to transmit messages between senders and recipients.

16. Linotype Operator

Linotype machines revolutionized the world of printing, simplifying the creation of newspapers and giving rise to the profession of linotype operator. These machines housed molds for every letter of the alphabet, and as the operator typed, the letters would form a line. The machine would then use hot metal to create a strip resembling a stamp of the line. When multiple lines were combined, they formed an entire page of a newspaper. Precision was key for the operator—any mistake would be duplicated across every copy.

17. Switchboard Operators

After the telephone became more widespread than the telegraph, telegraphists were gradually replaced by switchboard operators. These operators connected callers to the person they wished to speak to. Initially, the job was filled by teenage boys, but they were often criticized for their poor manners. As a result, women were hired for the position. Emma Nutt is widely recognized as the first female switchboard operator, earning $10 a month for 54-hour work weeks after being hired in 1878.

18. Slubber Doffers

Being a switchboard operator wasn’t the only job that children took on during this period. In the U.S., slubber doffers were young workers responsible for changing bobbins in textile mills. Some children also swept the mill floors, and others even became spinners themselves. Sadly, accidents leading to death were frequent in the mills, and these children were also more vulnerable to respiratory and other diseases. It wasn't until the 1930s that child labor laws were enacted at the federal level in the U.S.

19. Pinsetter

Before machines were introduced to reset bowling pins after each player's turn, the task fell to a person known as a pinsetter or 'pin boy.' Paul Retseck, a former pin boy, shared his experience with Scientific American, saying, 'You really had to work fast, or the bowlers would yell at you, “Hey get moving!”'

20. Elevator Operator

Another occupation that has mostly been overtaken by machines is that of the elevator operator. In the days before elevators featured push buttons, it was the job of a person to control the elevator using a lever, ensuring it stopped at the correct floors. They were also in charge of opening and closing the doors. The first passenger-operated elevator was introduced in 1900, and by 1950, these automated elevators had become the standard.

21. Projectionists

In the past, projectionists had a much more hands-on role, often needing to change film reels at designated points during a screening. The reels, which arrived at theaters in multiple segments, required the projectionist to be attentive to cues on the screen, like a circle in the corner, signaling that it was time for the next reel. Today, digital projection has largely replaced this task, allowing a single projectionist to manage several theaters by simply pressing play and moving on. One projectionist told NPR that they now only need to work one day a week for an entire multiplex.

22. Phrenologist

A now-outdated profession in the field of medicine was that of the phrenologist. These individuals studied the bumps and contours of people's skulls, believing that they could reveal insights into a person's character and abilities. Unfortunately, phrenology was rooted in pseudoscience, and it became a tool for racists who argued that comparing skull shapes across different races could prove that Caucasians were the most intelligent and advanced. These baseless beliefs were later debunked and have no scientific support.

23. Signalman

A signalman played a key role in ensuring smooth railway operations. One of the most famous signalmen was Jack the baboon, who worked at the Uitenhage train station in South Africa. Jack's owner, James Edwin Wide, was a signalman, but Jack learned to operate the levers by responding to the sounds of approaching trains. Jack held the position for nine years, and it is said that he never made a mistake.