You might have noticed that the world is changing faster than we can keep up with; some skills we once thought would always be essential are quietly slipping away, which is both sad and exciting. Technology and new ways of working are making certain abilities less relevant, and over the next decade, we’ll likely see even more shifts. To ensure that you’re prepared for this, here are some skills that will be irrelevant in the next 10 years.
Typing Without Looking at the Keyboard
Remember back when touch typing was a prized skill? Not anymore. Predictive text, speech-to-text tools, and AI assistants are quickly overshadowing it, and even then, most people already know how to touch type. Ultimately, though, it’s slowly becoming a useless skill, as many devices now even cater to voice input, making the need to type swiftly with precision less of a necessity.
Writing Formal Letters by Hand
There’s something sad about the fact that handwritten correspondence is already becoming a rarity. Between emails, instant messaging, and digital signatures, writing formal letters on paper has been borderline obsolete for years. For most, the skill is now only relevant in niche roles or traditional ceremonies or for Christmas and birthday carts, making it less practical to focus on perfecting.
Remembering Phone Numbers
Only a decade or two ago, everyone knew a small list of phone numbers by heart, ensuring that we never got into a sticky situation without being able to phone a friend or family member. Now, though, mobile phones and smart devices store contact information for us; even emergency numbers are programmed into devices, reducing the need for memorising these strings of digits.
Operating a Manual Gearbox
Here in the UK, most of us still drive manual cars, but the shift to automatic vehicles and electric cars is accelerating. Many new models are being designed without a manual option, so learning to drive with gears might soon become unnecessary. Personally, we think that’s a shame, as driving just wouldn’t feel right without our left hand on the gearstick!
Reading a Map
Before GPS came along, map reading was an essential skill for navigating unfamiliar places and surviving. However, since the early ‘00s, satnavs and smartphone apps have all but eliminated the need to unfold and interpret a paper map. Future generations might only encounter maps in history lessons or as decorative art, with the skill to read one becoming increasingly irrelevant. Even satnavs are pretty much non-existent now, thanks to Google Maps.
Counting Change in Your Head
Handling cash, and more specifically, making quick calculations for change, is becoming less important as contactless payments take over. Cashless transactions now dominate in shops, cafes, and markets, leaving little room for traditional mental arithmetic. It’s a skill that’s already fading and likely to disappear further in the years ahead, which we don’t think is a good thing–there’s something healthy and natural about knowing how to count your money.
Developing Film Photographs
Another skill that will soon become irrelevant is photography development. Back in the day, darkrooms were bustling spaces that you had to visit to see your favourite snaps, but nowadays, digital cameras and smartphones have rendered them almost obsolete. With digital editing tools and instant printing, the process of developing film feels like a nostalgic pastime. Few industries still require this expertise, and those who practise it tend to do so for artistic reasons rather than out of necessity.
Using a Landline Phone
Once a household staple, landlines seemed to disappear from the UK overnight, swiftly vanishing from homes and offices alike. Frankly, mobile phones are so much more convenient and versatile, so we’re not too bothered about this one. However, it’s definitely strange that today’s younger generation will grow up not understanding how to even use a landline.
Shorthand Notetaking
Even just a few years ago, shorthand was still an essential tool for secretaries and journalists, allowing them to jot down information rapidly and cryptically. Today, though, digital recorders, transcription software, and other tech solutions have taken over. Few people train in shorthand anymore, and its decline is set to continue as technology fills the gaps it once addressed.
Memorising Directions
As we mentioned earlier, GPS technology was pretty ground-breaking, quickly eradicating the need for map reading. This isn’t the only skill it has destroyed, though; even just the simple act of memorising directions is rare to see among young people. Everyone relies on their phones to find their way, leaving little reason to commit routes to memory. That’s all well and good until your phone battery runs out!
Programming Basic Websites
Even until just five years ago, it was quite an impressive skill to be able to build a simple website through HTML and CSS. Recently, though, drag-and-drop platforms and AI-based web builders have made the process accessible to anyone. As a result, knowing how to code basic websites is quickly becoming redundant, as these tools handle much of the work with minimal input.
Writing in Cursive
Due to the previously mentioned decline in handwritten letters, cursive writing is on its way out. Schools once placed heavy emphasis on perfecting cursive handwriting, especially here in the UK, where it was almost seen as a rite of passage. However, it’s long gone now; typing and digital communication have taken over, with many young people even struggling to read cursive, let alone write in it. In the future, this skill may only be preserved by hobbyists and traditionalists.
Using Fax Machines
Some of the skills on this list are sad to see disappear, but frankly, we’re happy to see fax machines go. Yes, they still linger in some industries, but their days are clearly numbered. Email, cloud sharing, and instant messaging have all but replaced the need for this outdated technology. Naturally, knowing how to operate a fax machine is becoming a redundant skill, useful only in rare, specific situations.
Burning CDs and DVDs
There was something so exciting about burning our own CDs and DVDs back in the day, making mixtapes for our friends. Unfortunately, most of these prized disks are useless now as streaming and cloud storage have taken their place. In fact, modern laptops and computers rarely even include disk drives anymore!
Balancing a Chequebook
For many older Brits, keeping a manual ledger of personal finances is still a habit that is ingrained in their weekly routines. Not for the younger generation, though; instead, they rely on online banking and budgeting apps that do the heavy lifting for them. Because of this, it’s highly likely that putting chequebook balancing on your CV in a decade is only going to make a prospective employer laugh with nostalgia.
Reading an Analogue Clock
There’s no denying that digital clocks have made it easier to tell the time without learning how to read an analogue face, but come on–it’s not that hard! Sadly, many children today grow up without ever learning this skill, as phones and other devices dominate. Analogue clocks still exist, but their practical use is fading, which we think is rather sad.
Filing Paper Documents
Not so long ago, the office depended on smart organisation and storage of physical documents, but no longer. These days, cloud storage and digital organisation tools mean most files live online in organised drives, making the need to manage paper files completely unnecessary. To be fair, we’re not too bothered by this–filing cabinets were always such a mess to deal with.
Operating a Manual Camera
While it is coming back in fashion to a certain extent, manual photography will never be as common of a skill as it once was. It used to require a deep understanding of aperture, shutter speed, and focus, but modern cameras and smartphones now do most of the work automatically. Many professionals still rely on manual controls for fine-tuned precision, but in general, the casual photographers of today will likely never touch them.
Knitting and Mending Clothes
Two other skills that will be irrelevant in the next 10 years are knitting and mending clothes, both of which were once essential for maintaining a wardrobe. Sadly, fast fashion and affordable ready-made clothes have reduced their importance, which just doesn’t seem very sustainable or resourceful.
Typing on a Typewriter
As you have no doubt guessed, typewriting is almost a completely redundant skill at this point. Once cutting-edge tools for writing, their relevance has now faded entirely, with word processors and laptops making typewriting a quirky skill to have rather than a practical one. Bizarrely, typewriters are making a comeback in hipster circles, but they’re nowhere near as complicated and clunky as they once were.
Operating Analogue Televisions
Finally, before the digital switchover, knowing how to adjust analogue TVs was second nature, and everyone relied on it equally–children and grandparents alike. Today, though, smart TVs and streaming devices have replaced terrestrial TV, leaving little room for older sets. In fact, kids today are more likely to understand how to cast their phone screens to watch it on a TV than they are to understand how to use a traditional remote control!
