The 1960’s and 70’s teen job market differs drastically from today’s. Considerable ease in accessing part-time job openings at good pay and valuable skill development opportunities existed for high school students at that time. However, entry-level jobs that these students would have filled are now unavailable due to automation and technology advances as well as shifting business practices. What type of teenage employment opportunities are no longer available in today’s job market?
Table of Contents
- 1 1. Movie Theater Projectionist
- 2 2. Soda Fountain Attendant
- 3 3. Gas Station Attendant
- 4 4. Pin Setter
- 5 5. Record Store Clerk
- 6 6. Video Store Clerk
- 7 7. Grocery Store Bagger
- 8 8. Phone Booth Cleaner
- 9 9. Ice Cream Truck Driver
- 10 10. Milk Bottle Collection
- 11 11. TV Antenna Installer
- 12 12. Film Developer
- 13 13. Paper Route Manager
1. Movie Theater Projectionist
High school students frequently worked as film projectionists. The role of high school film projector operator and maintainer required a detail-oriented, quick-thinking individual to troubleshoot and fix equipment malfunctions. Digital movie projection has increased theatres’ automation and accessibility eliminating this entry-level opportunity in the film industry.
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2. Soda Fountain Attendant
Five and dime stores and drug store restaurants employed teens to serve burgers and ice cream at the soda fountain as well as to prepare sundaes. These great first jobs provided valuable work skills, taught the art of fast food service, and learned customer service skills. With the decline of fountain service, the opportunities have also vanished.
3. Gas Station Attendant
Self service fuel pump stations, automated car washes, and DIY windshield washing stations have almost eliminated these jobs.
4. Pin Setter
The high energy work involved in bowling pin resetting is no longer performed at all as it was completely eliminated through automation.
5. Record Store Clerk
Record stores and music streams have forced the closure of many music stores meaning music loving teens can no longer find a job there. They previously worked there selling music and helping customers find their releases.
6. Video Store Clerk
Teen workers developed their skills in customer service, organization, film recommendations, and knowledge of films by working as video store clerks. Streaming services such as Nexflix have put an end to these once common jobs.
7. Grocery Store Bagger
Grocery baggers are a dying position. Most grocery stores have self checkout now so there is no need for this entry level job. Teens learned valuable job skills by working for grocery stores. This included skills such as customer service, food handling, and organization.
8. Phone Booth Cleaner
Jobs for the maintenance of public phones have completely disappeared after the invention of cell phones as there is no longer a need for public telephones. One job was to unclog and clean the public phone handsets as well as report any damage.
9. Ice Cream Truck Driver
Routing planning, managing inventory, and handling cash are all jobs skills that teen workers developed while learning to run an ice cream truck. Modern insurance regulations have put an end to this job for most teens.
10. Milk Bottle Collection
Collecting milk bottles from dairies was a job that required careful handling of glass bottles. With the invention of disposable bottles, this source of income for kids has disappeared.
11. TV Antenna Installer
Installing and adjusting TV antennas required kids to have an understanding of basic electricity and not be afraid of heights. This skill is no longer used as cable and satellite television are widely used.
12. Film Developer
Working in a photo lab taught teens about time management, chemistry, and detail. The rise of digital photography has all but eliminated jobs in this area.
13. Paper Route Manager
Aside from simply delivering newspapers, older teens had the opportunity to manage routes and other carriers. In these roles, they learned skills in planning, personnel supervision, and customer interaction. The opportunity for youth management with digital news delivery has been greatly diminished.
