10 JOBS That Stand the Test of Time

Did you ever realized that whenever you call about anything nowadays (returning broken/defective appliance or ordering a credit card), you’re not likely to speak someone around your city, much less within your country – try Bombay and/or Philippines.

The entire telemarketing industry, with a few exceptions, has already left American shores for cheaper pastures. And in the age of ultra-cheap Internet fares, when was the last time you actually used a travel agent to plan a vacation?

Society's changing fast, and plenty of once-stable occupations are now on their last gasps. According to an independent survey, there are ten careers guaranteed to stand the test of time:

1. Doctor. - We may have WebMD to help us out with diagnosing our diseases – but a website can't prescribe medicine, can it?

2. Teacher. - Wisdom will never go out of style.

3. Mortician. - Unfortunately, neither will DEATH.

4. Waste disposal manager (aka garbage truck driver). - No matter what, we'll always need people around to clean up our messes.

5. Scientist. - Innovators like these are the driving forces of society. And besides, we're still working on that cure for cancer.

6. IRS agent or TAX MAN, whatever you call “them”. - Sure, they may not be popular, but the job security's great: After all, April 15th comes around every year.

7. Hair cutter (barber/beautician). - Unless going bald a la Britney becomes the national trend, people will always need their hair cut – and it's not exactly the sort of job you can outsource to India.

8. Contractor or construction worker. - There's probably a new subdivision being built around the corner from you right now – if you're good with your hands, you can count on constant work.

9. Police officer. - Violence and disorder aren't exactly good things – but we've got police officers around to keep things in line. Unless we hear about a magical world peace agreement tomorrow, we have a feeling there'll be a need for cops in every neighborhood for a long time to come.

10. Farmer. - Sure, there are plenty of machines available to do the dirty work, but there's still plenty of stuff for real-live humans to take care of, and that's not going to change anytime soon. After all, we've all got to eat.