VietNamNet Bridge – Many traditional professions, like clerks and secretaries, will disappear or be replaced by computers or automated processes.

Clerical staff

Typing and entering data into computers are the main tasks of clerks. A clerk can earn VND1-1.2 million a month in Vietnam, a modest income compared with other occupations. The number of people taking this job has been decreasing gradually over the last few years.

Technology experts predict that the decrease would be sharper in the time to come because of the appearance of the next-generation computers made by Microsoft which can capture text across the screen, then automatically process documents, make alignments, select fonts and display documents with new administration management software.

Office secretary

Nguyen Xuan Quang, director of a consultancy firm, said he does not have office secretaries.

“Smartphones, laptops, tablets and management software pieces now can handle all the work secretaries do. Why do I have to waste money to recruit a secretary and live with the fear that my confidential documents may be stolen by the secretary one day?” he said.

“Mobile smart devices now can help you program your to-do list, remind you of your appointments and manage your calls,” he continued. “They can do a lot of things while they are workers of very few words. And especially, they never ask for salary increases or job promotions.”

Cashier

A senior executive of a privately run convenience store in Hanoi said though his store is small, he is still planning to equip it with a modern billing system which will replace two cashiers.

He said that big supermarkets in the US like Walmart and Central Mart have replaced many cashiers with systems that calculate the money buyers have to pay, give back small change and print bills. However, he is not sure when he will have such a system.

Phone operator

With the support of advanced telecommunication technology, scientists can create machines which can automatically answer incoming calls with voices as good as the voice of broadcasters.

Smart machines can also recognize the voice of high-ranking managers, thus forwarding calls professionally and quickly.

Tourism consultants

Travelers tend to seek information about their tours on the internet instead of tourism consultants. They can see the landscapes they want to visit, print maps, book hotel rooms and air tickets, and prepare for trips with just a few mouse clicks.

With the availability of smart mobile devices, travelers can design tours themselves, which saves expenses.

Kien Thuc