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January 10, 20253 min read
Zombie jobs meaning: a plain-English definition
A zombie job is a role that still exists on paper even though most of the real work is already automated, outsourced, or reduced to a small fraction of what it used to be.
Simple examples
- Manual data entry that is now handled by automation tools.
- Report creation where dashboards update themselves.
- Basic scheduling roles replaced by self-serve software.
How to spot one
If your main task is verifying what a tool already did, or pushing buttons in a fixed process, the role is at risk of becoming a zombie job.
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Shift toward roles that require judgment, relationship-building, or accountability for outcomes. Those are harder to automate and more likely to grow.