Job Search & Career Blog
CV, Cover Letter and Interview guide. Here you
can find CV Example and information on how to
write a CV.
Employment protectionism likely during recession
October 10th, 2008
Most countries practice some form of employment protectionism. Migrant workers are generally only wanted on specific terms like under conditions where no local people can fill a job, or skilled worker migration programs.
The incoming recession isn’t good news for those seeking jobs overseas. Employment conditions for migrants are likely to tighten. This is however understandable, and intending migrants shouldn’t be too depressed about the problem.
The jobs aren’t going to be there anyway, until the recession cools down and business picks up. There are other things you can do, and you might even wind up doing better.
There’s another factor. Employment protectionism is no longer the big problem it used to be, thanks to the global economy. The world has changed. You can work anywhere on Earth using the net, and you can deal with this period of international insularity pretty easily. In that sense, employment protectionism is just a nuisance, not a real obstacle over time.
Alternatives for people seeking international jobs
1. Contract work
One of the options is to look for contract work. The competition will be intense, but some economies are better placed than others to deal with this situation. The economic downturn is likely to be patchy, and some countries will follow the US lead in economic stimulus packages.
The advantage of contract work is that it doesn’t pin you down and you know your time frames. You have some structure and ways of planning your moves. Some contract jobs also pay a lot better, depending on where they are. If you can find a job in Dubai, you’re likely to be better off than doing an office job in some other country.
2. Plan ahead
The fact is that the demand for skilled workers is only on hiatus under these conditions. In the next 10 years, Baby Boomer retirements, if delayed, will create massive demand for skilled workers all over the world. So if you can upgrade your qualifications, and cover your costs, you’ll be well placed to take advantage of the changes in the whole global economy.
3. Extra training for better jobs
The irony of the Baby Boom retirement effect will be that the demand may well outstrip supply. There will be millions of jobs, and the evidence is that the West, thanks to its unbelievably stupid high costs for qualifications, won’t be able to supply the workers.
Extra training will make foreign migrants much more competitive in a job boom. It might take a decade to reach its peak, but it’ll be worth waiting for. Contract experience will also count in favor of applicants, so keep an eye on opportunities.
One sector less likely to be affected is the environmental sector. This is a very different employment market, more based on commitment than money. If the pay isn’t too spectacular, the experience, qualifications, and the fact of doing something to help the world are compensations.
There are also some qualifications you can’t get anywhere else in the environmental sector, and experience no other sector can provide. Particularly useful for scientific graduates. This is another global sector, and it’s a rapidly expanding area of employment as the world wakes up to the need for urgent environmental work.
5. Non government organizations
Also relatively immune to the normal pressures of the commercial job market, NGOs are also great for credentials in your profession. The standards of work are extremely high, and the career CV is greatly enhanced. These organizations also provide major levels of support to people in desperate need, so your time won’t be wasted.
Charities in particular are important NGOs, and they cover an extremely broad range of skills. They also have excellent training and career elements. If you’re the sort of person who wants to contribute to your society, charities are a definite option.
6. Sciences
The sciences have some reasonable grounds for complaint in terms of research money, and the recession doesn’t really help much in that regard. However, research doesn’t actually stop, and many important programs are protected by their sponsors, being vital to business or government programs.
7. Medicine
Medical employment isn’t going to go out of demand any time soon. Regardless of economic conditions, those services will be required. Again, this is a highly competitive field. The jobs are also extremely demanding, but employment levels are hard to cut under conditions where the medical sectors were already heavily cut.
As a backup career, internet jobs are pretty straightforward. Everything on the net, from web design to web content to affiliate marketing and much more, can be done remotely, and you can create a business.
In terms of conventional job hunting, this work is another major CV asset. That’s partly because the internet work is unique to yourself, and partly because it often covers experience online which employers don’t have. Either way, it’s a very useful way of adding income and qualifications.
9. Education
Not many people become millionaires being teachers. That said, it’s one of the most important and most dependable of the employment markets in terms of numbers, if not job conditions. With a career in education comes a form of stability, and qualifications which do have uses in commercial practice in the education sector.
That is a potential career advantage for those who care to try it out. Education is a multi billion dollar industry, and the jobs are increasing as demand for education come from mature age students and people upgrading their qualifications, reentering the workforce. There aren’t really enough teachers, and with the rising population predicted in the next 20 years, the demand, if anything, is likely to rise.
These skills are also global. Education is now becoming a major global industry in its own right, and the career opportunities are better than ever before.
The economic meltdown and the reactionary policies are temporary. You don’t need to give up on your dream job, or your career.
All you need to do is look ahead a bit.
Anticipate the problems, and they stop being problems.
Leave a Reply
