As the global economy advances from sucky to outright fragile, no one can deny that this global recession has got legs. In the US, a definite end date for the recession is something that the National Bureau of Economic Research is in no hurry to declare – and this as of yesterday. Turning to Europe, the best indications are that economic activity will not pick up speed again until 2012, so if you can wait two more years while the GDP of EU member countries continues to shrink, you’ve got it made. Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet, certain economies in Asia are doing great; China for example, reported that its economy grew by 10.7 percent in the last quarter of 2009!

So where am I going with this post? Like many qualified professionals, I have found myself becoming what is politely referred to as “underemployed”, defined as not having your potential fully utilized. A recent article on overqualified professionals just being happy to get any job sheds light on the many a professional who has been forced to re-adjust his or her expectations in the wake of this (at least for us GenXers) heretofore unprecedented recession. Think of CEOs going back to being managers, managers going back to being specialists, and specialists becoming temps. I myself am an example of this, having recently gone into interpreting and translating in Slovenia after years of experience in marketing and PR jobs on both sides of the pond. It was something I hadn’t even seriously considered until last year, but a payable skill equals money, something is better than nothing and while I wait for the next big marketing opportunity, I’ve been keeping busy with as many digital marketing projects as I can find, even if they don’t pay. A sign of the times? You betcha. Speaking of which, if you haven’t yet, please check out the Facebook fan page of a Slovenian musician, whom I have recently taken over digital PR for.

Just take the case of Lisa Szymanski, a former graphic designer with her sights now on becoming a carpenter as the work had dried up. One of the potentially lucrative areas in the trades opening up is the green technology sector, where in Pennsylvania alone, they predict it will create 115,000 new jobs in the next five years. As for me, being that I’m far from mechanically inclined, the answers will probably have to come from elsewhere… So to all of you enterprising young professionals out there, fed up with the same ol’ tepid response to your multi-faceted, highly networked job hunt, I have an idea. Have you ever considered moving out of your home country and becoming an expat, even for just a few years? While most global regions have been run over by the recession, Asia is currently THE bright spot on the globe. Industries such as high tech, finance and the automotive industry continue to see upside potential. So just in case you’re with me on this one, here a few websites for you to get you started on your Asian job search: Top 10 Online Resources and one of the biggest job sites in Asia, Job Street. May the dragon in you be strong, son!