Go global to outrun the downturn, writes Melinda Ham.
The economic news is bleak with the unemployment rate at 4.8 per cent and things poised to get worse.
Estimates from the Federal Government predict 7 per cent of us will be jobless next year, while other forecasters believe the figure could reach 10 per cent.
So, is it just a matter of sitting down and waiting for the bad times? Or is it possible to outrun the local downturn by moving to a healthier job market overseas?
Australia has a lower unemployment rate than Britain (6.3 per cent) and the US (7.6 per cent). However, plenty of other industrialised countries have a lower rate than Australia.
Singapore's latest figures show a jobless rate of just 2.6 per cent, while Denmark logged a tiny 2.3 per cent in January. Norway has a similar figure, while in Switzerland the rate is 2.9 per cent. The
Netherlands is below 4 per cent while South Korea is cruising at 3.6 per cent.
And while much of the world is coping with recession, the United Arab Emirates expects 2 per cent to 3 per cent growth in its economy this year.
An academic director at the Australian School of Business, Dr Loretta O'Donnell, says it's not as simple as choosing a country with a low jobless figure and moving there. For one thing, overseas unemployment rates are rising as the crisis takes hold.
However, canny workers with transferable skills can target areas around the globe and the country where they are in demand.
"It's a bit counter-intuitive if you believe all those bad-news stories in the press," O'Donnell says. "Many individuals and companies are gearing up for a brave new world . . . It is a transformational time and there are good news stories here."
Marketing
Many companies are scaling back their marketing and advertising budgets but they still need to get their message across to the public, especially online. International recruiters are looking for interactive marketing and digital media experts.
Marketing managers with these skills and between eight and 10 years' experience are in hot demand in the US, says the sales and marketing practice manager with recruiter Hudson, Heather Heath.
In Singapore and Hong Kong, many companies want marketing candidates with creative strategies to generate new business.
They really need to be "prepared to be operational and not expect to sit back and delegate", says Hudson's regional sales and marketing director, Aruna Alimchandani.
Finance, accounting and law
As companies around the world restructure, merge or seek to become more accountable overseas, experts are required.
David Jones from international recruiter Robert Half International says the larger accounting firms in Singapore are hiring expatriate graduates and senior professionals. Positions include middle- and back-office functions in audit and financial control.
Japan has job opportunities for accountants and auditors with solid track records, international regulatory and compliance experience.
In Dubai, demand remains steady for management accountants. Companies and banks there are looking for people with skills in credit control, compliance and reporting.
In the US, with the collapse of many corporations, legal professionals with financial litigation experience are eagerly sought.
Gaming and IT
Niche gaming opportunities are available in various countries around the globe.
Tim Bosse from Hudson IT says technology professionals with modelling and simulation experience are in demand in gaming in the US. Government departments such as defence need programmers able to create complex models and simulations.
In China, the recent expansion and liberalisation of casinos means expatriates with gaming and betting expertise are required in locations including Macau, says Dan Chavasse, from recruiter Michael Page International.
Engineering
The market for engineers is brisk in several markets overseas as Western governments, including the US and Britain, plough billions of dollars into projects to kick-start their economies.
"We are definitely seeing a change to more public rather than private projects at the moment," says Tim Boyle from international recruiter Sinclair Knight Merz.
Mining engineers also face a wealth of global job prospects, says Graham Rowlands from Hudson. Professionals with experience in oil, gas, power and in particular metals such as gold, tellurium and platinum are highly sought.
Companies want candidates for positions in Mozambique, Mauritania, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Oman.
Professionals of all stripes hoping to escape the downturn by going to Asia will find fluency in a relevant second language a great asset.
Chavasse from Michael Page International says 95 per cent of the people he is placing in Asia have a Chinese name.
Jones from Robert Half International says bilingual specialists in finance, accounting and IT are worth their weight in gold in Japan.
Test the water
Susan Kamler, a former finance manager with the Ford Motor Company of Australia, is poised to test the overseas job market firsthand. Her husband's employer has just moved him to Singapore and the couple relocated there. Kamler is looking for a finance role with a multinational company.
"Unlike Australia, there doesn't seem to be an air of doom and gloom in Singapore," she says. "Perhaps [comparatively] that's because I've come from a manufacturing industry which is in a bad state since the financial crisis."
