A group of citizens on the Hawaiian island of Kauai took matters into their own hands. A main road into Polihale State Park had been destroyed by flooding, threatening business owners who relied on state park traffic for business. The State of Hawaii said it couldn’t afford to embark on the $4-million-dollar repair job. So, instead of waiting, business owners and residents did the job themselves for free. Even more impressive, they completed the job in a mere 8 days.

I’ve said a lot on this blog about the positive effects a recession or a depression could have on self-reliance. I am a huge proponent of self-reliance. I believe in compassion and help for the down-trodden and under-privileged, but all with the goal of getting them standing on their own two feet. In fact, I value self-reliance more than comfort or wealth creation. In other words, I believe that knowing that you are able to provide the necessities of life without leaning on others generates far more satisfaction than having a new sports car or a blinged out watch.

For that reason, stories like this one from Kauai get me excited. Strangely, it actually gets me excited about our economic “dire straits.” Why? Because it is a small indicator that we are being forced to return to our real American roots.

There are other small indicators, too. The fact that Obama has to beg people to refinance on their mortgages. News stories about families returning to backyard gardens. Record drops in consumer credit card usage. Numerous other news stories show Americans rejecting the illusion of undisciplined, credit-fueled consumerism for a clear-eyed, work-centric philosophy of self-reliance.

People say America is going down the toilet. I say we’re coming back to our senses.
 

Usually, in every list of ten so-called "recession-proof" jobs, there is about three or four that appear again and again while the others come and go. The reason why they appear year after year is that they are jobs people just can’t do without.

So, instead of putting out yet another tired reiteration of a "recession-proof" job list, I’m going to give you a list of jobs people will always need. Keep in mind, these jobs will probably not make as much in a downturn such as ours- let’s face it, the yachts and McMansions are gonna have to go. Anyone who tells you different is selling something. But your odds of having employment will be best in these careers. In other words, if things got as bad as they could get, these jobs would be the last to go. Considering our circumstances, that’s some decent insurance:

1. Doctor – even in the least developed countries, doctors are in high demand. If you’ve ever lived in a third world country, you’ve probably noticed that the town doctor is the busiest and most popular man in town. The bottom line is, as long as there are human bodies to heal, we will need doctors. Areas of specialization like dermatology, physical therapy, chiropractics, acupuncture, and plastic surgery may take a hit. But basic medicine will always be in demand. In fact, as recession-induced stress takes its toll on the health of the American public, doctors may find themselves more in demand than ever.

2. Nurse – See number 1. Every doctor needs a nurse. Put two and two together.

3. Dentist – Don’t expect spikes in cosmetic dentistry, but basic dental work will always be in demand (unless humans unexpectedly evolve a new way to chew food). I mean, anyone who has ever had a toothache knows that you just can’t function. So, even on the rainiest days, expect people to be willing to pay for dental emergencies.

4. Food Production – No, I don’t mean working at Wolfgang Pucks. I mean farming. People will always need food. People who know how to grow food will always be in demand. At the very least, you’d always know how to provide food for your own household.

5. Handyman – People may learn to live without their cars and SUVs. They may learn to do without designer handbags. But they will never go without basic shelter and tools. As long as humans need shelter, they will need someone to build and repair those structures. As long as they need their tools to do stuff, they will someone to build and repair those tools.

One hopes that IT and Sales jobs will always be around. However, if you’re looking for sure bets in these uncertain times, look to jobs that people will always need. Good luck out there!
 

So, the ‘recession-proof’ label has become sickeningly overused. A year ago, Yahoo HotJobs! published an article featuring outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. They named Education, Energy, Healthcare, International Business, Environmental Sector, and Security as recession-proof careers. So how recession-proof were these careers?

Check out the list below and see which ones are actually doing as well as predicted:

1. Education With dozens of states in dire financial straits, education budgets are getting slashed and burned faster than the rainforest. As if public schoolteachers weren’t already getting ripped off on their salaries…

2. Energy The folks in this industry must have freaked last summer when people started seriously limiting their gas usage. Lucky for them, the price of gas plummeted and got everyone back to the good ol’ American tradition of burning petroleum like there’s no tomorrow. Keep in mind, however, that with a recession gnawing away at pocketbooks, Americans will cut back significantly on gasoline usage this year- guaranteed.

3. Health Care  While doctors and hospitals have seen a drop in non-urgent health care, this industry is holding relatively strong. People still need emergency care, and life-threatening injuries and diseases have not taken a holiday.

4. International Business What a lot of people didn’t realize last year is how quickly a financial crisis in the U.S. would spread to the rest of the world in a serious way. They thought that American businesses would simply migrate to more plentiful hunting grounds overseas. Well, a year later, everybody is pulling back, from Beijing to New Delhi to New York to Paris. This year, the grass is not greener on the other side… on any side, for that matter.

5. Environmental Sector In the grand scheme of things, in the history of business and commerce, let’s face it: the green movement is just a fad. When corporations are trying to figure out how to just stay alive for the next three years, the last thing on their minds is going to be buying chairs made of recycled bamboo shoots just because their existing furniture is non-biodegradable. The only hope for this industry is to create green solutions that also dramatically help cut costs. With any given corporation, it’s Company first, Earth second.

6. Security They said, "No matter what happens to the economy, the public has to be protected." Police careers are stable, they said. I say, NOT ANYMORE, for the same reason education is no longer safe. Our states are bankrupt and are looking for every way they can to trim down costs. As long as our state governments are neck-deep in debt, don’t count on them paying for one police officer after another. They are already having to say, "We just can’t afford any more."

So, look at the results: 2 out of 6 of their so-called "recession-proof" jobs actually were. One of those is at risk. That’s a 33 percent batting average at best. Not good odds. Funny thing? I haven’t been able to find any "recession-proof" job lists for 2009.