Many professionals who move to the United States from overseas can find themselves frustrated by an inability to pursue the advanced careers they led in their home countries. With that in mind, a nonprofit organization is lending them a hand.

This week, Northwestern University's Medill Reports profiled Upwardly Global, an organization that helps foreign nationals resume their specialized careers.

The report cites information from the Migration Policy Institute showing that more than 1.3 million college-educated immigrants are currently underemployed in the U.S., resulting in a "waste of human capital" for about a fifth of the nation's immigrants.

"They are shining stars back in their own countries, but they don't have the cultural-specific knowledge to succeed here," Paula Restropo of Upwardly Global told the news organization.
The article gives examples that include a former Russian physicist who now bags groceries in Chicago, and an Indonesian engineer who now works at a Starbucks.

To help the immigrants succeed, the group works with human resources managers in cities like Chicago and New York, and helps the workers learn the cultural skills and English language skills they will need to regain their careers in their new country. Many immigrant professionals must also navigate various procedures towards getting re-certified for their career fields in the United States.