March 17, 2023 - Employment & Business News

How to Pick the Best College for Your Future Career

Posted on March 17, 2023 - 4:10 pm by Hugh Fort

In most industries, candidates with a college degree often make excellent salaries.

While some posts require further education, most can be easily pursued at entry-level with a Bachelor’s degree or Associate degree. Therefore, it is important to know how to pick the right college and major to land a suitable job.

In this guide, we shall look closely at exactly how you can do this. Make sure to read until the end so you can opt for a great institute like the American International College.

This way, you can start earning an excellent salary right after you graduate.

Steps to Pick a Suitable College for Your Future Career

1. Decide Your Career Choice

Before you apply to any college program, it is necessary to pick a career first. You can narrow down your choices by going over jobs you have done and enjoyed, subjects you enjoyed in high school, your hobbies, and topics that spark your interest. You can also talk to a school counselor, communicate with people in various fields or consider job shadowing. All of this can help you pick the most suitable career to pursue.

2. Assess Your Choices

Simply narrowing down to the most suitable career choices isn’t enough; you must ensure you have selected the right career. A degree takes years to complete and costs substantial money, and you would not want to waste your time, energy, and effort on something you do not love or do not wish to pursue as a career later on.

List down reasons why you picked a particular field
Think about how a particular job post excites you
Decide if you want to earn a hefty salary or are simply interested in the field and want to gain expertise
Plan how you will enter the related field and the suitable company

Once you have answers to the above, it will become clearer whether what you picked is the right choice. Remember that no matter what you opt for, you must have a passion for it so you can easily work in the said industry for years to come.

3. Consider Educational Requirements

Most job posts accept a candidate with a Bachelor’s or Associate degree, but others, such as roles in the healthcare sector, often have advanced education requirements. Research to see if you will need a Master’s degree or Doctorate in the field you choose and whether you are up for it. You can also opt for a college that offers accelerated courses or transition programs. This way, you can easily attain an advanced degree from the same institute without switching colleges.

Research colleges in your budget bracket and those that are near you to see if they are offering the major you wish to study.
Find out whether the college you like offers quality academics and whether they require internship services or accreditation status.
Pick a small college if you want more classroom attention and opt for a bigger one if you wish to create career connections easily once you graduate.
Browse through minor courses and certificate programs you wish to complete alongside your major. Make sure the college you opt for offers the desired program/course.

4. Consider College Location

For a major you pick, it may be possible to complete your degree from one institute, or you may need to go through several to obtain the right qualifications. Therefore, it is important to consider this beforehand. If you have to attend community college or vocational school to earn extra credits, it may be a good idea to look for a branch, college, or campus that eases this. If required, you can also opt to stay at a hostel if the college you pick is out of town, city, or state.

Remember that location also determines where you will live while you study, what part-time jobs you can pursue, and where you will finally land a job. The location of tuition affects tuition rates too, and certain schools may also ask for proof of residency for compensation. It is important to be well aware of the college structure before you apply.

5. Take a Tour

Once you have a list of top colleges, it may be a good idea to tour each campus to see if it’s up to your liking. Talk to professors regarding your desired program and visit classrooms to see what your eventual experience will be like. Make sure to visit the dorms, library, eating facilities, and surrounding town for access to places like airports and hospitals. These factors will ultimately help you select the best college for you.

Endnote

Choosing the right college will ensure that the study period is delightful. Not only will you be perfectly prepared to find a job of your choice once you graduate, but you can also make a hefty salary by flaunting a degree from a renowned institute. The best part is that this entire process will also guarantee that you make the right career pick and do not have to switch majors or careers later on.

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Americans spend billions “drunk shopping” online

Posted on March 17, 2023 - 2:55 pm by Hugh Fort

Millennials are significantly boosting the economy by spending hundreds of dollars while drunk.

New data from Finder.com has revealed the extent of the phenomenon.

It shows around one in six Americans is shopping having had a few drinks.

The average spend is around $309, which works out as a $14 billion boost to the economy.

The data breaks down the difference between genders and what they shop for.

Women were much more likely to buy shoes, clothes and accessories, whereas men were more likely to buy food.

The survey also proved drunk shopping is a generational thing, with just two percent of baby boomers admitting they’ve bought items online while drunk.

Unsurprisingly, drunk shopping also depends on income.

Workers making more than $100,000 were more likely to spend when drunk, with 26 percent admitting to doing some.

Around 15 percent of those earning under $100,000 were likely to sit down and do some drunk shopping.

The average spend from men was around 654.56, £205.74 more than women’s average expenditure of £448.82.

Other popular drunk spending categories were alcohol, cigarettes, and gambling, all tied at 34 percent.

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INC columnist Bill Murphy JR analyzed the report

He said:

“I have three takeaways:

First, it’s intriguing to note that this significant report of the total shopping-while-intoxicated economy comes after the National Retail Federation reported that Americans return roughly $816 billion a year in merchandise they bought but later didn’t want.
Next, while I’m not going to suggest business owners want to intentionally target inebriated customers, it’s certainly worth being aware that there might be certain times of day when consumers are a little looser with their wallets. Do with that as you see fit.
And, finally, after a long, hard day or week of building a great business, if you’re having a drink to unwind, maybe institute a hard-and-fast personal “wait 24 hours to decide to buy” policy.

Especially if you’re among the 16 percent who might want to buy a car. They’ll still have Teslas tomorrow.”

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Dollar General hit with more fines over safety failings

Posted on March 17, 2023 - 1:03 pm by Hugh Fort

Dollar General has been fined again for exposing its workers to unsafe conditions – this time in four stores in Florida and Georgia.

The OHSA has inspected stores in Ocala, Florida and Columbus in Georgia, and found more of the safety violations seen in other stores across the U.S.

The OHSA has issued more than $15 million in fines since 2017.

It cites Dollar General Corp. and Dolgencorp in more than 180 inspections nationwide for numerous willful, repeat and serious workplace safety violations related to unsafe conditions.

In Ocala, inspectors carried out probes in August and September last year.

They found merchandise obstructing exit routes, exposing workers to fire and entrapment hazards.

They also found merchandise blocking fire extinguishers and an automatic sliding door disabled and locked.

The company was cited for five repeated violations and proposed $710,974 in fines.

Another investigation in Columbus found Dollar General’s store also exposed workers to fire and entrapment hazards by locking an emergency exit door.

The store had boxes and merchandise stored in an unsafe way, which exposed workers to struck-by hazards.

The OHSA missed citations for two repeat violations with $221,001 in fines proposed.

Similar problems were found at another location in the city, resulting in $98,219 in proposed fines.

OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in Atlanta said: “Exposing employees and others to these hazards can be dangerous, especially in an emergency.

“Dollar General is well aware of federal requirements, but they continue to ignore their legal responsibilities to protect their employees at stores throughout the nation.”

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Millions of dollars in fines

OHSA has issued citations to 23 Dollar General stores between February 2022 and January 2023, totaling $7.5 million in fines.

Dollar General has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Dollar General Corp. and Dolgencorp LLC told the Ocala Star Banner, “As a growing retailer serving thousands of communities across the country, Dollar General is committed to providing a safe work environment for its associates and shopping experience for its customers.”

“We regularly review and refine our safety programs, and reinforce them through training, ongoing communication, recognition, and accountability. When we learn of situations where we have failed to live up to this commitment, we work to timely address the issue and ensure that the company’s expectations regarding safety are clearly communicated, understood, and implemented.”

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Crozer Health to cut 215 staff amid operational restructuring

Posted on March 17, 2023 - 1:01 pm by Nithya Bose

Crozer Health is axing 215 jobs as part of its latest restructuring effort.

CEO Anthony Esposito said the move aims to eliminate redundancy in administrative oversight and stop underutilized services.

The company also plans to reduce other service lines, including an outpatient drug and alcohol abuse treatment center at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland.

It will also close the sleep center at Taylor Hospital and the cardiac rehabilitation and wound care programs at Springfield Hospital.

Further actions include renegotiating contracts and continuing existing talks with health partners over payment rates.

The firm will continue to discuss clinical conversations with other care providers.

Esposito said: “We made the difficult decision to restructure our operations in order to ensure that resources are properly allocated to meet our patients’ and our communities’ most pressing health care needs.”

Crozer Health said staffers affected by the restructuring would be considered for open positions within the health system.

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Workers who leave the system will be given access to outplacement services to help them in their job hunt.

Crozer Health was losing roughly $12 million per month when it shut down inpatient operations at Delaware County Memorial Hospital in September.

It intended to turn it into a behavioral health facility.

The health system said the ongoing losses are “clearly unsustainable in the long run, which underscores the need for the organization to take these actions now to help secure its future.”

Source: The Business Journals

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Amazon to recruit 1,200 new staff for Michigan fulfillment center

Posted on March 17, 2023 - 11:52 am by Nithya Bose

Amazon has started hiring for more than 1,200 full-time roles at its new fulfillment center in Michigan .

The jobs involve receiving inventory, picking and shipping customer orders, and supporting logistics.

Construction started on the 3.8-million-square-foot structure in late 2020 and was initially slated to launch by mid-2022.

The building’s initial operations began last year, but the formal debut of the Detroit fulfillment center was postponed.

Amazon is now working with Detroit at Work to hire people from the city for full-time roles ahead of the fulfillment center’s opening this year.

The company will provide health care benefits, 401(k) with a 50 percent match, and nearly 20 weeks of paid parental leave.

Workers can also utilize Amazon’s Career Choice program.

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It covers full college tuition for staff at hundreds of education partners nationwide, including six Michigan colleges and universities.

Amazon said those interested to first register at DetroitatWork.com/Amazon.

Dana Williams, Chief Strategy Officer for Detroit at Work, said job seekers who do this would be “notified first to apply for these positions.”

Amazon and Detroit at Work will offer virtual and in-person informational workshops for Detroit residents.

Source: Detroit Free Press

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Amazon accused of using face recognition in its New York store

Posted on March 17, 2023 - 10:09 am by Nithya Bose

Amazon has been sued over claims it failed to tell customers in New York City that they were being tracked by facial recognition technology.

In a class-action suit, Alfredo Perez’s lawyers claimed that the firm didn’t notify Amazon Go convenience store visitors that the technology was in use.

New York City law means businesses have to post signs if they are tracking clients’ biometric information, such as facial scans or fingerprints.

Amazon was also accused of recently posting signs notifying New York customers of its use of facial recognition technology over a year after a disclosure law was enacted.

The complaint also argues that the Amazon Go store continuously monitors customers’ bodies to track them and their activities.

Some consumers’ palms are scanned, and computer vision, deep learning algorithms, and sensor fusion are used.

The lawsuit says these technologies would measure the shape and size of each visitor’s body to identify them.

Perez is represented by the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a legal advocacy group devoted to New York privacy protections.

Albert Cahn, project director, said: “It means that even a global tech giant can’t ignore local privacy laws.

“As we wait for long overdue federal privacy laws, it shows there is so much local governments can do to protect their residents.”

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Amazon launched its Go stores in 2018, promising that shoppers could walk in, take whatever items they wanted off the shelves, and leave without checking out.

The company tracks visitors’ actions and charges their accounts when they leave.

It opened its first New York store the following year and has 10 Manhattan branches.

Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Source: NBC News

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Credit Suisse accepts $54 billion lifeline

Posted on March 17, 2023 - 9:57 am by Nagasunder

Credit Suisse has moved to halt a decline in investor confidence on Thursday.

The banking giant has opened a 50 billion Swiss franc ($54 billion) credit line with the country’s central bank and is offering to buy back debt, as executives and government officials work to try to organize the troubled lender’s next steps.

Analysts questioned how much time the announcement had bought, the Swiss Federal Council called a special meeting on Thursday to discuss the situation.

Concerns about the lender’s financial health have roiled global markets in the last 24 hours.

This alarmed regulators in Europe and the United States, and prompted some companies to reconsider their work with the bank.

Credit Suisse, the government, central bank, and regulator Finma have been in close contact to try to stabilize the bank.

Ideas floated include the separation of the bank’s Swiss unit and a long-shot orchestrated tie-up with larger Swiss rival UBS Group AG,

Sources said it’s unclear which, if any, of these steps will be taken.

A source with knowledge of the situation said Credit Suisse has not yet utilized the credit line at the Swiss National Bank.

Chief Executive Officer Ulrich Koerner said in a statement. “These measures demonstrate decisive action to strengthen Credit Suisse as we continue our strategic transformation

“My team and I are resolved to move forward rapidly to deliver a simpler and more focused bank built around client needs.”

Nonetheless, JPMorgan Chase & Co. analysts said a takeover of the bank is the most likely scenario.

Credit Suisse proclaimed at least its second debt buyback in just the past six months as it looks to restore investor confidence.

It offered to buy back about $3 billion of its debt in October last year, saying at that time it wanted to “take advantage of market conditions to repurchase debt at attractive prices.”

Ten senior debt instruments valued up to $2.5 billion and four senior debt securities valued up to 500 million euros are included in the most recent tender offer.

According to the bank, the borrowing is done through covered loan facilities and short-term liquidity facilities, both of which are completely secured by high-quality assets.

Credit Suisse is the second-largest lender in Switzerland, with origins dating back to 1856.

It has suffered over the past few years as a result of a number of blowups, scandals, leadership changes, and legal challenges.

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The bank’s second strategy pivot in as many years has so far failed to win over investors or stop client losses, and the company’s 7.3 billion franc loss last year erased the profits made over the previous ten years.

Chairman Axel Lehmann had said at a conference on Wednesday that government assistance “isn’t a topic” and the firm’s efforts to return to profitability aren’t comparable to the severe liquidity issues hitting smaller lenders in the US.

Credit Suisse shares initially surged up to 40 percent before paring gains and remaining lower than on Wednesday, when they lost the most since the 2008 financial crisis.

Source: Bloomberg

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More than a third of UK workers would leave jobs if told to go back to office full time

Posted on March 17, 2023 - 9:45 am by Nagasunder

More than a third of UK workers have revealed they would leave if they were forced to come back to the office full time.

According to data gathered by the professional networking site LinkedIn, six out of ten employees are considering changing jobs this year.

One-fifth of that group said they would stay in their current position if they could work remotely or more flexibly.

More workplace flexibility is especially important to women, with more than half (52 percent) reporting that they had left or were considering leaving their job due to a lack of flexibility.

The study combined LinkedIn data with the findings of multiple employee surveys.

The findings show further evidence employers will need to continue to offer flexibility to their workforce if they want to recruit and retain staff, which will not go down well with the likes of billionaire Elon Musk.

Next Thursday marks three years since the first UK lockdown.

Hundreds of thousands of office workers suddenly found themselves working at home.

Even as Covid rules were relaxed, the majority of employers adopted a hybrid model, with employees splitting their time between their desks and home or another location.

However, according to the research, the share of job postings for remote roles has been declining for the past 10 months, falling to nearly 11 percent of the total in the UK – a 30 percent drop from a year ago.

LinkedIn’s data shows demand for remote roles in the UK is outstripping supply, with remote roles receiving more than a fifth (22 percent) of job applications in February.

Despite this, nearly half (49 percent) of company leaders in the UK and abroad say they would prefer their employees to work from the office more frequently.

In February, Amazon employees in the United States chastised the company’s CEO for asking them and their colleagues around the world to return to the office for the majority of the working week or at least three days.

Andy Jassy wrote in a staff memo: “Collaborating and inventing is easier and more effective when we’re in person.” He added that it was easier for workers to learn from each other, and feel more connected to their colleagues when sharing the same workspace.

Amazon isn’t the only one: In late 2022, LinkedIn discovered that nearly a third (32 percent) of companies were considering restricting employees’ ability to work from home.

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Ngaire Moyes, LinkedIn’s country manager for the UK, said many workers did not want life to return to how it was before Covid.

“We know that flexibility brings all sorts of benefits – including being a huge motivator for employees – meaning it’s crucial for employers to consider this when it comes to attracting top talent,” she said. “However, it also creates a level of complexity for leaders.”

Almost a third (30 percent) of UK employees said they planned to spend more time with their coworkers this year, and a similar proportion said they planned to visit their workplace more frequently.

Source: The Guardian

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Amgen will axe 450 jobs in its second round of layoffs

Posted on March 17, 2023 - 6:51 am by Nithya Bose

Biotech firm Amgen plans to cut 450 employees in its second wave of job cuts this year.

The California-based business is grappling with intensifying pressure on drug prices and high inflation and will cut around two percent of its workforce.

A company spokeswoman said: “We made these changes to realign our expense base in the face of intensifying pressure on drug prices and high levels of inflation.”

Amgen employed almost 25,200 employees in more than 50 countries as of December 31, 2022.

The number of layoffs by US companies in January and February of this year reached a new record since 2009.

Amgen’s move to reduce its workforce highlights the impact of rapidly rising interest rates on the healthcare sector.

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As part of organizational changes, the biopharmaceutical firm eliminated around 300 workers in January.

Its revenue dipped slightly in the fourth quarter as a 4 percent gain in sales of its own drugs was offset by lower revenue from its deal to produce COVID-19 antibody treatments for Eli Lilly.

The biotech company forecasted revenue of $26 billion to $27.2 billion in 2023, while analysts expected $27.17 billion.

Source: Reuters

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