June 5, 2023 - Employment & Business News

The Art of Personal Branding: Positioning Yourself for Career Triumph

Posted on June 5, 2023 - 11:56 am by Hugh Fort

In today’s cutthroat job market, personal branding has emerged as a crucial strategy for professionals aiming to surpass their competition.

With numerous individuals contending for the same coveted opportunities, it is imperative to distinguish yourself and highlight your distinctive value proposition.

Crafting a robust personal brand not only helps you stand out from the masses but also positions you as an industry expert, paving the way for fresh prospects and remarkable accomplishments.

This comprehensive guide will delve into the art of personal branding, equipping you with invaluable insights to outshine rival websites and propel your career to unprecedented heights.

Understanding Personal Branding

Personal branding involves deliberately shaping the way others perceive you professionally. It involves creating a unique identity that highlights your strengths and expertise.

Your personal brand should convey a distinct message about your identity, values, and capabilities. Proactively managing your brand allows you to control how others perceive your professional image, attracting relevant opportunities and establishing yourself as a trusted thought leader.

Forging an Exquisite Online Presence

In the rapidly evolving digital age, cultivating a strong online presence is crucial for successful personal branding. By establishing a unique digital footprint, you gain the ability to reach vast audiences and showcase your expertise to potential employers, clients, and collaborators.

Start your digital journey by creating an impressive professional website or blog, where you can artfully display your insights, achievements, and industry-related revelations.

Make use of social media platforms such as LinkedIn to connect with fellow professionals in your industry, cultivate meaningful relationships, and share valuable content that positions you as an expert in your field.

Use QR Codes in your Social Media platforms, to create easy access to the website. Remember, consistency is key to effectively maintaining and nurturing your online presence.

Unraveling Your Unique Value Proposition

To achieve unparalleled success in your online endeavors and stand out from your competitors, it is essential to articulate your unique value proposition with precision.

This invaluable asset serves as the key that unlocks differentiation, allowing you to surpass the noise within your industry or chosen field.

Your distinct value proposition encompasses your exceptional skills, remarkable experiences, profound knowledge, and unmatched qualities that make you an extraordinary force.

Embark on a journey of self-discovery, exploring your strengths, passions, and the remarkable value you possess. This introspective expedition forms the foundation upon which your formidable personal brand will be built.

Conclusion

By crafting a strong personal brand, you distinguish yourself, position yourself as an industry expert, and open doors to new opportunities. This guide provides valuable insights into actively managing your brand, cultivating an online presence, and articulating your unique value proposition.

Personal branding is a powerful strategy to surpass competitors and achieve success by shaping your image, showcasing expertise, and standing out in your field.

Article by Elen Mesropyan @elenmesropyan.

Ronald Wayne: The man with no regrets over selling Apple stake now worth $200 billion

Posted on June 5, 2023 - 11:32 am by Kris Paterson

Ronald Wayne was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1934 and went on to train as a technical draftsman at New York’s School of Industrial Arts. He then headed west to California, arriving in 1956, and founded a slot-machine company.

This was a limited liability company, but he felt so guilty about losing investors’ money when it didn’t work out that he eventually repaid them out of his latest earnings.

He went on to take a job at Atari, where he met a young computer programmer called Steve Jobs.

What was the investment?

Jobs, having been dissuaded by Wayne from setting up a slot-machine company, included him as a partner in his new venture, a Company called Apple Computers, set up with Steve Wozniak in 1976.

Despite drawing up the papers for the company and producing the original logo and some early designs, Wayne got cold feet about being a partner.

He worried about having to be liable for any debts the company would incur and felt that if things went wrong, he was too old to start over.

This meant in 1976 he sold a 10 percent stake for just $800 (plus an additional $1,500 later on).

That stake would be worth around $200 billion now.

What happened next?

Apple’s first logo, designed by Ronald Wayne

After cutting his ties with Apple, Wayne would remain with Atari until 1978, leaving for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and eventually LDF Electronics, before retiring on a modest income.

Apple went from strength to strength, the success of the Apple lI computer in 1977 putting it on a path to greatness.

By the time it floated on the stock exchange at the end of 1980, it was worth $1.8bn.

Despite problems in the mid-1980s and 1990s, it bounced back after the return of Steve Jobs in 1997 and is currently one the most significant companies in the world, with market capitalism of $3 trillion.

“No-one could reign in Steve Jobs”

Wayne, who is now 87, claims he doesn’t regret selling up and quitting the partnership as the stress of dealing with Jobs and Wozniak would have made him “the richest man in the graveyard”.

Still, it might have been a risk worth taking. It’s estimated that, even after being diluted as new investors entered the firm, Wayne’s stake would be worth at least $45bn today.

He also made the decision to sell his copy of Apple’s original founding document to a collector for $500-it was later auctioned for $1.6m.

Speaking to Business Insider in 2017, he said: “No-one could reign in Steve Jobs, I would’ve wound up the richest man in the cemetery.

“I knew that I was standing in the shadow of giants and that I would never have a project of my own.

“I would wind up in the documentation department, shuffling papers for the next 20 years of my life, and that’s not the future I saw for myself.”

“I never regretted taking my name off the contract.

“I’ve never been rich, but I’ve never been hungry either.”

Apple is based in Cupertino, California and employs 154,000.

It is worth around $3 trillion.

Kris Paterson is a writer for WhatJobs.com

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Google Maps was sued after woman walked onto busy road with no pavements and was hit by motorbike

Posted on June 5, 2023 - 11:23 am by Hugh Fort

Millions of people use Google Maps daily to help them get to tricky destinations in areas they’re unfamiliar with.

It’s regarded as an excellent service that is massively helpful to drivers and commuters alike.

However, very few things in life are perfect, and an over-dependence on Google Maps led one woman on a traumatic journey that ended up with her being hit by a motorcyclist.

The woman was Lauren Rosenberg of Utah, who then launched a lawsuit against Google after the incident in 2010.

She downloaded Google directions onto her Blackberry from one part of Park City to the other and followed the route.

However, the map guided her onto the Utah State Route 224 – a major road with no sidewalks.

She unquestioningly followed that route and was sadly involved in the crash.

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She sued Google for around $100,000 after the incident for failing to warn her there was no safe place for pedestrians on the route.

Her suit said: “Google Maps led her to walk on a busy road without sidewalks that were not reasonably safe for pedestrians.” I

It also said: “As a direct and proximate cause of Defendant Google’s careless, reckless and negligent providing of unsafe directions, plaintiff Lauren Rosenberg was led onto a dangerous highway and was thereby stricken by a motor vehicle.”

The case didn’t go well for her.

It was heard in 2011, and the court dismissed it, with the judge saying: “It is clear that Google was not required to anticipate that a user of the Google Maps service would cross the road without looking for cars . . . and that, absent negligence on the user’s part, an injury while crossing the road would be unlikely.”

This meant Google can’t really be held responsible for its users not looking at a road and realizing they might be in danger.

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ZoomInfo to cut three percent of headcount in strategic restructuring move

Posted on June 5, 2023 - 10:52 am by Nithya Bose

Vancouver-based software maker ZoomInfo is set to lay off around three percent of its global workforce.

It says the layoffs are aimed to “flatten the organizational structure, speed decision making and enable investment in key opportunities for long-term growth while driving continued profitability.”

Though the firm didn’t disclose specific details regarding the impacted roles, LinkedIn posts suggest marketing, human resources, and operations units may be affected.

ZoomInfo expects to incur a restructuring charge of $6 million during the second quarter to facilitate staff cuts.

Affected employees will receive severance packages based on their job level and tenure, averaging around 10 weeks of pay.

The company, which went public in 2020, will also accelerate the vesting of certain employee equity.

Additional employee benefits include a COBRA health insurance subsidy for US-based employees.

Employees in Israel will get a lump sum equivalent to three months of education fund deductions.

Despite the restructuring, the company plans to hire in sales, engineering, and customer success departments.

The firm is committed to strategic investments and the utilization of generative AI capabilities.

ZoomInfo announced an update to its Chorus platform, leveraging generative AI and automation to create post-meeting summaries and action items.

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This enhancement aligns with the company’s acquisition of AI-maker Chorus in 2021 and its ongoing efforts to enhance product offerings.

It had previously signed a lease for space in the Terminal 1 building along the Vancouver waterfront, intending to occupy the entire building by 2025.

The company employs around 3,500 people worldwide, with about 670 based in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

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Directors Guild reaches tentative deal with Hollywood studios

Posted on June 5, 2023 - 10:31 am by Nithya Bose

Hollywood studios and streamers have reached a tentative labor deal with the Directors Guild of America, which is set to end the ongoing strikes.

The three-year agreement, subject to approval, includes pay hikes, higher streaming royalties, and a recognition artificial intelligence cannot replace union members.

While talks with striking writers have stalled, the directors’ provisional resolution may pressure the writers to resume negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The Writers Guild of America has similar demands, such as improved streaming residuals, higher wages, and increased job security.

The studios employed divide-and-conquer tactics during the 2008 writers’ strike, but the WGA notes that the current situation is differen.

Changes in production methods and cost-cutting efforts by studios, driven by slowing streaming subscription growth, have added complexity to the negotiations.

The tentative pact with studios and streamers would mean wage and benefit gains for the Directors Guild’s 19,000 members.

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It includes a five percent increase in the first year, four percent in the second, and 3.5 percent in the third.

Additionally, foreign residuals for major streaming platforms will rise by 76 percent.

The director’s guild said the deal includes a “groundbreaking agreement confirming that AI is not a person and that generative AI cannot replace the duties performed by members.”

As the writers’ strike continues, talks between the studios, streamers, and Hollywood actors are set to begin, as the actors’ contract expires at the end of June, with strike authorization being considered.

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Twitter head of content moderation quits after Elon Musk’s criticism

Posted on June 5, 2023 - 10:19 am by Nithya Bose

Twitter trust and safety chief Ella Irwin has departed the company, shortly after boss Elon Musk criticised the social media giant’s handling of transgender issues.

Irwin’s departure came after Musk publicly criticized Twitter’s handling of posts related to transgender topics.

The controversy began when Jeremy Boreing, co-chief executive of the conservative media company The Daily Wire, accused Twitter of suppressing a documentary questioning transgender medical treatment for children and teens.

Boreing alleged Twitter flagged posts about the documentary as hate speech and deliberately excluded it from trending topics.

He also claimed Twitter canceled a deal to premiere the documentary on its platform due to instances of misgendering, which violates Twitter’s rules.

In response, Musk defended the right to use preferred pronouns and criticized Twitter’s handling of the situation.

This exchange drew attention to the issues surrounding Twitter’s content policies and led to speculation about the company’s internal dynamics.

Ella Irwin confirmed her resignation through tweets but did not explicitly state why she departed.

She mentioned the speculation surrounding her exit and hinted at explaining further through a series of 24 tweets, only to later clarify that she was joking about the lengthy narrative.

One tweet said: “In all seriousness, I did resign but this has been a once in a lifetime experience and I’m so thankful to have worked with this amazing team of passionate, creative and hardworking people. Will be cheering you all and Twitter as you go!”

Irwin had been one of the most prominent voices shaping Twitter’s evolving content policies in recent months, alongside Elon Musk.

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Since Musk acquired Twitter and the subsequent relaxation of hate speech rules, the platform has faced challenges in winning back advertisers.

Linda Yaccarino, an experienced figure in the media and advertising industry, is set to become the incoming CEO of Twitter, but she has yet to assume the position.

The company has undergone significant upheaval, including mass layoffs and voluntary departures, shortly after Musk bought it for $44 billion last October.

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Thames Water CEO’s £1.5m pay package sparks controversy

Posted on June 5, 2023 - 9:00 am by Nithya Bose

Thames Water is under fire for a “flimsy PR stunt” as it prepares to report its CEO, Sarah Bentley, will receive a pay package of £1.5 million, nearly double her annual salary.

The report follows her decision to forgo her bonus amid intense criticism of Britain’s water companies.

Last month, Bentley said she and the firm’s CFO would waive their bonuses and any long-term incentive plan payments for the 2022-23 financial year.

But it has been revealed one-off payments will inflate her pay.

It has surpassed last year’s bonus as part of a “golden hello” incentive package to attract her from rival company Severn Trent.

Reports indicate Bentley received a “final buyout payment” of £548,780 last July to compensate for forfeited share awards from Severn Trent.

Additionally, she received £178,000 linked to Thames Water’s performance during her initial two years in the role.

Though she turned down the bonus, her total remuneration for the previous financial year is approximately £1.5 million.

This includes her £750,000 salary, a £90,000 cash pension payment, and various additional benefits like a car, travel allowance, and healthcare coverage.

The issue of executive pay has become a focal point for campaigners advocating for cleaner water.

England’s water companies have faced scrutiny for their pollution records, with instances of sewage discharge into rivers and seas.

Thames Water, in particular, has been accused of relying on water bodies as “toilets” due to underinvestment and profit-seeking.

Critics argue the move is merely a public relations tactic, given the substantial total pay packages they still receive.

The GMB union is outraged by the situation, highlighting the deteriorating infrastructure, disgruntled workforce, and environmental concerns.

The union criticised Bentley for accepting a significant pay package while Thames Water has yet to address the water workers’ annual pay award due next month.

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Thames Water would disclose further details of Bentley’s remuneration and her future compensation in the upcoming annual report.

Her package is expected to be lower than the £2 million received in 2021-22 but more than the £1.2 million in the previous year.

Thames Water defended Bentley’s decision, claiming she declined any incentive payments for the 2022-23 performance year while still receiving the final buyout payment unrelated to Thames Water’s performance.

The company recently unveiled a £10 billion plan to modernise sewers and reduce sewage spills into waterways, but it faced criticism for passing the costs onto consumers.

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Barclays, Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland to close 63 branches

Posted on June 5, 2023 - 8:41 am by Nithya Bose

Barclays, Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland have announced the closure of 63 branches, further reducing banking services on high streets across the UK.

The closures, scheduled for later this year or early next year, are a response to the increasing preference for online banking over branch visits.

Barclays will be closing 10 branches, and Lloyds plans to shut down 21 Lloyds Bank sites.

Similarly, Halifax announced the closure of 15 branches, and Bank of Scotland will close 17 branches between September and next May.

The UK’s banking network is rapidly closing branches as more people opt for online banking as their primary choice, significantly reducing visits to physical branches.

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Lloyds reported a significant decline in branch visits, with a 55 percent average drop in the last five years.

It is because more than 20 million customers now regularly use online banking across their brands.

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Heathrow Airport security guards to strike as pay dispute continues

Posted on June 5, 2023 - 8:31 am by Nithya Bose

Security guards at Heathrow Airport are set to announce another round of strikes in the ongoing dispute over pay.

The union said: “The Unite notice regarding the industrial action at Heathrow is not live.

“It should be held at the moment until notice is served on the employer, next week.”

Heathrow’s security guards concluded a three-day strike last week because of an ongoing pay dispute.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Passengers can rest assured that we will do everything we can to minimise strike disruption so they can enjoy their hard-earned summer holidays.

“Unite has already tried and failed to disrupt the airport with unnecessary strikes on some of our busiest days and we continue to build our plans to protect journeys during any future action.”

“The simple fact remains that the majority of colleagues do not support Unite’s strikes.

“There is a two-year inflation-beating pay rise ready for colleagues, if only Unite would allow them to have a say.

“We will continue talks with Unite about resolving this issue.”

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Unite members had already conducted 15 days of strike action, including over the bustling Easter period.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Escalating strike action will inevitably cause disruption, delays and cancellations across Heathrow.

“This widening dispute is a direct result of Heathrow airport’s dismissive attitude to its workers. They have seriously misjudged the anger of the workers.

“They have had every opportunity to make our members a fair pay offer but have chosen not to. It is now time for them to come back to the negotiating table and deal with this issue before further escalation occurs

“Strike action is now set to escalate throughout the summer and Unite will leave no stone unturned in support for our members involved in the dispute.”

On March 31, hundreds of security officers employed by Heathrow, who are part of the union, finished a 10-day strike.

The strike affected guards at Terminal 5, exclusively utilized by British Airways, and those responsible for inspecting aircraft cargo.

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Amazon’s cloud division head in India and South Asia resigns

Posted on June 5, 2023 - 6:02 am by Nithya Bose

Puneet Chandok, the head of Amazon’s cloud division in India and South Asia, has announced his resignation, and will leave on August 31.

Chandok assumed the leading Amazon Web Services (AWS) position in June 2019.

Vaishali Kasture will temporarily assume the role of commercial business leader for the unit.

He currently oversees enterprise operations for mid-market and global businesses at AWS in India and South Asia.

This development comes after Amazon’s cloud computing unit unveiled its intention to invest 1.06 trillion rupees ($12.87 billion) in India by 2030.

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The company is doubling down on its previous investments to meet the rising demand for cloud services in the third-largest economy in Asia.

AWS has been expanding its presence and services in India, recognizing its potential as a rapidly growing market for cloud computing.

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