Every day, I read news articles that make me laugh, cry, and reach for the tequila bottle. Usually at the same time. Pretty much the same as dealing with my nephew.
Today’s story that had me shaking my head (and googling “fall out shelters” because I fear a coming apocalypse) comes courtesy of the United Kingdom.
Do companies that only interview and hire the best students discriminate against graduates with lower marks? “Yes, yes, yes,” my nephew is screaming. (more…)
Sounding like you are smart, does not mean that you are.
I think this is an underrated problem for many people.
Something that came to mind, yet again, while reading a Seth Godin post. (more…)
For many on the left of the political spectrum, socialism is a great concept.
So why does it not work in practice?
The usual leftist response is that it has just never been properly implemented.
But could it ever be? (more…)
Many readers are on vacation after final exams.
Exams are usually a difficult process. The tests highly challenging.
Hopefully you learned things that will help in life.
When faced with your next nightmarish test, think of the students at King William’s College.
Each year they face an exam where 5% is considered a good score. Yes, only five percent.
Now that is one tough exam! (more…)
Smart companies hire less on a candidate’s grade point average and more on what the applicant can actually do.
As I have written on more than one occasion, it is almost impossible to compare marks between applicants. The grading system fluctuates between institutions. And the quality of post-secondary graduates differs between education systems.
Today a brief example of how education systems hurt future employees. (more…)
When hiring staff, I do not put much emphasis on student grades as a predictor of job success.
Sure I pay attention to the outliers. Those in the top and bottom 5%. But even then I do not make a large connection with their potential employment capabilities.
Having dealt with managers from around the globe, almost all my peers share this view when assessing job candidates.
But if we care little about grade point average, what is important? (more…)
At times I have my doubts.
Sure, you need to learn accounting skills if you want to become an accountant. Or know how to trade derivatives if you wish to become a securities trader.
But to become truly successful, you need to master the softer skills. And from what I have seen in my educational days and my career, not too mention what I read every so often in the press, you do not learn these crucial skills in school.
For example, (more…)
School is back in session and students are already up to their eyes in assignments.
Or up to their eyes in kegs of beer, as the case may be.
I read a good article recently concerning advice to college students. (more…)
In Academics Versus Extracurricular Activities, I compared the relative importance of grades versus outside interests when companies assess job candidates.
In my opinion, while grades do play a role in attracting a job offer, other factors play a greater part in the equation. And over time, the importance of grades diminishes significantly.
A lot of this has to do with the difficulty in comparing grades between schools. (more…)
Courtesy of Investopedia, a good article entitled “4 Ways To Get A Head Start On Your Financial Career”.
While the article is finance specific, the general lessons apply to most career paths.
As the article states, in today’s job market, it is important to appear a more attractive employment candidate than your many competitors.
Here are a few thoughts from my side. (more…)
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