Career Trends

Richard Paul's article is about the increasing need, in this intertwined, globalized world for us to foster critical thinking in our children. As we have already learned from both 'The World is Flat' and 'The Shift', in this flattened world, simply obtaining basic skills or knowing the answers to certain questions will not be enough. Paul argues that our current K-12 school system is not breeding creative students, and is not giving students a chance in the ever-changing work landscape. He maintains that in order to keep up with globalization, we need to be fostering in our children the ability to problem solve creatively, to anticipate patterns and meanings, to think abstractly, to ask 'why', and to be able to communicate, collaborate, and negotiate with others.

Written about 10 years ago - around the time of Frieman's book - this article talks about the myths and truths of globalization as it may affect our clients.

I thought this was a particularly interesting website as it touches on a lot of things that Friedman has mentioned in his book; including the focus on this weeks readings on education and a knowledge-based economy. It has articles outlining how China is overtaking the U.S in terms of how much money is spent on science and technology funding for example, showing how the developing countries are catching up with us in terms of their high-skilled, more innovative work.

This organization focuses on helping people further their education in order to improve their standard of living. This really aligns with Chapter 5 in Friedman's book, as he discusses how low-skilled workers must improve their education in order to obtain better positions (229). They have to do this as the jobs they were doing have been outsourced to other countries.

Hi, This website looks like a helpful resource for people considering self-employment. This particular article entitled: "Cloud Computer Basics for the Self-employed" examines how small business owners can benefit from taking advantage of "cloud computing."

TheSelfEmployed.com is a Web portal for all things self-employed. The site aims to be your one-stop-shop for everything you need to know to have a fun and successful entrepreneurial journey. At the site, you will find relevant articles, how-to videos, podcasts, forums, and special offers that are all deigned specifically for the self-employed.

This resource looks specifically at self-employment. I thought it would be a good website to post because self-employment is a growing form of work.

This short article is interesting in that it argues that despite being a job that can't be outsourced, the construction industry gets neglected and has a reputation for being a dirty job. It also points out the positives and possibilities within. It made me think how this industry could be a smart one to get into and will probably go through some changes in the coming years as it evolves due to the fact of more/different people getting into it because for the most part, it can't be outsourced (eg. hopefully women and not the typical "macho" type).

"The World is Flat" chapter 6 reveals that less young people are interested in science compared to the 'race to land on the moon' era which is really interesting, This website offers statistics on the most occupied college majors and business is overwhelmingly #1. People seem to want to make as much money as they can and the university I went to (Laurier) was very business dominated - so much they are building their own business building across the street!

After reading these chapter in "The World is Flat," in particular chapter seven, I was thinking about l education and what has been beneficial to my learning now and in the past. it reminded me of this video about the benefits of music. Music is and always will be very important to me, and I thought this video would be worth sharing.

In Chapter Seven, Freidman talks about Georgia Tech's investment in musical activities for their science students. This video gives an overview of the neurological research behind why playing music benefits the brain.

This is a video from a TV show called The News Room. ** There is some bad language. A girl asked the panel "Why is America the best country in the world?" I feel his answer epitomizes the idea of a shift. A lot of what he says reflects on how our economy only cares about money and making the most profit and not the person anymore. I know this is not the typical article we reflect on, but I feel we can benefit from listening to this. We might be Canadians but we can listen to this and understand. Our education is not the best; we do not have the most well-off middle class. We can all learn from this. Jillian

This article talks about a program at the University of Waterloo aimed at engaging children, at an early age, in science and technology skills. It mentions that our education system is not doing enough in this area, so tech companies are investing in these programs to enable students to have more exposure to these STEM opportunities.

This week I thought it might be interesting to look at the history of who has been admitted into Canada, and why. Immigration has a lot to do with our economy, and is one of the ways that the government can shape the workforce (and the general culture) of the nation. With our steadily dropping birthrate and aging population, it will continue to be an important part of Canada's workplace. I believe that immigration policy is one of the most explicit ways Canada makes its cultural and economic values know through cycles of liberal and conservative thought.

This is an interesting YouTube video of a talk Michael Sandel gave on the idea of outsourcing surrogacy to India and whether this is or is not exploitation - audience members also shared their thoughts.

Outsourcing as a form of exploitation - this article comments on the environment and working conditions in Apple's outsourced manufacturing facilities and that despite media coverage of this issue, the general pubic is more concerned with speed, innovation and price than the treatment of workers overseas.

This week is National Career Week and I wanted to post this interesting tool for the class to use - it asks you a series of questions related to your own career development and then provides you with a point on a chart to show your own career management skill and will.

A quick article that offers insight into how someone who is not of Generation Y feels those in the generation should be acting in order to be successful in their careers. Interesting from both a generational and a career perspective.