Friday, November 9, 2018

Big Data: Delivering the Great Marketing Remake


Big Data in Marketing represents a complex transition from the old ways to a brave new world. While marketing specialists built up their acumen through the years, it has now become possible to deduce the crucial nuggets of leads and potential customers with ease. However, the journey towards perfecting such an ideal system is a bit of a long one and requires a strategic approach that looks beyond the immediate results. All that is required is to push past the initial reluctance and a world of opportunities beckons. At the same time, it is important that marketers are not forced into a disconnect with their traditional marketing planning and implementation. Big Data in Marketing is a great new tool that revs up the marketing arsenal into greater speeds than ever conceivable previously.

                                                   Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Bringing Marketing Executives into engagement with Big Data
One of the major obstacles in the implementation of Big Data in Marketing is that sales executives do not engage with the analytics. There is a reluctance to embrace the new technology. As this McKinsey Report of 2015 noted, lack of understanding leads to a failure in utilization and adoption of the tools. In one case, improvement of the interface of the system led to an improved rate of utilization. At that time, one of the three trends that were seen as helping to break this initial barrier was the ‘democratization’ of analytics wherein users without too much technical immersion were becoming able to apply predictive analytics easily. The other two were targeted solutions for specialized lines of business and easy automation of important analytical processes. The Report suggested going in for a scaled-up exercise through focus on areas such as pricing and credit management. This was seen as achievable-scaling across the enterprise in contrast to the initiation of pilots all across the board.

Analysing Customer Activities
A Forbes article has revealed that Chinese company Tencent has the capability to analyze its customers with 5000 tags. The company revealed that it had identified overlaps/correlations in interests of consumers that were not normally assumed or associated with the particular traditional target category.  The type of personality of a consumer can be built up by picking up patterns in browsing, calling, TV viewing, in a wider sense and in a more focused sense by Social Media activity, as this article in Nature discusses. Products relevant to the personalities are then brought into the ambit of the person’s digital environs. Even more organized, but without the actual customer being directly monitored, is the profile built up by an Advertising Agency through analysis of online behavior. This New Yorker article gives an example where 40,000 attributes are applied to each individual profile. Another insight from the article, though revealed in a privacy context, is that Facebook provides advertisers with 1300 categories of customers to target.

                                                   Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

These are a few of the possibilities that Big Data has created for the marketing world by way of the major multinationals. Implemented within the laws in force and with an adherence to privacy stipulations, Big Data in marketing has the potential to be a tool of immense value. As the New Yorker article also reveals, programmatic algorithms are used to select the targets for each ad with different versions of the same Ad. In the specific case cited, it is revealed that the versions created ran into the hundreds of thousands. In summing up, the article, an adaptation of the author’s book,” Frenemies: The Epic disruption of the Ad Business (and Everything Else),” talks about the potential of users opting to receive ads, while privacy concerns might be a bad thing for the Ad Agencies. Big Data, on the whole, is a great tool for responsible businesses in their marketing implementation. Going back to the Tencent capability, the company has developed a Big Data solution that serves out ads to customers that are useful to them in their shopping outings.

Reaching out to customers
Talking straight to customers whenever it is possible is also the way out at a time when customers are utilizing all available options to shut out advertising wherever it is possible. Big Data in Marketing delivers the capability to identify the right time to target customers with the specified mode of messaging. Some colleges in the U.S. have reached out to their students with admission offers on SnapChat. When it comes to devising products tailored to customer preferences, CocaCola has used a customer-operated flavor-mixing machine to identify the blend that customers would take to. Accordingly, it launched a new drink. Just within a website, there are so many points of data that can be collected and analyzed as is done by airlines in understanding the preferences and behavior of their customers. Devices held by staff on a plane containing all data of the flying passengers help the staff to connect personally with the passengers. Responding to different situations with the help of the knowledge they are presented with on their devices leads to higher customer satisfaction. Marketing becomes more efficient with the capability to address other needs of the customer such as Hotel rooms etc.

                                                              Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Giving customers exactly what they want
Just like the CocaCola example we saw, DunkinDonuts has created 15,000 types of coffee combinations. The company analyzes data on when and what each customer orders and uses it to personalize features on the App so that customers are able to quickly get exactly what they want. As customers come back to the brand, they are offered rewards of their preferred products. The company continues to work on its App and has identified those issues that its customers would like to have/not have in the App.

Big Data in Marketing is all about enhancing the customer experience while helping them get about their requirements in a systematic and synchronized manner. It is about the streamlining of business flow, the optics as well as the chemistry. It is a tool that marketers will love to have and will need to build up with consistent efforts.

Do you still not get what content marketing is? Get Started now


Getting to know your customers better is at the root of all marketing efforts in the age of rapidly-changing digital platforms. To get to know them better, one of the easiest ways is to constantly be following them and finding out all that they do during the day and when at home. Another fundamentally-different concept is to have them following you and for them to keep wanting to find out all that you do on your site and out there each day.

How to get your customers to follow you
This is the challenge of content marketing. Not only do you need to expand their horizons but you also need to get them to achieve better knowledge on their focus areas. The way to go about this is to identify and present well-researched content on the ever-expanding frontier areas of the sector that you operate in but also present the new products and services that you are developing with a sprinkling, in fact many sprinklings, of associated knowledge.

Creating informed customers
This leads to a playing field where you are completely connected to your customers in terms of every activity that your business is engaged in. This needs to be the fundamental quality that marks your business out to your customer as the entity that is striving at all times to deliver better quality of service as well as the best outcomes for all concerned.

Not niche just in appearance
When businesses engage in consistent research and development, it becomes fairly straightforward to engage with customers through all business cycles. Developing a brand image that keeps customers interested just because of the projected niche quality will not be sustainable in the fast-transforming era of digital automation where even the biggest brands can fall by the wayside if they do not consistently adapt.

How do you adapt to this era?
Content marketing is the sign of the times where information is no longer privileged or costly. Information is now free and available instantly. But, this does not translate to well-informed audiences. It only leads to the responsibility of being aware that information is the real entertainment, the real attention grabber.

When your customers are informed, they become a part of your drive towards the creation of better quality. To make them informed is to keep them in the loop of your business processes and their continual refinement. This is the mission statement.

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Fake News: From its past origins to future solutions


Fake News is news that is created either for political gain or for commercial gain. In the former form, it is extremely dangerous as it can lead to subversion of democracy. In the latter form, it might be less dangerous but it represents the most unscrupulous of fraudulent means of making a profit.

The U.K. Parliament has an ongoing Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee inquiry into Fake News. In a written submission to the Committee, Dr. Paul Dernal has presented instances of Fake News from 15th century Romania where traders spread fake news about the ruler and of religion-booksellers singing gossip about Cardinals in 17-th century France. During World War II, Germany resorted to radio broadcasts that were fake news about the shooting down of Allied planes and the sinking of Allied Ships in an effort to manipulate public opinion towards capitulation.

Fake news has been a major tool in the wars of the 20th century especially when used against enemies of a different ideology. It has been used much effectively in demonizing the enemy. In the age of the internet, there is a problem of explosive expansion of sites that are clamoring for the attention of consumers. While the tabloid type of journalism always gets more attention, the internet has given rise to sites that deal entirely in fake news, most probably to drum up support for some kind of cause. At the same time, ideological battles of the 60s and 70s seem to be making a comeback in the 21st century as well with the Presidency of Donald Trump possibly being at the center of the current upsurge.

WhatsApp has led to the creation of millions of groups each serving as a source of localized news but mostly working to spread fake news in the form of outlandish images or extreme attention-grabbing types of information or pictures. In India, WhatsApp groups that operate in rural or semi-urban areas have caused the deaths of innocent people by spreading news that people in a vehicle were involved in child kidnapping. People travelling to temples in the interior villages or those travelling to native places have been beaten to death because the offering of chocolates to children on the roadside had been misconstrued as a ploy to kidnap.

India has also witnesses religious polarization in the recent past. This has been further fuelled by the fabrication of fake news not only of recent events but also of actual historical events being presented in a motivated manner.

It has been discovered that quite a lot of Fake News that favored Donald Trump was viewed in the run up to the U.S. presidential elections of 2016. Facebook has accepted that it was at fault in not being more cautious on what was going on. The company has recently detected and banned some sites that it said were running spurious streams of information.

Taming the medium
Orson Welles’ broadcast of a Martian invasion on radio in 1938 has later been explained by the author himself as an attempt to make people question the credibility of the radio which was the WhatsApp of its age. The Columbia Journalism review has compiled a list of victims of Fake News with the Orson Welles incident forming the backdrop for its presentation. The list includes parents who had lost their children to gun violence being presented as lying on their loss and  ‘Hillary Clinton ballots’ having been found in a warehouse prior to the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.

The BBC has a Guide on identifying Fake News where it begins with two types of Fake News. The first is that which has been deliberately created for a purpose while the second is news that news which might be partially true with the untrue parts a result of the writers not checking the facts they were presenting in their articles or broadcasts. The first tip of BBC is to check whether the story has other sources on the internet. The second is to identify the organization that is presenting the news. The third is to check the name of the website to ascertain whether it is normal or looking spurious. BBC has many other recommendations in addition to these three crucial tasks for people before spreading or sharing a story.

However, at times, even an authentic-looking site might be having an agenda that is deceptive in nature as Time Magazine reported in a story about a breakaway faction of the American Academy of Pediatrics that was peddling an agenda. Scientific American magazine has reported a study on cognitive ability with the finding that people with lower cognitive ability were not able to change their opinions on a person even when they had discovered that their initial opinions were based on Fake News. The end result therefore is that Fake News does its damage and this damage persists. This is a serious threat to  the progress of civilization.

Serious attempts to fight Fake News are afoot around the globe with Singapore adopting an “integrated approach” similar to its fight against drugs. WhatsApp has brought in a feature wherein consumers can check and identify the originator of a particular message and if unclear can check the source of the story. Facebook has made acquisitions of AI firms focused on detecting Fake News.

A workshop held at Yale University has recommended ‘critical thinking training’ in public schools as well as ‘government-sponsored content literacy programs’ and algorithms being revamped to prevent their misuse. Prospective Democratic candidate for U.S. President in 2020, Elizabeth Warren has set up a ‘Fight Fake News’ page on her website where visitors can report all the details of the Fake News item they had stumbled upon.

It will take consolidated and comprehensive action across the board to fight this scourge. While laws need to be strengthened, people must also aim and strive to not wantonly engage in the propagation of Fake News just because it suits their ideology or thinking. Technology can and will find a solution but the removal of fake news from society requires society itself to evolve in a better way in addressing conflicting streams of thoughts and ideas.


Monday, January 22, 2018

Community Colleges- All you wanted to know about education and employment in the U.S.

As Digital Transformation becomes pervasive and Artificial Intelligence arrives as a major disruptor, the employment market is getting increasingly complex and competitive. Most traditional jobs are either getting revamped or altered in a complete fashion or just disappearing. In such a fluid yet dynamic situation, skills become required and necessitated in a super-quick pattern. The need of the hour is smart skills and also the ability to pick up new skills fast. Education is going to become continuous in the future leading to challenging and exciting careers and more satisfying lives.

Even in a normal, standard-paced scenario, while schools counsel students on the selection of career paths, students are not able to make a decision on the stream to opt for more often than not. The dismal news on the student debt front will also serve as a dampener for students looking to identify a graduation major. When students have connected with a skill or an activity that they enjoy, internships are a great way to get their feet wet while in High School in a business or factory/plant environment. For those who are not sure of their preferred career as well as those looking to find a cost-effective path to graduation, community colleges offer the ideal gestation ground.

Gestating ideas and careers
A community college makes it possible for students to get real focus onto their studies by way of several features of the system. The foremost beneficial feature is that the classes are small followed by the related element of teacher attention to every student as well as reduced workload on teachers. Of course, lower Tuition and Fees are among the top reasons to enrolling in Community College but the crucial element is that students know that they are able to work on all their weaknesses in a low-cost and low-stress environment. And then, they are also able to work part-time to develop their cash reserve for future academic and life pursuits. In beginning to focus on the importance of a two-year degree in today’s economic and commercial environment, a look at the overall education and jobs environment is imperative.

Department of Education
Betsy DeVos has recently advocated a move towards apprenticeship in making a pitch for a ‘major shift’ in higher education. The Secretary of Education requested businesses to partner with community schools and other similar institutions.

Job creation
In 2017, history has been set with job openings that have been created with the all-time top three months of job openings being set this year. They have crossed 6 million in four months of 2017. Data for job openings have been recorded since 2000.

Earnings
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 2016 revealed Median Usual Weekly Earnings for those with a Bachelor’s Degree at $1,156 while for those with an Associate’s Degree it was $819. The Unemployment rate for the former was 2.7 percent while it was 3.6 percent for the latter.

How many High-School Graduates go to college
As of October 2016, 69.7 percent of High School graduates of 2016 were enrolled in Colleges or Universities. The number of students who had graduated from High School from January to October 2016 was 3.1 million between ages of 16 to 24. About 2 of 3 of the 2.2 million enrolled in colleges were in 4-Year courses which make up about 1.6 million.

The National Center for Education Statistics Preliminary Data for 2016-17 released in July 2017 reported data on Degrees and Other Awards Conferred for 2015-16 and 12-Month Enrolment for 2015-16. In the 2016-17 academic year from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016, there were 1,995 2-year institutions among the 6,760 Title IV institutions in the United States. Of the 1,995, those within U.S. jurisdiction were 1,969 with the remaining 26 were situated in other U.S. jurisdictions. The number of Title IV eligible institutions granting a 2-year degree had been 1,732 in 2000-01.

Number of students
The NCES data for 12-month headcount 2015-16 at Title IV institutions offering 2-year degrees was 8, 985, 279 at Public institutions, 89, 188 at Private Non-profit institutions and 450,093 at Private For-Profit institutions.

Rate of completion of 4-year Degrees
At For-Profit Institutions granting a 4-year degree, only 42 percent of the 286,000 students received a bachelor’s degree while the count for public institutions was 64 percent. All data is with regard to Title IV institutions. Tuition and Fees increased in the last three years by 1 percent for For-Profit institutions and 4 percent for Public institutions. At Non-profit institutions, 53 percent students received a degree with fees going up 5 percent in the period from 2014-15 to 2016-17.

Breaking Down 2-year institution numbers
Of the total 1,995 institutions providing 2-year Degrees, 990 were public institutions, 842 were For-Profit Institutions while 163 were Non-Profit institutions.

Costs for a 2-year Degree
Tuition and Required Fees
In Public institutions, students from in-district paid $3,312 for Tuition and Required Fees for a 2-Year certificate in 2014-15 which went up to $3,479 in 2016-17. The corresponding figures for students from within the state were $3,875 and $4,087. If the student was from out of the state, the costs were $7,586 in 2014-15 and $7,937 in 2016-17. For Private Non-Profit institutions, the costs for Tuition and Required Fees were $14,282 in 2016-17 while they were $14,694 for Private For-Profit institutions.
Books and Supplies
Over Public, Private For-Profit and Private Non-Profit, the costs for books and supplies were in the range of $1,422-$1,627.
Room and Board
At Public Institutions and staying on campus, room and board cost $6,568 in 2016-17 while for off-campus not with family, the cost was $8,191. The corresponding figures for Private Non-Profit were $8,814 and $9,470. At For-profit, they were $10,308 and $8,466 respectively.
Other Expenses
At Public Institutions on campus, they ran up to $3,270 while at For-Profit they were $3,452 in 2016-17.
Total expenses
We have the following total costs
·        Public-within a state-staying on campus-$15,347
·        Private-NonProfit-within a state-staying on campus-$27,931
·        Private-ForProfit-within a state-staying on campus-$30,081

Among the 1,969 2-Year Institutions in the U.S., there were 990 Public Institutions and 830 For-Profit Institutions while Non-Profit Institutions numbered 158. It is to be noted that the number of For-Profit Institutions within the segment makes up 28.6 percent while it is only 17.7 percent for 4-Year Institutions. This reveals that the private sector sees more commercial prospects within the 2-year segment or it could be a factor of lower costs in beginning a 2-year institution.

2-Year Tuitions compared with 4-year Tuitions
Tuition and Required Fees at For-Profit Institutions are $16,011 for a 4-year course while they are $14,694 at a 2-Year For-Profit Institution. At public and non-profit institutions, Tuition and Required Fees for a 4-Year course are almost double that of those for a 2-Year course.

Rate of Student Persistence
The Community College Research Center (CCRC) has provided data of 55 percent persistence at one year for students who started part-time while it was 69 percent for students who started full time.

Developmental courses
The CCRC data on Developmental Courses shows that 35 percent of students beginning a two-year college took a remedial course in the first year. This data pertains to the period from 2003-2004 to 2011-2012. The NCES has reported that budget constraints have led to some states reducing the number of remedial courses. These states were Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia. Other states were trying to shift remediation to community colleges. These states were Illinois, Montana, Tennessee and Texas.

NCES data on remedial courses
According to a NCES report of September 2016, 41 percent of students at public 2-year institutions in 2011-2012 took a remedial course. Data for 2003-2009 stood at 68 percent for students who had enrolled in 2003-2004 and taking a remedial course in any field. Those taking multiple remedial courses across subjects were 26 percent. On average, a student taking remedial courses enrolled in three such courses. Those completing all the courses they had begun stood at 49 percent.

Link between Remedial Courses and Dropouts
Those who began a 2-year study program at a public institution and were weakly prepared opted for remedial math at 65 percentage points. Those taking a remedial course did so within three months of beginning college at 72 percentage points.

Key data on Remedial Courses in 2-year programs between 2003 and 2009 (Public Institutions)
·        68 percent of students enrolled for a remedial course
·        48 percent took two or more remedial courses
·        26 percent took courses across multiple subject areas
·        72 percent enrolled for a remedial course in the first term
·        49 percent completed all of their courses
·        35 percent completed some of their courses
·        16 percent completed none
·        73 percent who took one remedial course completed it
·        25 percent who took four remedial courses completed all four
·        41 percent weakly prepared students completed all courses taken
·        51 percent of moderately prepared students completed all courses taken

The NCES Report showed that students with weak academics who had completed a remedial math course were 11 percent less probable of dropping out of college in the first two years when beginning at a 4-year public institution.

Education formats at Community Colleges
Online courses are increasingly becoming commonplace with hybrid courses offering a mix of online and traditional coaching also being available. Accelerated Learning options are also available which allow for graduation in 15 months.

Occupations
In 2008-09, the top five in-demand professions in the 10-year projection for 2006-2016 included two jobs that needed a Bachelor’s Degree, two that needed Short-Term On-the-job training and one that needed an Associate Degree. The 10-Year Projections are revised every two years. At number one was Network systems and data communications which needed a Bachelor’s Degree, number two was Personal and Home Care Aides that needed Short-Term On-the-job training, number three was Home Health Aides which also required Short-Term On-the-job training, number four was Computer Software Engineers which required a Bachelor’s Degree and at number five was Veterinary Technologists and Technicians which required an Associate Degree.

Which industry led in the Past?
Among other jobs in demand in 2009-09 that required an Associate Degree were
·        Physical Therapist Assistants
·        Dental Hygienists
·        Environmental Science and Protection technicians

Looking at the period from 2004 to 2014, six of the top ten in-demand occupations did not require a Bachelor’s Degree. Five of the six were in the health care industry.

Which industry leads now?
In 2017, the top five in-demand professions in the 10-year projection for 2016-2026, there are none that need a Bachelor’s Degree. Health Care dominates again with three out of the top five in-demand jobs projected for the next decade with the other two jobs related to the alternative energy segment.

Top Five Jobs for 2017 and further
At number 1 is Solar Photovoltaic Installers which requires a High-School Diploma or equivalent. The median pay for 2016 was $18.87 per hour or $39,240 per year. There were 11,300 jobs in the segment in 2016 with projections for 105 percent growth over the next decade. Trade schools and Community Colleges have courses that train for the job such as Basic Safety and PV Knowledge to System Design. The duration of these courses can range from a few days to a few months. Important qualities for the job are Communication skills, Detail-Oriented towards accurately following instructions, Mechanical skills to work with electrical and mechanical equipment, Physical stamina towards climbing ladders frequently and Physical strength for lifting heavy equipment. A course in Photovoltaic Systems at a Community College is the best route to secure employment in this job.

At number two is Wind Turbine Service Technicians which requires a Postsecondary nondegree award. The median pay for 2016 was $25.13 per hour or $52,260 per year. There were 5,800 jobs in the segment in 2016 with projections for 96 percent growth over the next decade. Technical Schools and Community Colleges are the source of training for the job with certificates or associate’s degree in wind energy technology. Rescue,  safety and first aid, Electrical maintenance, hydraulic maintenance, braking systems, Mechanical systems and Programmable Logic Systems are among the skills needed for the job.

At number three is Home Health Aides which requires a High School Diploma or Equivalent. The median pay for 2016 was $10.66 per hour or $22,170 per year. There were 2,927,600 jobs in 2016 with projections for 40 percent growth over the next decade. 

At number four is Personal Care Aides which also comes under the same pay as Home Health Aides and is included in the job count projection for Home Health Aides.

At number five is Physician Assistants, number six is Nurse Practitioners and number seven is Statisticians all of which require a Master’s Degree.

At number eight is Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides. The Median Pay in 2016 was $21.77 per Hour or $45,290 per year. An Associate’s Degree from an Accredited Program is required for the job. There were 350 Associate’s Degree Programs for Physical Therapist Assistants in 2017. The subjects in the course include Algebra, English, anatomy, physiology and psychology. Important qualities for the job are compassion, detail-oriented, dexterity, interpersonal skills and physical stamina.

Other jobs that are trained in community colleges include
·        Medical Assistants who made $15.17 per hour in 2016 at 634,000 positions and
·        projected to grow 29 percent by 2026

·        Occupational Therapy Assistants or Aides

·        Fire Inspectors who might be required to have done a 2 or 4 year degree in Fire Science

Jobs that are not being filled

Machinists
There were 468, 600 Machinists in 2016 who were making $20.75 per hour or $43,160 per year. Growth over the next decade through 2026 is projected at 1 percent. Openings in the position arise from retiring workers. Two-year programs to train machinists or tool and die makers at community colleges and technical schools cover design and blueprint reading, use of welding and cutting tools and Computer Numerically Controlled machines.

General Maintenance and Repair Worker
Courses at Community Colleges in Mechanical Drawing, Mathematics, Computers, Electrical and Woodworking are relevant to this position that paid out $17.76 per hour or $36,940 per year to 1,432, 600 workers around the country. Growth for this job is projected at 8 percent over the next decade through 2026. Tasks in this job include painting, repairing of flooring, plumbing, electrical, air-conditioning and heating systems.

Rounding off the data, we can take a look at the jobs and unemployment rates which we started out with by looking at data for 2016.

Looking at the overall job scenario
As of 2001, persons who had a Bachelor’s or higher degree earned $832 a week. Those with an Associate Degree made $625 each week. Those with Some College with no Degree made $568 each week. Persons with a High School graduation or equivalent made $497 a week.

As of 2014, people with a Bachelor’s Degree only made $1,101 per week. Those with some college or an Associate Degree made $761 each week.

Unemployment Rates
As of August 2017, people with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher were unemployed at 2.4 percent. People with some college or an associate degree were unemployed at the rate of 3.8 percent in August 2017.

Moving from an Associate Degree to a Bachelor’s Degree
As and when a person wants to complete a Bachelor’s Degree, credits earned towards the Associate Degree can be used in the completion of the Bachelor’s Degree.

Why an Associate Degree is much more effective than a High School Graduation?
With durations of just 24 months and sometimes as short as 15 months, an Associate Degree provides a strong foundation both in terms of job stability as well as strength of skill.

New prospects in the digital economy
Associate Degrees in Multimedia, Digital Marketing are of immense value as they deliver just the right skills that businesses and employers are seeking out right now.

Is an Associate Degree enough for a good salary?
Associate Degrees that are in demand

Paralegal Studies
The Curriculum typically covers Introduction to Law and Ethics, Legal research and Writing, Business Law, Personal Finance, Employment Law, Contracts, American Government, Torts, Civil Litigation, Criminal Law, Real Estate Law, Family Law and Income Tax Fundamentals. Among career choices are Corporate Paralegal, Litigation Paralegal and Immigration Paralegal. Some Associate Degrees are framed for students who do not want to study further delivering all the information and knowledge that is needed for a career.
The 2016 Medium pay for a Paralegal was $23.80 per hour or $49,500 per year. The number of jobs in 2016 were 285,600. Growth projection for Paralegals through 2026 is at 15 percent which translates into an additional 41,800 jobs. As Law Firms try and improve business efficiencies, Paralegals might be required to take on responsibilities of Legal Secretaries which is a position that requires a High School Graduation that had median pay of $17.90 per hour in 2016. The demand for Paralegals is expected to increase given the focus on cost optimization by Law Firms. Corporations are also going to be seeking paralegals to avoid the costs of employing outside counsel.

Dental Hygienists
The Associate’s Degree in Dental Hygiene requires students to have taken Biology, Chemistry and Math in High School. The 2016 Medium Pay was $35.05 per hour or $72,910 per year at 207,900 positions. At 20 percent growth over 2016-2026, 40,900 more positions are projected to be created through 2026. This is a course that is much sought after leading to a high level of applications for limited seats.

Geologic and Petroleum technicians
A 2-year Associate’s Degree for this job can be based on mining or geosciences among others. The 2016 Medium Pay was $27.15 per hour or $56,470 per year. There were 15,000 positions in 2016 with 2,500 set to be added by 2026 at a growth rate of 16 percent. Support Activities for Mining constituted 25 percent of the positions while Oil and Gas Extraction constituted 23 percent followed by Engineering services at 12 percent. Important qualities for the job include analytical skills to study data and samples, Communication skills to interact with scientists and managers, critical-thinking skills to interpret scientific data, interpersonal skills and physical stamina.

Associate-Degree Jobs that are low-growth over the next decade
Air Traffic Controller
The job requires a degree from an Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative(AT-CTI) available school. There are 36 approved AT-CTI schools around the country which award two and four-year non-engineering aviation degrees. The subjects that are taught include aviation weather and reading charts. To be selected for the job, candidates need to pass drug screening and background checks, a Federal Aviation Administration pre-employment test, pass the Air Traffic Controller Specialists Skills Assessment Battery and also complete training at the FAA Academy with the academy training needing to be begun before 31 years of age.
The 2016 Medium Pay for Air Traffic Controllers was $58.85 per hour or $122,410 per year. There were 24,900 positions in 2016 with growth expected at 3 percent through 2026 to add another 900 positions.

Cost-effective education in securing an Associate’s Degree
Many 2-year institutions offer flexible tuition fees with options such as customization of monthly payments.

Flexible education pathway
Institutions that award 2-year degrees also allow students to choose and set their own study schedule with regard to the selection of subjects and the mode of coaching that they seek to receive.

Courses designed in partnership with industry
With the involvement of industry in the design of courses, a 2-year Associate’s Degree gets its most important advantage. Courses are framed to meet emerging requirements in industry at the same time that a shortfall is beginning to be encountered. Personal Coachers are made available at many institutions. The interactions between student and teacher or with the institution have all been brought into the mobile platform making it completely simple to plan and organize the learning journey.

Credits transferred into an Associate’s Degree
Any credit from a college that was attended prior to enlisting for an Associate’s Degree can be transferred in, the same way that credits earned towards the Associate’s Degree can be transferred out towards a subsequent enrolment for a Bachelor’s Degree. Some 2-year institutions also offer credits for the work experience that a person has gained prior to enrolment for the Associate’s Degree (or Bachelor’s Degree too).

Offers
Most 2-year institutions provide very interesting offers that are an incentive for those dithering on what track to get on to. Some of the deals offer almost-zero levels of initial payments and monthly payments as low as $50. Others offer semesters for free. Discount offers can range up to 20 percent or more. At many colleges, the tuition fees include study materials, career services and much more.




Sunday, December 3, 2017

What is Bitcoin and cryptocurrency?

Article written in June 2017 and published in December 2017

Crypto currencies are based on the use of cryptography, which is the practice of encoding messages for communication so that they are not understood by anybody who intercepts the communication. In the case of a currency, the coding is done so that another person who is on the network that uses the currency is not able to lay their digital hands on that held by the rightful owner. The procedure that is followed to ensure that all transactions with a currency unit are carried out only once and not ‘double-spent” is based on the implementation of a peer-to-peer network. Such a network is one which does not have a centralized server, in other words, all the systems in the network are peers. When was this model for a digital currency evolved?

Satoshi Nakamoto
Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency. The Paper that specified the alogorithm and procedure for Bitcoin was written by Satoshi Nakamoto, whose identity is not known and it can an individual or an entity. Nakamoto presented the paper in 2009 and left the project in 2010. Bitcoin is run by all its users. The concept behind it also involves all users also known as peers working on its implementation.

Peer to Peer Model
The peer-to-peer model works through the involvement of the entire network of users in the production and utilization of the crypto currency. The core method is the application of a cryptographic hash function. This is a function that takes data of any size and converts it into a string of bits, with the string being of a fixed size. The procedure is called hashing. As laid out by Nakamoto, each transaction is hashed, i.e., represented by a fixed string of binary digits(bits), into an “ongoing chain.” This becomes a record that cannot be changed without the chain being redone. The chain that is thus created, termed as a block chain, is available with every user of the network.

Doing the math for confirming a bitcoin transaction
The process of hashing i.e., the conversion of network timestamps into bits, requires computing power which is supplied by each user. When the owner of a coin pays, the hash of the previous transaction is transferred along with a digital signature as well as a public key of the new owner of the coin. As each timestamp is used to create a hash and the ongoing hashes, the chain reveals the utilization of a coin in the first instance and so it cannot be used a second time by a rogue user.

Effort(energy) required
The confirmation of a transaction is called “Mining” and requires the utilization of a CPU. This requires scanning for a value so that the bit string conforms to certain specifications. The specification is that the bit string must have a number of zeros at its start. The calculations become exponentially tougher as the number of zeros are higher. The mathematical computation involved is for the identification of the right number that can be combined with the block can yield the bit string with the specified number of leading zero bits. The computation involves billions of calculations per second.

Proof of Work
After the calculation is completed by the CPU, which is termed as Proof of Work, the block is completed. The block is the cryptographic proof that the order of transactions is secure. When a transaction takes place, it is communicated to all nodes on the system. Every node then starts to gather new transactions into a block.

Creation of new Bitcoins
A confirmation might not be needed if the users know and trust each other. A single confirmation by a node of a transaction can suffice for smaller transactions whereas larger transactions would need six confirmations. The more confirmations there are, the lower are the risks. The average rate of addition of blocks to the chain is one every ten minutes. When a miner verifies a transaction, they get a reward in the form of newly-generated Bitcoins. When the number of Bitcoins reaches 21 million, issuance of new units will be stopped.

Spending the cryptocurrency
There are many types of wallets that can be used to store and transact. They are available in the form of mobile wallets, desktop wallets, hardware wallets and web wallets. The wallets needs to be kept secure and must have backups. If the wallet is on a user’s phone, it needs to be encrypted. Hardware wallets are devices that are built solely for bitcoin storage. In a user’s wallet, private keys will be stored. A transaction for spending the currency will be signed by the user with this private key. The person receiving the currency will have to provide an address, which is not used again for any other transaction. The spender has control over the selection of any fees that may be required for the transaction.

Buying Bitcoin
Bitcoin can be bought at exchanges dealing in it in exchange for other currencies. The denomination that is used is known as ‘satoshi’ with one Bitcoin equal to 100,000,000 Satoshis. One Bitcoin is represented by BTC.

Exchanges in India
·        BTCXIndia
·        Coinsecure
·        Unocoin
·        Zebpay

Advantages over normal currencies
·        No processing fees by a central authority
·        No other unwanted charges can be levied on a purchase
·        Individuals are insulated from fraud
·        A transaction cannot be reversed
·        Personal data is not required for a transaction
·        No delays on international transactions
Disadvantages are primarily about the volatility of the value of the currency.

Current value of bitcoin
Bitcoin has risen nearly 500 percent in the last year, and 50 percent in May of 2017. In June 2017, it had been maintaining a range of between $2000 and all time high of $2791. As more countries have begun to look closely at the crypto currency, there is an expectation that demand will be high in the coming days. The BTC value in India in June was around 178,000. The Government of India is currently seeking suggestions from the public on cryptocurrencies. Update: In early December BTC has risen to above $11,000 and in Indian Rupees is trading at 75200.

Competitors
There are many other crypto currencies in the wake of Bitcoin, with Ripple coming second. A prominent competitor is Ethereum which has grown rapidly from $8 at the beginning of 2017 to over $200 in May.

Last Word

Bitcoin has been projected to grow rapidly as is the case currently too. Its competitors are also all growing. However, volatility is a fundamental feature. It can be used as an alternate asset at the moment while not yet being at the level of a regular investment. People must avoid making any investments in Bitcoins with their primary cash and savings.

Saturday, September 16, 2017

A series on taxi service apps-1

Curb Passenger App

Curb delivers the most extensive network for a Taxi service around the U.S. with coverage of 65 cities. Curb delivers a different level of security when compared to other apps with its verified driver roster. In each city, drivers who have certified licenses and insurance according to local specifications are registered. This makes it a Taxi app that provides total secure rides to its users as it does not stop with ensuring quick hailing but also goes ahead and creates a secure pathway to your destination.

Connect with a huge customer base
Taxi services that plug into Curb get customers across the U.S. to serve while maintaining the high standards that Curb applies to drivers. This ensures that any fleet that works with Curb has a high quality threshold by meeting the guidelines laid down by Curb. Not only do Transportation Service providers get customers across the country but also maintain zero tolerance for unprofessional drivers. When a professional driver utilizes the Curb app, they are assured of regular customer bookings with more rides per shift than the rest of the apps in the market.

Online booking avenue
Curb also provides the option to go in for online booking which is very useful when you are planning well ahead of your journey and need to customize various facets of your travel plan. At the same time, you can make bookings right from your app. The online experience is for those who like to do it with a bit more detail. Customers can plan for a trip 24 hours in advance. A crucial differentiator with Curb is you can make the payment with cash if you want to do so, thereby not closing any channel of payment that the customer might prefer.

Choice of vehicle
In addition to choice of payment, Curb also provides choice of vehicle which is a very crucial parameter for some customers.

Pair and Pay
Customers can hail a taxi on the streets and then pair the service up with the app.

Wide network of Taxi drivers
Curb is not confined to professional taxi drivers but also includes any for-hire driver after all the mandatory approvals with regard to local standards and insurance.

Payment is instantaneous
Curb delivers automatic payment leading to a complete elimination of any interaction between devices or any dialogue between the driver and the customer. A default tip percentage is applied with the automatic payment feature, which can be changed by the customer to set the tip percentage of their choice. Tips can be set for future rides and tips on past rides too can be adjusted down the line by contacting support.

Unique add-ons
Customers who want to engage Taxis for an event that they are organizing can get in touch with Curb and organize a more customized hail and dispatch.

Credit Card benefits
With credit card being essential in some jurisdictions, the payback for customers comes in the form of promos that add a great way of bringing down some of your customer’s transportation bills. Credit cards can be added by using a smartphone to scan the card and after the scan is configured by the App, entry of the expiration date completes the addition of the card to the account. With such ease of card addition, there is absolutely no extra effort needed by customers to get their payments off and running. The same can also be done by going through the menu of the app.

No worry about lost articles
When you lose some object on your Curb App ride, all you need to do is log into your account and identify the company whose service you have utilized.

Sharing benefits
Curb users can convert their travel into a shared one by sing the app to set the destination as well as the number of people that they want to share their ride with. After the request is confirmed, a nearby location where the travel will originate is notified to the customer. Such comprehensive customer benefits are not available in many other taxi apps. This feature is available in specific areas within New York City which can be identified on a map on the app. Once the ride is confirmed, four minutes are allowed before the ride can be started while the passenger who joins in has two minutes to reach the pickup spot.

Getting receipts
Curb will send customers receipts for the ride within 24 hours. Customers can also log in to the site and get their receipt mailed to them.

Using Curb without an account
The taxi company that customers frequent can be used to get the transaction routed through Curb but many features might not be available through this avenue.

Completion of the journey

Curb is completely paperless for customers who want to eliminate all hassle from their journey. It is this feature that makes it a futuristic mode of travel wherein customers can get their taxis in a matter of minutes, complete their journey and exit the vehicle without loss of any time for completion of the payment.

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Stress in the workplace

Stress is Good
When Stress becomes an apparent issue, it is time to realize that you have entered a phase of intense activity at the workplace. It is an indication of your responsibilities becoming bigger and your career gaining exponentially in terms of expertise. To rise up to the occasion, the first step is to acknowledge that you are being required to deliver more as you have developed the foundation for the same. This is the time to make the move towards aiding yourself to cope with the responsibilities better.

Turning insecurity into resourcefulness
If you are having insecurity with regard to your abilities to handle added responsibilities, planning and learning are the key words to address it. This stress is good because you have identified the areas that need more focus, either consciously or sunconsciously. All that remains to be done is to work out the ways to address them with the development of a mission statement for the particular challenges. By linking with the required resources, half the stress is addressed while the remaining half is overcome with a roadmap for application of the resources.

Ramp up communication

Communication is crucial in creating the right atmosphere for all reactive and resourceful action plans to be put into practice. Develop a new vocabulary of communication to handle the new or the unfolding situation that is causing the stress. In the long run, stress is good because it drives you to make the changes required to wade through it and perform your responsibilities to the most optimum. Step up into a rich new phase of both your professional and personal life.