You have got the qualifications. And?

We are often told that it is all about the piece of paper that you earn, telling potential employers etc what level of education that you have studied to and so on. The reality is that the piece of paper (qualifications) is only just a part of the process to getting hired. The world out there is brutally competitive and with the worldwide recession, there is now even more choice for potential employers to pick from. This ultimately means that qualifications are not enough. it also means that employees should take note of the type of company that would match their own outlook and personality. Culture is not only a buzzword in a text book, but reality. Some companies want people to simply follow instructions, be Yes men and get on with it. Others want you to question, think out the box and push the envelope. Now you have considered the type of organisation that you want to work in, be honest with yourself and have a look at the organizations that best fit you and what you stand for. This also helps your preparation for interviews and when you are applying for positions. Read article.

Unions!!!!

You have no doubt heard about Trade Unions. They have featured quite heavily in the news. They were once formed to protect employees from unscrupulous employers. These days a lot of the protection is mandatory by law in terms of Health and Safety at Work, minimum wage, sex discrimination, age discrimination etc. On your syllabus in schools and college, you will cover Unions. Unions are generally a good thing if the system in general is both outdated and unrealistic i.e. layers of bureaucracy in education are being created, thereby stopping the teacher from teaching due to paper work. However, I feel that sometimes the greater picture is lost. The world is in a recession, there is less demand for products due to there being less money in the economy and in the world for that matter. Companies worldwide need to remain competitive if they are to remain in business and therefore have to make some difficult decisions. An analogy if you will. If there is a food shortage, people ration themselves.Its common sense! This way the food lasts longer and people live longer. However you could have one great feast and then die quicker. Think about that analogy and then read this article.

Merger

A merger between Boots Alliance and Walgreens is set to become the worlds largest healthcare retailers. The synergies between the two companies is set to or should I say hope to equate to more than the 2 separate companies. This should result in increased market share, higher turnover and profits. A greater number of retail outlets, sharing of products resulting in a wider product range, shared development costs, distribution costs and many more. This could also mean diseconomies in scale with regards  to communication and job losses as restructuring takes place. Could there be potential derailment if the culture and leadership of these two companies are not aligned. Article