Why Can’t Today’s Graduates Get Hired? – Weekend Readings

Why can’t today’s graduates get hired?

The Globe and Mail · Here are some stories from the new world of work.A 29-year-old woman (I’ll call her Chris) is trying to land a job as a communications professional. She’s a personable self-starter, with undergraduate and master’s degrees from good universities, plus two diplomas. Currently she’s working at her third unpaid internship, which basically consists of getting coffee and fixing…

Financial Freedom – Boomer & Echo

Financial Freedom · A former colleague stumbled upon this blog recently and sent an email asking for some guidance on his financial situation. David (name has been changed) works in the public sector in Alberta and is a married father of three young children. Here’s what he wrote: I am one of those folks who abhors debt of any kind – not just consumer debt, but also mortgage, car – doesn’t matter. My wife and I purchased our first home back in 2010….

SHOULD YOU LEASE OR BUY YOUR NEXT CAR?

Canadian Finance Blog · One of the oldest ongoing conversations in the world of cars is the lease vs. buy debate. There are passionate arguments on both sides of the debate, but what it really comes down to is your individual situation, and which approach would truly be right for you. Buy vs. Lease Thinking of leasing your next vehicle since the monthly payments would be smaller? First, understand that there is more to the cost of…

 

American Schools vs. the World: Expensive, Unequal, Bad at Math

The Atlantic · The U.S. education system is mediocre compared to the rest of the world, according to an international ranking of OECD countries. More than half a million 15-year-olds around the world took the Programme for International Student Assessment in 2012. The test, which is administered every three years and focuses largely on…

This holiday, consider skipping the gift card and giving cash instead

The Globe and Mail · Cash or plastic?I’m not referring to how you pay for gifts this holiday season, but rather how you should present someone with a monetary gift, if you decide to go that route. For those who give gift cards, a gift of physical cash versus a gift card worth the same amount could actually be more…

Colleges are teaching economics backwards

www.washingtonpost.com · “The world has changed, the syllabus hasn’t.” That’s the motto of the Post-Crash Economics Society, a group of students at the University of Manchester who demand reforms to the way undergraduate economics is taught in light of the worldwide economic crisis. Similar activism is occurring in other elite undergraduate institutions: There was the well-publicized Open Letter to Greg Mankiw from students in the introductory economics class at Harvard, during…