A rich man's world

What is business and why is it so often characterised as “cheating” corporations who are forced to disregard ethnics? Why is it that to be successful in business, one is encouraged to compete? I see this when I looked into sweat shops, pirate fishing, and drugs given to cows to enhance milk production disregarding the rights of animals, children and indeed, the rights of consumers all in the name of profit.

When one talks about change, we classically think of people like mother Teresa or Gandhi. It is much harder to think of names of those in business who have made a positive impact. With business being characterised by competition and self interest, it is safe to say that had it worked on a more social ethos, the world of business would be a very different place today. For a global change to occur, the mindset of corporations and institutions that run our planet, need to shift towards equity and collective human need. And, yes, I know change is always much more easily said than done and these thoughts may seem to come across as over simplistic. However, I do believe that there is within every state, a much more powerful force than governments and businesses themselves. It is this power that resides in the very grip and determination of every person in every nation which holds the potential for change. This can be seen by the uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia and more recently, Libya demonstrating how people power can change a whole regime. Of course, I am not advocating that we take up rifles and shoot them in open air, but through an intellectual and civil manner, come together to challenge the world of business today. Without this changing, we indeed need to carry on feeding orphans and saving lives through charity, but the pertinent question maybe ‘why should there be such a gulf between those that have, and those that have not?’ .

Communication or language is the foundation of understanding forming mindsets, knowledge and education. Whether we are business folk working in large corporate machines or simply a student, we can all take action and make a difference in everything we feel passionately about. Wanting to write about this all in a short blog led me to write a poetic piece about words and the power of the pen to educate a new mindset of positive action for proactive change. This does not mean we all need to become members of green peace, hug trees and become hippies. It means we all need to be aware of the way the world works. We all need to be aware of the systems that shape our everyday lives as well as the lives of future generations we today are responsible for.


Hena Ahsan is a recent graduate from The University of Warwick with a MA in Islam in Contemporary Societies. Having completed a BA Degree from the University of Leicester in Sociology, English and Politics combined she contributes the following poetic addition.


‘The Nib of Change'


There is something artistically creative about writing. Its sensual nature made to softly embrace the mind yet powerfully penetrate to leave a lasting impression. An emotion so raw, so gripping it captivates the reader into sharing the same exact emotion. Like many art forms, writing can hold a million meanings. It can be beautiful or ugly, or more dramatically, its impact be likened to a bolt of thunder or even like candles lighting up the darkness. It captures a mental storm. Brewing though emotion like Van Gough ending with one ear and Picassos paintings of perfection and painful precision. It embraces the warm gentle touch of a loved one; or emotion transcending ones understanding. It captures a story revealing a philosophy, meaning and history all held at the very nib of a simple pen. The beauty of language intertwined as lovers, like the hand to the glove that fits so perfectly. And the power of the words to cause damage or hurt when meant to kiss like an iron fist! The hold this takes on the pride of a man, makes him cold to learning from the wisdom of the old. The icemaker chipping his way to perfection, the writer feels her words like lyrical music and the artist strokes his brush to dazzle a blank canvas. The writer discovers Jewells that live deep inside her mind as she sees the hidden gems she never knew she could find. In this she finds an inner hunger for change the way great women and men have caused the world to change. Change comes from ones thoughts and feelings which are inspired by the legacy of the footprints of others. As the ink flows, let the ink of action turn us into artists. Let us write to pioneer and influence the change within ourselves and the world. Let us own and mean our words, let us be the nib of change.

Race against Mind?

Is there any justification behind the idea that some races are just more intelligent than others?

The topic of race and intelligence is one of the most tabooed topics of discussion amongst biologists and psychologists. However, it is one of the most hotly debated ideas behind the closed doors of many of the most learned individuals of our time. The idea that one particular race or skin colour is genetically smarter than another race has been accused of being akin to intellectual racism. Many have used these ideas of racial intellectual inferiority to justify atrocities ranging from slavery to the Holocaust. And yet, what makes this discussion ever weightier is that many of the individuals who propagate these ideas, have been held as the smartest minds in their field, until they proposed such a claim.

The idea of their being a correlation between race and intelligence goes back to Darwinian times. Darwin himself declared that there may be a case for arguing that those of a Sub-Saharan ethnicity could be less evolved than the rest of the human species, and thus less intelligence. Indeed, one can identify this as being a cause for legitimising slavery, which as we all know was rife at the time of Darwin. But the idea still remains to this day, mainly supported by IQ tests from America that show that on average African Americans score significantly lower than White Americans, who in turn score lower than Asian Americans. Further tests on populations around the world identify that East Asians as having the highest average IQs, followed by Europeans, then South East Asians, Native Americans, South Asians, North Africans, sub-Saharan Africans and finally Aborigines and Bushmen. Scientists have been quick to point out that there are Aborigines at the upper echelons of the IQ chart, whilst simultaneously there are East Asians at the lower spectrum, but the statistics do show a startling story.

However, on reflection, what precisely is this story? To a casual reader, it will simply state that some races are on average smarter than others (which it does show), and thus the basic inference is that some races are smarter. However, readers of these blogs and of the HPD magazine will be quick to realise that there is always more to this than meets the eye. Firstly, what is the IQ test, and what is it used to identify? A simple answer is a test of your verbal and mental skills, though this of course is a complete simplification, and one urges the reader to delve a little further into the matter. But for argument sake, let’s use this basic definition. These skills that are tested were decided upon by William Stern, based upon intelligence tests created by leading psychologists such as Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon. Note that the creators were all of European descent. A new and leading argument is that the test, whilst it does measure intelligence, is biased towards the skills of a particular race. But do these skills have any relevance in the Australian outback where I doubt the Europeans would survive and adapt as well as Aboriginal Bushmen.

Another leading criticism of the results of IQ tests is that it does not take into account other factors which may turn up in a particular race, but does not reflect a genetic trend. Rather, social and environmental circumstances lead to discrepancies in the results. One could easily correlate between economic backgrounds and intelligence and show that by having a higher income, one could have a higher IQ result. Of course, once these arguments are laid out in front of us, we can then begin to appreciate why links with race appear. It is a well known fact that in most western, multi-cultural societies, those with African ancestry tend to come from poorer backgrounds, and this in turn can mean fewer opportunities to raise their income, regardless of their intellectual ability.

This blog is merely food for thought; one cannot hope to answer the question or get to the bottom of the entire issue in less than 800 words. But we can begin to identify how to understand the issue beyond its veneer, right down to the influences from unobvious factors. This debate will rage on for many years, but with enough intelligent thinkers (researchers, scientists and of course HPD readers!), this topic can be explored and discussed with open thinking, as opposed to polarised debates, where ideas come second to argumentative abilities. I hope the new blog formats create as much thinking as possible, and we look forward to your thoughts.

Vinay Trivedi

Facelook

Almost every young, aspirational professional has some sort of social networking account and it’s most likely to be a Facebook account. In March 2010, Facebook announced its user base had reached 350 million worldwide and an average of 35 million users updated their status each day. So I thought I’d login to my Facebook account and see what’s currently being updated.

“... I wish I wasn’t at work”, “...is eating Ice Cream”, “...had a wonderful time shopping with Ally” – none of these comments seem to conjure up images of aspiration!

I’ve always seen Facebook as a self-marketing tool and by marketing I mean perception. We all have the opportunity to transmit our own thoughts, images, ideas and videos to a community who are all doing the same thing. We are all products and are constantly looking for ways to market ourselves. However, where most users have suffered is by trying to market a product that they’re not. If I’m a naturally quiet person should I highlight that on Facebook too? The chances are that I probably wouldn't.

Just by looking at a friend’s profile page I can see a mismatch of characters, a mismatch of personalities, and a mismatch of ambitions. He has 263 images on his profile; 217 are of him on a night out, 19 of him on holiday, 17 of him when was at university and 10 of him at a football game.

This is a profile of a person who works as an IT consultant, has recently been married, spends most of his time at home with his wife. The 263 images of him on a night out were taken on two separate occasions, yet it’s the domineering force of his profile. Is that a rational reflection of his life? Well no, he spends most of his time at work and with his wife; if anything, his profile should illustrate how much he loves his occupation and wife. Here is a classic example of a misconception of a life.

Shamefully, this misconception can come at a costly price. Facebook is an add-on to your ego and if mismanaged can delude you beyond belief. We have to be wary of what we do with our Facebook accounts because ever so slowly our accounts are believed to be you; your Facebook account is you.

Every aspirational professional should deeply consider what they’re profile emits about them. You should be looking to use it to your advantage. If you’re passionate about computers let your profile reflect that. If you’re interested in investment banking, join groups that can reflect that interest. If you enjoy sports, post relevant sport articles that can reflect that enjoyment.

A recent survey conducted by Careerbuilder.com, found that a staggering 20% of employers reviewed candidates social networking pages before hiring. Of that 33% admitted to not offering a position due to inappropriate content on profile pages.

At the end of the day, you have the choice to create, you have the choice to decide and the choice to change.

Does your profile reflect you and your ambitions?

The World is your Oyster!

Experiences are king in the world of graduate recruitment; they are viewed as the best mediums for learning, and can open doors in unimaginable ways. We spoke with Celia Pronto, Marketing Director with STA Travel, to find out how STA are encouraging students, graduates and young people throughout the country to explore, engage and educate their minds abroad.

STA has made a name and reputation for itself within the student market; what aspects of the way STA work has helped to bring this about?

STA Travel has an established network of branches in some universities across the world, so it has always been synonymous with student travel. However it’s a common misconception that STA Travel is just for students. It caters for all young people looking for amazing experiences abroad and has great value fares and adventures for everyone aged 18-35. Today, most students spend a lot of time online and STA Travel’s focus is as much on social media as it is on more traditional media to ensure we’re communicating to this market effectively.

How do you identify what the student market want, and how do you tailor your services to cater for these needs?

The student market of today is looking for value as well as an amazing experience. We offer a huge range of great deals for students and under 26’s, combined with inspirational ideas for their travels or gap year. We also have other travel essentials that are really useful for the budget conscious student market. For example, the STA Travel MasterCard helps students avoid travel debt. It’s accepted pretty much everywhere but is not a credit card so you can only spend the funds you load onto it. You also don’t pay any interest on purchases - so if you buy a £30 suit in Vietnam, all you will pay is £30. It can also be used as an ATM card to withdraw local currency.

How has STA dealt with the recent ‘Volcanic Ash’ situation, and has this effected the deals and services provided?

The volcanic ash situation was unprecedented and we were entirely focused on helping our customers change their travel arrangements as easily as possible. We waived any STA Travel administration costs for itinerary changes during this period to help minimize the impact on our customers. Despite the ash cloud we still have some great deals available but we advise our customers to book early to take advantage of the most competitive fares.

As well as holiday packages, what does STA do to encourage student travelling experiences and packages?

There are several things STA Travel does in order to encourage young people to travel. Firstly, STA Travel offers extremely competitive prices for everyone. In addition, we have exclusive agreements with some of the world’s largest airlines, which enables us to offer students and those under 26 even lower fares – making it even more affordable for them to travel. We also offer a vast range of trips, experiences and tours at different prices and lengths of time, as well as volunteering programmes, language courses and Working Holiday Visas to places like Australia and New Zealand.

We truly offer something to suit all personalities and all aspirations, whether it’s chilling out on a beach and island hopping around the Greek Islands for a month, travelling the four corners of the globe for two years or volunteering abroad looking after lion cubs, helping to conserve the Galapagos Islands or teaching underprivileged children in Vietnam. Additionally, we are dedicated to providing our customers with the best possible service, so visiting a branch and speaking to our consultants is sure to be a positive, inspiring experience, and with sound, expert guidance, catering to the unique needs of each individual and encouraging each traveller to be the boss of their own adventures. .

What are the benefits of the World Traveller Internship, and how do you feel this can add to the experiences and skills-set of the modern graduate or student?

There is no doubt that travelling increases employability. Not only does it broaden horizons and encourage people to be more open-minded and accepting of the world, it also challenges people to get along with each other, to learn to compromise and to be confident when dealing with unfamiliar people and cultures. The STA Travel World Traveller Intern Programme really fosters these skills by taking two interns around the world on a three month trip to unearth the very latest “must sees” and “hidden gems” across the globe. We’ve just sent two interns off on the programme, who have never previously met. They have real responsibilities and must behave in a professional and organised manner, feeding back their learnings to STA Travel and reporting what they’ve found in an articulate and engaging manner through a host of social media channels. It really is an ideal addition to any CV.

Finally, what can you advise students who are looking to make the most of their gap years or holidays, and what can this add in terms of skills and experiences for their career and for their lives?

More importantly than anything else, follow your dreams and not be held back by fear of the unknown! Travel to places you’ve dreamt about visiting and make the most of the time you have at each destination. Make an effort to get to know the local culture and traditions, the local way of life and its people. This will help to broaden your mind and create a more accepting mind-set, which is infinitively important in the world of work, where it’s essential to be able to see the points of view of others.

However there are certain things you can do to make sure you get the best out of your time away, in the safest possible way. It’s important to plan ahead; this doesn’t mean following a regimented itinerary, as spontaneity can yield amazing experiences. It is good to do some research on the destinations you’re going to. Have an idea of a few key things you want to see and do, find out the logistics of getting to certain places and how much activities you are interested in are going to cost. STA Travel can help you plan your trip and advise on experiences and tours to suit individual requirements and budgets. Planning will help you ensure you stick to your budget, and get the best out of your time.

STA Travel recommends volunteer work, for those who want to go on a meaningful trip. Giving something back to the world can have a very inspiring effect and spur you on to pursue goals that you feel passionate about, such as tackling poverty and helping to protect the environment. Volunteer work also has a very positive effect on employability. It demonstrates a strong work ethic, a passion and the ability to work well with new people as a team.

But regardless of your reasons to go travelling, what you will learn, intentionally or otherwise, will last with you for a lifetime, and that to me seems a good a reason as any!