#job vacancies july 2019

[cbibankrd]

CBiBank Research Department: Global Debt Shrinks for Two Consecutive Years; Yet Uncertainties Loom: An IMF Report

By Billy Jackson

Despite a consecutive two-year drop in global debt, it remains pertinaciously high, having surged during the pandemic, reports the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The current total debt is valued at $235 trillion, or 238% of the global GDP. Although it's a drop from 2020's 258%, it surpasses the 2019 figure of 229%.

Over the past couple of years, public debt has seen only an 8-percentage point reduction in terms of GDP. This implies that only half of the surge, stemming from pandemic-induced expenditure, has been mitigated.

China's extensive borrowing, growing faster than its economic surge, has significantly contributed to this situation. Remarkably, China’s non-financial corporate debt, standing at 28% of its GDP, tops the global chart. The IMF highlights, "Persistent fiscal deficits have kept public debt levels high, as numerous governments amplified their spending to accelerate growth and counter the spikes in food and energy prices, even as pandemic-specific fiscal aids were terminated."

The IMF presses on the urgency for governments to implement measures to decrease debt vulnerabilities and to reverse the long-standing debt trajectories. They emphasize that easing debt pressures can pave the way for new investments, which in turn can spur economic growth in the ensuing years.

Meanwhile, expectations for China's economic growth have been scaled down. Predictions now anticipate a 5.0% growth this year, a drop from the previously estimated 5.5% in July. Even though retail sales and industrial outputs surpassed anticipations in August, the significant downturn in the property market, which holds about 70% of household wealth, is weighing down on the economy. Additionally, with the yuan seeing a 6% decline against the dollar this year, Chinese companies will face tighter scrutiny when undertaking bulk US dollar transactions.

In the US, the month of August witnessed the swiftest increase in consumer prices in 14 months, at 0.6%. The predominant driving factor was gasoline, leading to a rise in annual inflation for the second successive month, totaling 3.7%. However, given that the core inflation, which excludes food and energy, marked its smallest increment since September 2021, the Federal Reserve might withhold interest rate hikes in the imminent week.

Over in the UK, the GDP for July saw a sharper contraction than anticipated, recording a 0.5% monthly dip. While abnormal rainfall adversely impacted retailers and the construction sector, strikes within the healthcare sector further stressed the economy. Other economic indicators point towards a slowing momentum, with rising unemployment and job vacancies dropping below the 1 million marks, a first in two years.

[pursuingheavenonearth]

Is it time for a 'radical' change? Maybe not.

by 

David Lewis Brooks

My bare feet, photo taken June 2023 on the steps of Hostal Casa de Huespedes San Fernando, Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), Spain

PREFACE:  This article was written over several weeks from August 18 until September 20, 2023, after I returned from my second overseas trip that summer.     

When one comes to end of his/her professional career, it is not always easy to decide what to do or where or how to find an avocation or a new vocation to keep oneself occupied productively in the last Third of One's (Current) Lifespan.  Over the approximately three and a half years since I officially retired from work (university teaching and research job), I have dabbled a bit in several possible Third Life career moves, but none of them has panned out into any satisfying work or job offers.  

Basically, I am staying at home and being the wise, but quiet, granddad to the Brooks-Yamaguchi family. Our older son, also an Associate Professor,but at Asia University (not too far from our home) lives with his Japanese wife and two daughters, aged 7 and 5 years old).  His wife, Yuki, works as a student affairs officer (foreign student admissions) at KUFS (Kanda University of Foreign Studies), located a short bicycle ride from our homes. I say 'homes' since we live just a block away from our son's and his family's residence. 

I had first joined the teaching staff at Kitasato’s Sagamihara campus in April, 1996, as an emergency teacher recruited by Prof. Yukio Seya in March of that year to fill a sudden part-time English teacher vacancy.  

Photo taken August 2023 at the circular roundabout road, about 400 meters from the East Side entrance to Tama Bochi Cemetery, Fuchu, Tokyo. These are crepe myrtle trees in full bloom from July to October annually. It's a bit rare to have two large crepe myrtle growing side-by-side in the cemetery, so they are a favorite sight on our daily dog walks into the Tama Bochi (cemetery). 

I was subsequently employed as a full-time teacher member of the English Language Unit a month into  the school following year, and has continued in the position of Associate Professor until my mandatory retirement in March 2019. Why a month later start? Actually, I was a part-time teacher with 6 weekly classes, which was the same as a full-time teacher's workload. By then asking that I be made a full-timer (once I was already employed), then they didn't have to open the 'new' position up to public applications from both presently employed part-timers as well as outsider. It was a strategic political employment move. I continue for three years as a contract (full-time) employee, before being made full-fledged faculty member (Assistant Professor), and eventually attained Associate Professorship in approximately 10 years further.  I never considered even asking to be a Full Professor because I considered that my Japanese language skills were not sufficient to complete all of the duties required a full professor.  However, I will never actually know if I was considered qualified to seek that promotion or not, because my own Department Head retired and I had several other colleagues that I would have had to compete with to become Professor Brooks.  More money, but more work and many ore headaches (if you ask me). Therefore, I happily remained an Associate Professor until I retired in March 2019.  Retirement became mandatory at the age of 65 year-of-age for all, but esteemed Professor Emeritus, of which there were one appointed every couple of years. 

After my official retirement, I was asked to teach one further year as an Adjunct Professor under a part-time teacher's salary for five courses on three days a week (Mondays - one class, Tuesday - 2 classes and Thursday - 2 classes). This arrangement, by the way, was how I started teaching part-time at Kitasato University first in the 1996-97 academic year.  

Photo taken at sunset in August 2022 Diamond Head Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii       

          After his retirement,  David L. Brooks had intended to remain as an adjunct professor at Kitasato University for one or two days a week,  he'd likely be teaching part-time as well at Aoyama Gakuin University for two graduate or undergraduate courses, and may also be working on a volunteer basis in the part-time position at the University’s Office of International Affairs from April, 2019, until the 2024.  In addition, Mr. Brooks would be managing director of a new travel company based in Hawaii that specializes in edutrekking, travel expeditions for small teams that combine travel with eco-tourism and humanitarian endeavors for potential customers in Japan, the USA, and Europe.   

The LAST PLANS in the above paragraph DID NOT actually  MATERIALIZE, and when COVID-19 hit the world, my Third Life Career is was then put on hold and is, therefore, being reconsidered. That is purpose of this entry: To review those three years of dormancy (rather like hibernation) would probably be a helpful move at this juncture of my existence.   I can either decide what I want/need to do next, or will come to some other kind of resolution.

------------------------------------------------------------

Part I

January 2020 - June 2021

Photo taken February 2022 at the Diamond Head Road leading into Kapiolani Park, Honolulu, Hawaii

A)      From January 2020 until June 2021, I was involved in the Harvard Kennedy School of Government's Public Leadership Credential, where I completed six different six-week long graduate courses in an online coursework format that included weekly group work (for one of weeks of each course I was the group leader and completing a personally focused individualized weekly assignment, plus completing a challenging final written exam.  Along the way, I had three very distinguished, challenging, and interesting professors and got to work in detail with dozens of highly qualified and tenacious graduate students, who were also pursuing the same Harvard graduate credential.

Seated at the Jackie O's restaurant / bar at Super Paradise Beach on the Greek island of Mykonos. It was a warm afternoon in June, 2023, and I was one of just a few customers at 4:00pm that day.

          To be honest, taking the coursework (actually 2/5ths of a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government) was the fulfillment of a personal challenge that I had envisioned pursuing more than a decade ago. At that time, after designating Harvard KSG as my first choice for a graduate institution at the time of taking the GRE, I received a letter of invitation from Harvard Kennedy School asking me to complete the necessary steps to apply for admission. Probably the main reason was because I had scored a perfect 6 on the then newly instigated GRE Writing Test, which had only just begun the very year that I had re-taken the GRE. There is no doubt that I found the six courses in the Public Leadership Credential at Harvard KSG to be academically challenging, but they were not impossible and I found the course content, the professors, and working with my fellow course-mates to be highly interesting, personally rewarding and a great learning experience (almost without exception). However, I believe that I came to realize that simply cooperating and competing with my other Harvard online classmates was not the activity that really excited my intellectual interests or challenged my internal soul-searching to find a meaningful post-retirement career.

A bee in the weeds: Photo taken May 2022 at the Tama River side park, not far from Tokyo Parkway Bridge at Inagi, Fuchu, Tokyo

Most of my own personally-meaningful assignments for those six courses were related to my current passion at the time: Finding or creating an organization (or group) that can assist impoverished families in Hawaii, particularly those living under stark economic realities of today's world (who can absolutely be categorized a 'poor' families and individuals who are economically disadvantaged, to find affordable housing (either by buying, renting, or sharing a portion of a group-owned lodging).

Eating at a nice (and expensive) restaurant near the Beach Boardwalk at Sitges, Spain in June, 2023

        Actually, that leads me to my July 2021 - January 2023 phase, which involved trying to set up both a non-profit, called Philantropical.org, and a for-profit travel-related business, called Rainbow Travel Network, Inc., both of which I have now closed.  

Let me explain more in the next section.

Part II

July 2021 - January 2023

B)  My Entrepreneurial Phase -- Starting Two Business that I closed even before they could actually start. 

Part II-A   From January 2021 through January 2023, I was busy trying to set up both a non-profit, called Philantropical.org, and also a for-profit travel-related business, called Rainbow Travel Network, Inc., both of which I subsequently have now closed. 

Photo taken June 2023 at the Old Windmills Strand located near the main port / harbor of Choros Town on Mykonos Island, Greece

Setting up Philantropical.org (a non-profit organization) was not too difficult. In fact, inside the State of Hawaii, it was painless and virtually easy-peasy-Japanesy (as we often say in the Brooks household). Even when I decided to make the non-profit be recognized nationwide (in the US), it was not very difficult to secure the paperwork and to get registered and verified as a US nationwide non-profit organization by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The difficulty arose when it came to the actual details of the non-profit tax designation and assigned levels of tax compliance as a non-profit organization.  While it was still recognized as a non-profit, for tax purposes, it was designated as a XXXXXX non-taxed organization and the paperwork and tax forms required were just too laborious and time-consuming to be acceptable (at least for me alone).  

I quickly realized that I could not sustain that level of complicated book-keeping and convoluted tax reporting that such a designation required. I subsequently decided to dissolve the non-profit organization, thus appearing to 'officially' abandon its mission:  helping disadvantaged and underprivileged families to cope with the regulations and restrictions needed in order to live in a house on the Big Island of Hawaii. 

To be continued.....

Part II-B Rainbow Travel Network, Inc.

Photo taken March 2012 at the Marine Park located near Arinaga Marine Preserve on the island of Gran Canaria, The Canary Islands, Spain (taken by my own underwater photography with my own camera).

The second part of my plan was to establish a travel services company that acted as an 'arranger' for travel services to be provided to small (3-7) or  medium-sized (8-24) people.  The 'trips' are not actually solely for the purpose of travel, but have the ultimate goal of providing 'free' assistance to people, organizations (such as non-profits and public corporations), to help animal and plant life in a specific region, and (or) to improve the environmental conditions in a specific locale in order to reach their fullest (and highest) potentials. The eco-trips or 'edutreking' sojourns would be in my current home country (Japan) or abroad; they could be free (if a sponsor will pay expenses) or their costs could be reduced by donations and payments from  the beneficiary groups, or they could be totally self-supported (paid for my the volunteers own monetary contributions). 

                Examples of such 'trips' could include any or a combination of the following eco-trips  or 'edutreking' experiences:a) Volunteer to teach life-skill English conversation to home healthcare workers who are assisting disaster relief for an Australian state;  b)Lead a workshop on polish one's job search and employer attractiveness skills for low-level, poorly educated individuals seeking jobs as migrant workers in a South American country;  

c) Conduct an environmental clean-up workday in specific area needing human labor of volunteers (in Florida after the last major hurricane damage), 

and 

d - z) there are countless more examples, etc... But hopefully, you get the idea:  human volunteers helping our planet and its environment, its peoples and the animal & plant livelihoods.

Photo taken  February 2022 at the Beach 67 not far from Spencer Beach, near Kawaihae, Big Island, Hawaii

Part III February 2023 - September 2023 C)   My own travels overseas

Photos were taken August 2023 at the Hellabrunn Zoo outside Munich, Germany. Of course, there are hundreds of species of birds, fish, reptiles, and other animals at the zoo, but the birds and fish are easiest to photograph because you're allowed to be so close to them in an enclosed cage  (bird cage in huge) or space (the aquarium). 

From January 2023 until the present (Sept 2023), I was mostly at my home in Tokyo, helping with the chores of grand-child minding, cooking and cleaning house.  I did find the time and resources (money) to travel abroad twice during that time. Both times,  I visited Europe; actually, I visited Spain and Germany twice as my favorite European cities are Munich and Barcelona. 

Many years ago, I practiced the art (martial) of Aikido. Once we held a public exhibition of our 'sensei's' students at a public hall in Gotanda, Tokyo. Here I am finishing a defensive move on my co-combattant.

So it is time for a radical change in my lifestyle or vocation (or avocation)? Well, after considering what's happening now in my world and in our societies, I'd have to say that things in my life will likely just remain as they are, without any huge changes. I'm enjoying what I'm doing now: being a partner to my wife, and a father and grandfather to my sons and spouses and offspring. Attempting to conflate my raison d'etre into some grand scheme of a new life is probably only my own wishful thinking as my mortality lies more concretely ahead of me. I'll most likely be happy to simply live my life as it is being played out now. I'm loved by family, and enjoy the hobbies and pastimes that 'apparently' keep me busy and productive as I enter my seventh decade of life. I can only hope that I will have at least two more decades to enjoy my life on Earth and hope to gain the satisfaction of having spent my remaining time alive in the best ways possible.

Thank for reading.

Playing with the Djohong Village children around New Year's Eve, 2000 in Cameroon, West Africa, while participating the one of EarthWatch.org research expeditions to assist Phyllis Jansyn, a former Peace Corps volunteer, who had stayed in rural Cameroon to help the villagers of Djohong find clean water, safeguard against disease, give birth, and learn healthy childcare to the women (and men) of the surrounding villages.

[shaheenshahsstuff]

FGEHA JOBS

FGEHA is a non-profit organization with the objective of providing federal employees with affordable and high-quality housing, ensuring their safety, comfort, and a welcoming environment. Those interested in applying for FGEHA Jobs can expect a well-balanced office life that promotes both professional skills and personal development. The organization also boasts a supportive staff always available to assist and guide employees. The latest job advertisement for Federal Government Employees Housing Authority Jobs has been published in leading newspapers across Pakistan, and online applications are open for candidates located in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and other areas throughout the country.

Salary and Benefits

The FGE Housing Authority is renowned for being one of the top-paying government organizations in Pakistan, with a commitment to providing its employees with long-term financial stability. Additionally, employees have the opportunity to develop new skills that can benefit their professional growth. Below are some of the benefits offered by the organization:

Competitive salaries aligned with market standards

Job security

Health care benefits

Allowances

Comprehensive compensation packages

Post-retirement plans

Lifetime pension

About Federal Government Employees Housing Authority

The Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) was established on July 12, 2019, as per the Executive Order issued by the President of Pakistan. It was founded with the objective of planning and developing housing schemes. Initially, it started as a cell within the Ministry of Housing & Works in 1989 and later transformed into a guaranteed limited company under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984 with SECP on March 26, 1990. Due to the growth in slums and Katchi Abadi, aging infrastructure, population explosion, scarcity of land, and limited budgets, the housing situation in Pakistan has become increasingly difficult. In order to prevent homelessness and provide federal employees with a home at the time of retirement or earlier, FGEHA was established. The Chairman and Federal Minister responsible for Housing & Works is Mr. Tariq Bashir Cheema, while Mr. Waseem Hayat Bajwa is the Director-General of FGEHA.

Latest Jobs In FGEHA 2023

Available Job Positions

Stenotypist (BS-14)

Patwari (BS-09)

Senior Surveyor (BS-11)

Cashier (BS-14)

Gardawar (BS-11)

Security Guard(Supervisor) (BS-07)

Sub-Engineer Civil E/M (BS-14)

Lower Division Clerk (BS-09)

Deputy Assistant Director (BS-16)

Data Entry Operator (BS-14)

Apply Here

How to Apply for FGEHA Jobs?

If you wish to apply for FGEHA jobs, please follow the instructions below. Click on the "Apply Here" button below to access the official career page of FGEHA at www.fgeha.gov.pk. Once there, you can view the job vacancies advertisement. Read it carefully and then download the application form and challan. Pay the challan online and print the paid copy. Then, submit the application form and paid challan copy online.

Details of FGEHA Jobs

Organization Name: Federal Government Employees Housing Authority

Category: Government Jobs

Qualification: Matric to Onwards

Location: Across Pakistan

Website: www.fgeha.gov.pk

[college-girl199328]

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is under fire from conservatives on his panel and outside Congress for voting for more of Biden's nominees than any other Republican on the Judiciary Committee, something that conservatives are questioning after Democrats celebrated the 100th this week.

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), a member of the Judiciary Committee, said Republicans should not have let Democrats confirm so many Biden nominees to federal courts when the Senate was evenly split during Biden's first two years in office.

"There was no concerted effort made whatsoever," he added. "Say what you want about [Democratic Judiciary Committee Chairman] Dick Durbin [D-Ill.], but he has not taken his eye off the ball and has had help from Democrats, who are well ahead of the pace set by Republicans when they controlled the Senate during former President Trump’s term in that Republicans didn’t confirm the 100th judge appointed by Trump until May of 2019, about three months later than when Biden hit the milestone.  

"I think it’s a good time near the beginning of this Congress to go back and look at the last Congress and compare that to what happened in the previous administration and figure out if we’re needlessly accelerating the pace at which they’re being confirmed," said Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), another member of the Judiciary Committee, who told The Hill Thursday that there’s not much he can do to stop Biden’s nominees because Democrats control an 11-10 majority on the Jud.  

They were accused of having a "conveyor belt" of Trump judicial nominees when Republicans thought the idea that you get everything you want and they don't get what they want when they're in similar circumstances "doesn't work," he said. 

Graham said he would "pick and choose" his battles wisely and explained, "I have a habit of trying to honour district court judges," alluding to the deference he gives to fellow senators who try to fill district court vacancies in their home states with judges who are likely to be reported at the end of December that Graham had voted for 107 of the 126 Biden nominees that came before the committee, far more often than any other Republican on the panel.  

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) voted for 50 nominees at the committee level, while Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee in 2021 and 2022, voted for 40 and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) voted for 30, according to The Times, which noted that when Democrats were in the Senate minority under President Trump, "they slowed it down as much as they possibly could, and as a result, we didn’t get as many through as we could have."  

"We've got the president mischaracterizing Republican senators from the bully pulpit, and their position has resulted in the president nominating far-left-wing zealots to the bench, many of whom lack the professional qualifications for the job," he said.

Lee noted that even when Republicans controlled 50 Senate seats during Biden's first two years in office, Vice President Kamala Harris only had to come to the conclusion that "I don't think we've stopped a single judicial nominee thus far, and that is concerning," he said. 

"If the tables were turned, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where a Democrat would break ranks like this, and I hope that what we saw last week is not a preview of what we can expect from Graham as a ranking member for the next two years," she added.   

Graham has since voted against all four Biden nominees to circuit courts and against nine of 20 district court nominees, according to the data provided by the vote against Nancy Abudu, Biden’s nominee to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals; Rachel Bloomekatz, Biden’s pick for the 6th Circuit; Anthony Devos Johnstone, Biden’s nominee to the 9th Circuit; and Julie Rikelman, the president’s choice to serve on the 1st Circuit.

All four nominees advanced out of committee by party-line votes; however, Graham was taken to task on Wednesday for not taking a tougher approach to questioning New Hampshire attorney Michael Delaney, whom Biden has nominated to serve on the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.  

"Delaney has come under fire for representing St. Paul’s School, an elite private high school in New Hampshire, in a lawsuit brought by a female student who was sexually assaulted on campus when she was 15; Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee voiced during the hearing today that the committee’s ranking member, @LindseyGrahamSC, vigorously and inexplicably defended Delaney," Severino tweeted.  

"Perplexingly, Sen. Graham emphasized that Delaney was highly recommended by former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte Graham, who preemptively rehabilitated Delaney, noting his letters of support in anticipation of the pointed questions that would follow from his fellow Republicans on the committee, including Hawley and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who grilled Delaney over his work. 

Hawley slammed Delaney’s effort to strip the young plaintiff’s anonymity in the case, which he called "an attempt to put her straight into the media spotlight," and said Delaney did "a lousy job representing his client" by adopting such an aggressive legal strategy. 

Graham later told The Hill he was "proud" of the Republicans on his panel who asked tough questions of the nominees and said Hawley had done a great job of questioning the nominees.

But Graham said he has to pay attention to "reality," which is that Democrats "have 51," which means any delaying tactics employed now against Biden nominees will come back to hurt Republicans when they control the White House.  

"Anything we do, they can do when we’re in charge and we want to go faster; anything we do with this whole Middle East politics with judges needs to stop," he said.

[mbdailynews]

U.S. Jobless Claims Hit Lowest Level in Five Months

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level since the spring as many employers hesitate to lay off workers despite a slowing economy. Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, decreased to a seasonally adjusted 193,000 last week from a revised 209,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. The total was the lowest since late April and below the pre-pandemic average of 218,000 in 2019 when the labor market was also tight. Buy The Economist Subscription 3-Years for $69 and save 70% off Initial Jobless Claims, Weekly The four-week moving average, which smooths out weekly volatility, fell by 8,750 to 207,000. Continuing claims, a proxy for the number of people receiving ongoing unemployment benefits, decreased to 1.35 million in the week ended Sept. 17 from 1.38 million a week earlier. The U.S. labor market has shown signs of strength despite cooling from a red-hot pace earlier in the year. Employers added 315,000 jobs in August. The unemployment rate—at 3.7% in August—remains near a half-century low of 3.5%. The labor participation rate ticked last month, meaning more people entered the labor market to fill historically high job vacancies. Get a 5-years subscription to the WSJ and Barrons News for $89 There are nearly two job openings for every unemployed person seeking work. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has said the ratio of job openings to unemployed workers must narrow to bring the labor market into better balance. The Fed aggressively raises interest rates to cool the labor market and rein in historically high inflation rates. In August, the consumer-price index rose 8.3% over the prior year, a slight slowdown from a recent high of 9.1% in June. Job openings rose in July after declining for three straight months, reflecting companies’ ongoing hunger for workers, while layoffs were historically low. Buy Bloomberg Digital Subscription 5 Years for $60 Some companies are pulling back on hiring and cutting head count. Gap Inc. is eliminating about 500 corporate jobs. Meta Platforms Inc. is planning to cut expenses by at least 10% in the coming months through staff reductions. Walmart Inc. said it would cut back on hiring seasonal workers for the winter holidays, looking to hire 40,000 temporary workers compared with last year’s goal of hiring 150,000 permanent workers for the busy shopping season and beyond. Read the full article

[neyapakistanjobs-blog]

Federal Public Service Commission Vacancies FPSC Jobs July 2019 Apply Here >>> https://wp.me/paXi5Y-nc1

[iasinterviews-blog]

ias interview Q&A

The personality test for the remaining 623 candidates who were successful in UPSC Mains 2019 had resumed from 20th July 2020. UPSC CSE Interview 2019 for these candidates was earlier scheduled from 23 March 2020 onwards but was put on hold amid the COVID-19 outbreak. For the final round of the IAS Exam, the commission came up with a set of arrangements for the conduct of UPSC IAS Interview 2019 with all safety precautions, which you can read about below:

The UPSC Interview 2019 took place between 20th July and 30th July 2020 Considering the partial running of trains, the commission had reimbursed the lowest ‘to and fro airfare’ to the candidates who attended the UPSC PT. e-Summon letters were provided to the candidates using which they were allowed to move in or move out of the restricted zones, to attend the IAS Interview.

Candidates were also provided with lodging and transport facilities by the UPSC The Personality Test panel and the interviewee were given Sealed Kit (face shield, gloves, sanitizer) to ensure safety while conducting the interview. The highest standards of health safety and precautions were taken up by the commission to successfully conduct the UPSC Interview 2019. Following the successful completion of Mains and Interview stages; on 4th August 2020, the commission has declared the UPSC Civil Services Final Results 2019. Candidates can fetch the result in the linked article.

UPSC IAS Interview 2019

The final stage of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Exam is the IAS interview or the UPSC Personality Test. The IAS personality test for UPSC 2019 had started from February 17, 2020, and was scheduled to run till April 3, 2020. But with the outbreak of Covid-19, the interview round was postponed and later resumed from 23 July onwards. The IAS Interview was finished by 30th July 2020.

Candidates preparing  for UPSC Prelims can check the below-mentioned important links to brush up their concepts:

UPSC Previous Year Question Papers

Top 5 Magazines for UPSC UPSC Notes PDF IAS Mock Tests NCERT Notes IAS Topper

The questions in the IAS Interview are more like a discussion between the UPSC board and the aspirant.

Generally, an IAS interview lasts for about 20 minutes and aspirants face interview questions that cover a broad range of topics.

UPSC Mains exam was conducted from September 20, 2019 and the UPSC Personality Test 2019 ended on 30th July 2020. The IAS interviews for the exam year 2018 started on February 9, 2019, and continued till March.

Facing the UPSC IAS interview panel is a daunting task but armed with facts and information, a candidate with confidence and appropriate soft skills can surely ace the interview.

UPSC – IAS Interview Details 

Venue: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-110069

Timing: Two sessions per day ( Forenoon session 9:00 AM onwards, Afternoon session 1:00 PM onwards). It will be mentioned on the candidate’s call letter.

Dress Code: Basic formals suffice (dark trousers with a light-coloured plain shirt for men and saris or ‘churidar’ for women)

Maximum Marks: 275 (it seems less when compared to Mains but scoring high marks here can be the path to one’s service/cadre of choice).

Vacancies: 896 (as per UPSC 2019 notification)

Aspirants can check the detailed UPSC Notification at the linked article.

UPSC IAS Interview Process

Aspirants can read below the first-hand account of the UPSC IAS Interview experience:

Candidates usually reach the venue with some time in hand, and the security in front of UPSC organizes them in a queue and does the preliminary verification (interview call letter and cross-checking the candidate’s name on their list). It is recommended to carry some government-issued identification. After the security ushers the candidates inside the hallowed gates of the UPSC; they are required to check-in their bags and mobile phones. The candidates are then made to sit in an entrance hall where the actual verification of documents (education documents, caste certificates) takes place. Usually, it is a smooth process and the staff is polite and ready to help. There are also newspapers along with tea/water and biscuits for the candidates. Candidates are also handed out a questionnaire to fill (basic background info for UPSC’s research and analysis purposes).

Once the documents are submitted, the candidates are given the number of the panel and the sequence number of the order in which they will appear before the panel. For e.g. a candidate might be told he/she has to appear before the panel number 5, and for that panel, he/she will be going in as the 3rd individual for that session. They don’t disclose the name of the panel chairperson at that time and it is pointless to ask that.

The somewhat visibly nervous candidates are then escorted to a large circular hall in the centre of the building complex. Here, the candidates are grouped and seated based on their panel number (all the people scheduled to appear before the panel number 5 will sit in a group and so on). Also, this is where a few staff members will hand out forms for travel reimbursement for out-of-town candidates (they refund for train travel in 2nd class).

In one session, a panel takes the interview of 5-6 aspirants. So, initially, the hall is quite full (5-6 panels in all, hence 30-35 odd candidates sitting and waiting). Usually, an interview lasts for about 20 minutes, although there is no time limit as such and people have recounted experiences of being part of even 40-minute interview.

One by one, names are called and candidates make their way to their respective panels (after another security check where one has to leave any remaining documents/papers/pen). Usually, a staff member escorts one from here to the room of the panel chairperson.

So, candidates usually reach the venue around 8:45 AM for the forenoon session. After the formalities, the first candidate to appear before the panel will be called around 10:15 AM. Depending on one’s sequence number, one can estimate the waiting period. Hence, it is essential that you don’t arrive on an empty stomach or sleep-deprived.

Tackling the actual UPSC interview is a completely different challenge. It’s a unique experience for everyone, even for experienced candidates but there are some essential things which candidates need to inculcate before they face the panel.

Broadly speaking, a polite, humble candidate who is calm and confident has the best chance to score high marks irrespective of the panel chairperson, the medium of the interview and the number of questions answered.

Check the linked article for detailed preparation information and study material for IAS 2020.

Read on to know more about IAS toppers and relevant interview questions one can expect.

IAS Interview Questions

The UPSC interview questions test the candidates’ mental acuity, general awareness, social etiquette, and the overall personality. The questions in IAS interview are not meant to solely ascertain the theoretical knowledge so instead of mugging up, candidates should focus on their soft skills.

The IAS interview questions faced by Civil Service aspirants follow a similar pattern. Let’s look at a few of the broad categories of questions in the IAS interview and how candidates can prepare for them.

IAS interview question on Introduction

Tell us briefly about yourself. Tell us about your hometown. What is the meaning of your name (first name/ surname) Tell us about your family To answers questions related to self-introduction in IAS interview, which are open-ended and straight forward, aspirants should prepare 30-40 second coherent responses. These questions are merely setting a baseline i.e. the eminent UPSC board will use the information you give to ask follow-up questions.

IAS interview questions on Education

Which subjects did you study during school/graduation and do you think they are relevant to life in administration

Which subject was your favourite/least favourite?

Why did you choose ‘xyz’ college/school?

What kind of projects did you do during school/graduation/PG?

Would you call yourself an average student? Why?

The basic educational qualification for the UPSC CSE exam is graduation. The questions in the IAS interview may be oriented towards your graduation subject or the latest trends in the same. However, if you don’t know the answer to a particular question then trying to bluff your way out is not advised. It’s better to be humble and truthful.

IAS Interview questions on Current Affairs

What are today’s headlines?

Few important issues in news about India/your state/your hometown in the last few months Reading newspapers and following the daily news is important from the UPSC IAS Interview perspective as well. The IAS interview questions can refer to latest news topics. Try to avoid giving one-dimensional opinion/information unless the question is relatively straight forward. (for e.g., What does the term ‘Petrodollars’ mean?)

To know more about the Current Affairs related information, refer to the linked article.

IAS interview questions on Work profile

What were your roles and responsibilities at your job?

Why do you want to become an IAS/IPS/IFS officer?

Be prepared to answer questions about any gaps in your work history and how your previous experience is going to help in your career as an administrator.

IAS interview questions on Optional Subject

Why did you choose ‘xyz’ optional?

Why didn’t you pick your graduation subject as your optional?

Also, you might face some questions in IAS interview related to topics/theory/contemporary issues based on your optional subject.

IAS interview questions on Hobbies

Here, the nature of questions varies depending on the hobbies you have listed in your DAF. For those who have listed sports as a hobby, the Panel has asked questions on famous sports persons or/and latest results. A few candidates have also been asked to sing during the interview process.

IAS Interview Preparation Strategy

Keep following current affairs

Prepare a list of possible questions that can be asked based on your DAF Practice answering questions in front of a mirror If possible, record yourself as you answer questions during the practice session Brush up your knowledge on your graduation subject The purpose of the questions in the IAS interview is to check a candidate’s suitability to life in administration. It is not at all mandatory that one has to answer all the questions to get good marks in the UPSC Personality Test. Often, it is not about whether you know the precise answer to the question but how you actually come across as an individual when put under some pressure.

Few key points to avoid in an IAS interview

Don’t stress out on the day before the Interview. Better be rested and calm. Don’t try to bluff your way out. The IAS interview is unlike any other interview you have encountered before, so don’t try bluffing strategies. Don’t be concerned about theoretical questions. It is more about how you approach any question which is being asked to you. Don’t argue with the panel members. It is a discussion but candidates should maintain decorum at all times.

Check out For More Info-

https://www.eliteias.in/student-zone/upsc-exam-syllabus/ 

https://www.eliteias.in/25-best-ias-interview-questions-and-answers/

[ayudyahpermatasari]

2019 - Recap

In this year, there were 2 major moment that changed my daily routine. Marriage and working in a new place. 

But, marriage changed my life, change the way i think and look at something. To me, marriage makes everything easier, because the 'burden' we usually carry on our shoulders alone, share with two people, love birds. You learn how to love someone properly, you grow older with them. You learn to build a team together, learn to understand each other and everything.

Seconds after Eric did the ijab qobul, my love for him felt like it was bursting. I felt like i never fell in love with someone. It is magical and miracle. I just married him for 3 months and feel like i've been knowing him for years. Maybe because i like him for a very long time haha. I am so proud of myself because i can marry someone that i prayed for. I love Eric and i want the whole world and milky way know how much i want him.

Eric is the best guy. He respects me that much, loves me that much, thinks of me that much, cares about me and listens to every words i don't even need to say. We say 'i love you' every day, every minute, every time we feel like we should. Because i know when i say i love you to him, Allah blesses me, fills my life with goodness and positivity.

He kisses me in the forehead everyday, everytime, before we go to bed, before we wake up, before we go to work. Eric doesn't say something sweet, doesn't make me surprises and gives me a lot of presents but he gives me everything i need, love. With love, you're going to be a better person with better personalities. With love, difficult becomes easy, angry becomes happy.

I love Eric and i will always do forever and Allah knows.

So, move on to my career. Right before i got married, i decided to quit from my previous working place. It was a hard decision and difficult to say goodbyes to everyone in that room. I cried a lot and missed them so much. Completely safe zone for over 4 years. I went back to my hometown and helped my parents with marriage stuff and relaxed myself, off from busy town - Jakarta.

I got 3 months off from July to October without working. And started from early September, i prepared myself to applied on many job vacancies. I should go to work, i want to help Eric with the financial issues. We want to make a lot of money together, fight together. I came to different places, office to office and went through another day with another job interviews.

Exhausted, stressful and almost gave up. But i prayed to Allah everyday. I asked him to give me a best job for my career and my family and my life. Then, Allah didn't need a long time to made my dream come true. Just several weeks, my prayers were answered. Sometimes i don't think i really fit with this job but this job gives me a new challenge.

Working with foreign people, Japanese.

I don't know if it's an upgrade but it is challenging, of course.

People always say 'rejeki orang menikah'. It is true. Damn true. Like i said before, to me, marriage makes my life easier. Maybe this ain't my dream job, but i try to like working here. New people, new challenge, new atmosphere, new work day routine. I am happy i can help Eric with financial stuff. I love to make a lot of money. So i try love my new job, too.

Those were my 2019 recap. A lot of new thing this year. And i am so ready for 2020. Fighting together with Eric.

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

On Thursday, North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows announced he won’t be seeking reelection in 2020, making him the 21st “pure” GOP retirement this cycle (in other words, excluding those who are leaving Congress to seek another office). But unlike many other GOP retirees, Meadows’s motivation for leaving Congress isn’t because he had reelection concerns, disagreements with President Trump or feared the loss of institutional clout if the GOP doesn’t retake the House in 2020.

In fact, Meadows is one of the most powerful and highly influential members of the GOP caucus and is thought to have the president’s ear. And it might be that sway that is now taking him on to bigger and better things. In his announcement, Meadows hinted that he might soon take a job working for the president, although it’s unclear what that role might be.

We’ve been tracking retirements over the past few months now, and although Meadows’s retirement is different than many of the retirements we’ve seen so far, one thing that is readily apparent is just how lopsided the GOP retirements are. With Meadows’s exit, roughly 10 percent of the 197 Republicans currently in the chamber are retiring and not running for something else. And since the start of December, five Republicans have announced their retirement, tying it with July for the busiest month this cycle. (By comparison, there have only been six “pure” retirements among the 233 Democrats in the House.)1

21 GOP House members are now retiring

Republicans who declined to seek reelection in the 2020 cycle, excluding those leaving to run for another office, as of Dec. 19, 2019

District Member Trump Score 2018 vote margin Partisan lean NC-02 George Holding 94.5% 5.5 D+19 NC-06 Mark Walker 95.7 13.0 D+18 TX-23 Will Hurd 57.4 0.4 R+4 NY-02 Pete King 79.6 6.2 R+7 IN-05 Susan Brooks 92.6 13.5 R+15 NC-11 Mark Meadows 92.7 20.5 R+17 GA-07 Rob Woodall 98.2 0.2 R+17 TX-24 Kenny Marchant 92.0 3.1 R+17 TX-22 Pete Olson 94.2 4.9 R+19 FL-03 Ted Yoho 98.1 15.2 R+20 OR-02 Greg Walden 74.5 16.9 R+21 WI-05 Jim Sensenbrenner 87.0 24.0 R+24 TX-17 Bill Flores 94.2 15.5 R+25 FL-19 Francis Rooney 75.0 24.5 R+27 MI-10 Paul Mitchell 94.3 25.3 R+27 AL-02 Martha Roby 92.6 23.0 R+31 UT-01 Rob Bishop 96.2 36.7 R+41 IL-15 John Shimkus 94.4 41.9 R+45 GA-14 Tom Graves 98.2 53.0 R+57 TX-11 Mike Conaway 96.4 61.7 R+65 TX-13 Mac Thornberry 94.3 64.6 R+68

Highlighted names announced their retirements in December.

Sources: ABC News, U.S. House of Representatives, Media Reports

In terms of what we know about the recent spate of GOP retirements in December, one major factor is North Carolina’s new House map, which was finalized in earlier this month. Along with Meadows, Republican Reps. George Holding and Mark Walker are also retiring, and for those two congressmen, it’s because the new district lines meant their formerly Republican-leaning seats were much more Democratic and they risked losing reelection. Meadow’s seat, on the other hand, didn’t change all that much. About three-fourths of the voters in his old district are also in the new North Carolina 11th and it’s still 17 points more Republican than the country as a whole, according to FiveThirtyEight’s partisan lean metric.2

As for the other two GOP members who retired in December, their retirements had nothing to do with redistricting, and, in fact, their departures were a bit of a surprise, considering how often they have both voted in line with the president. Georgia Rep. Tom Graves, in particular, was unexpected, considering he is young (49 years old) and according to FiveThirtyEight’s Trump Score one of the president’s most ardent backers. Graves had been floated to possibly fill Sen. Johnny Isakson’s Senate seat, but he didn’t officially apply for the post, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp ended up appointing businesswoman Kelly Loeffler instead. Florida Rep. Ted Yoho also has one of the highest Trump scores of any Republican in the 116th Congress, but his retirement was a bit less of a surprise as he had pledged to serve only four terms when he was first elected in 2012. Although, it wasn’t entirely clear Yoho would stick to his pledge — he actually filed with the Federal Election Commission for a 2020 bid — but in the end, he decided to move on, even though at 64 he isn’t that old by Congress’s standards and hails from a safe Republican seat.

But considering how influential Meadows has been since he won his House seat in 2012, his exit is definitely the most notable of the December retirements (so far). It’s worth mentioning, though, that Meadows’s departure may not end up counting as a “pure” retirement — and that’s because he could end up resigning before his term is over. He told Politico that he might not serve out the remainder of his term in order to take a position in Trump’s administration or join the president’s reelection campaign. And if Meadows does resign, that could precipitate a special election.

For now, though, the North Carolina 11th is in line to be an open seat next November, but that might change by the time the general election rolls around. After all, it’s not unheard of for a representative to announce a retirement but later resign early to do something else — Republican Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania did this last cycle, for example. The real question will be whether this spate of GOP retirements is a final flurry of sorts or if more are coming. With the count now at 21, the 2020 cycle is closing in on the 23 “pure” Republican retirements that happened ahead of the 2018 midterms, and as most state filing deadlines don’t come up until next year, there’s still plenty of time for at least a few more.

[bookshopandmore]

Current Job Vacancies in Nigeria today including OPEC Recruitment 2020/2021 | Latest Recruitment portals 2020/2021

Current Job Vacancies in Nigeria today including OPEC Recruitment 2020/2021 | Latest Recruitment portals 2020/2021

This article covers everything you need to know about the Current Job Vacancies in Nigeria today. We will also provide you with the latest recruitment portals for 2020/2021 recruitment applications. Reading this blog post to the end will also make you know the following: job sites in Nigeria, Current recruitment in Nigeria 2020, latest job vacancies in Nigeria today, job vacancies in Nigeria 2020,

[careerxlsstudyabroad]

Canada lost some jobs in July, but at least 400K positions are still up for grabs

~CXL~

More private sector vacancies than 1 year ago, business federation says

While Friday's employment data showed the economy lost 24,000 jobs in July, there are still far more jobs available than there were one year ago.

A new report from Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) says there were 429,000 job vacancies in the private sector alone in the second quarter, 23,000 more than in the same period in 2018.

That's in line with Statistics Canada's most recent job vacancy numbers, which include unfilled positions in the public and private sectors. It found there were 506,000 vacant jobs in the first quarter of 2019, up 44,000 from the previous year.

But just like with July's employment numbers, the CFIB report — based on a survey of 2,101 businesses — found there's considerable variation from region to region.

While the national average shows that 3.2 per cent of Canadian jobs are vacant, there are "very different pictures across the country," said Ted Mallett, vice-president and chief economist for CFIB.

Job vacancies up almost 10% from last year: StatsCan In Quebec and British Columbia, the vacancy rate is 3.9 per cent, followed by Ontario at 3.2 per cent. "We're seeing increased weakness in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Those two provinces are still sputtering and never really recovered from the oil price crunch of of 2015-2016."

In Alberta, job vacancies shrunk slightly to just 1.9 per cent, the lowest in the country, while Saskatchewan vacancies shrunk by the same amount to 2.1 per cent.

'Islands of economic development' While still well below the national average, vacancies increased to two per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador, 2.2 per cent in Prince Edward Island, 2.3 per cent in Nova Scotia and 2.6 per cent in Manitoba.

New Brunswick vacancies are close to national average at 3.1 per cent, up 0.1 per cent from the previous month, the report found.

So how does Canada better align open jobs with the people who need them?

Part of the solution could be to eliminate barriers that make it difficult for people to take their skills to regions with more demand for their skills.

Read More at  https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/labour-market-cools-job-vacancies-cfib-report-1.5241643

[alston332]

NATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY AND INSURANCE TRUST JOB VACANCIES 2019

NATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY AND INSURANCE TRUST JOB VACANCIES 2019

The National Social Security and Insurance Trust is a Statutory Public Trust charged with the responsibility of administering Sierra Leone’s National Pension Scheme. The Trust was established by the National Social Security and Insurance Trust Act No.5 of 20th July 2001 to provide retirement and other benefits to meet the contingency needs of workers and their dependants, and to provide for other…

[bountyofbeads]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/us/pedro-pierluisi-puerto-rico-governor.html#click=https://t.co/cV6JUeVlqK

Puerto Rico Governor Names Pedro Pierluisi as His Possible Successor

By Frances Robles and Patricia Mazzei | Published July 31, 2019 | New York Times | Posted July 31, 2019 3:12 PM |

Leer en español

SAN JUAN, P.R. — The ousted governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo A. Rosselló, chose his successor on Wednesday, nominating Pedro R. Pierluisi, who formerly represented the island in Congress, to serve as secretary of state. The move positions Mr. Pierluisi to take over as governor when Mr. Rosselló’s resignation becomes effective later this week.

“After much analysis and taking into account the best interests of our people, I have selected Mr. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia to fill the secretary of state vacancy,” Mr. Rosselló said in a statement. He said he would call a special session of the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, the day before he is scheduled to step down, to confirm the appointment.

Mr. Rosselló said he considered several choices and ultimately picked Mr. Pierluisi for his experience as resident commissioner in Washington and as secretary of justice under Mr. Rosselló’s father, former Gov. Pedro J. Rosselló.

The younger Mr. Rosselló said that Mr. Pierluisi intends to serve through the end of the term but would not seek the governor’s office in 2020.

“His aspiration is to complete this term, so that the successes we have achieved do not disappear,” Mr. Rosselló said. “The electoral process that will begin in the coming months will allow other highly qualified leaders to put their ideas and character to the people’s consideration, as Pierluisi and I did in the last primary.”

If he is confirmed by the territory’s House and Senate, Mr. Pierluisi’s nomination would settle the complicated succession question that has thrown the island into uncertainty in the days since Mr. Rosselló’s  unprecedented resignation. He announced his imminent exit last Wednesday, under fire for his participation in a leaked exchange of rude and profane text messages and pressured by a mass uprising of Puerto Ricans fed up with corruption, a stagnant economy and a poor response to Hurricane Maria in 2017.

But Mr. Pierluisi’s confirmation seems far from certain, as a tense power struggle continues inside the ruling New Progressive Party, which supports Puerto Rican statehood. The powerful Senate president, Thomas Rivera Schatz, a contender for the secretary of state job himself, let it be known before the nomination was even official — by calling a well-known local radio host — that Mr. Pierluisi would not have enough votes to win confirmation in the Senate.

Under Puerto Rico’s Constitution, the secretary of state automatically replaces a governor who leaves office. But the last official to hold the post, Luis Rivera Marín, stepped down over his role in the leaked private exchange of sexist and homophobic messages that precipitated the political crisis. His departure created a critical vacancy ahead of Mr. Rosselló’s resignation, which becomes effective at 5 p.m. on Friday.

It left Wanda Vázquez, the secretary of justice, next in line. Mr. Rosselló posted photos on Twitter last week after he announced his resignation showing Ms. Vázquez attending “transition” meetings at La Fortaleza, the governor’s official residence in San Juan, the capital.

But Ms. Vázquez made clear that she was not a politician and preferred not to step in as governor. Hundreds of protesters, denouncing Ms. Vázquez’s close ties to the disgraced Mr. Rosselló, rallied outside the Justice Departmenton Monday, rejecting her as the governor’s successor and demanding that she, too, resign.

Behind the scenes, Mr. Rosselló, 40, a first-term governor who took office in 2017, negotiated with legislative leaders from the New Progressive Party to try to find a consensus candidate who could be left in charge of the troubled government until next year’s election.

But it was difficult for leaders to find a candidate who could be confirmed by the Legislative Assembly and be acceptable to the public. Puerto Ricans who took to the streets to call for Mr. Rosselló’s ouster said repeatedly that they were tired of crony politics.

The choice of Mr. Pierluisi, 60, suggests that Mr. Rosselló remains determined to keep Mr. Rivera Schatz, one of his rivals in the party, from succeeding him. If confirmed, Mr. Pierluisi, who narrowly lost the party’s 2016 primary for governor to Mr. Rosselló, is expected to serve as a caretaker governor for the remainder of Mr. Rosselló’s four-year term.

Mr. Pierluisi served eight years in Washington as Puerto Rico’s nonvoting resident commissioner in Congress during the Obama administration. Like Mr. Rosselló, he is a Democrat when it comes to national politics, though many New Progressives are Republicans.

“I have listened to the people’s messages, their demonstrations, their demands and their concerns,” Mr. Pierluisi said in a statement accepting the nomination. “And in this new challenge in my life, I will only answer to the people.”

It was unclear whether Mr. Pierluisi would be welcomed by the thousands of Puerto Ricans whose street protests ended Mr. Rosselló’s term as governor.

Gisela Gómez, 45, who sells homemade sweets to tourists, said she participated in the massive march last week to oust the governor and was pleased with his selection. “We have to run all of the corrupt ones out, and replace it with a new government,” Ms. Gómez said. “I don’t know much about politics, but from what I have heard, of all of them out there, he is the best one.”

Juan Pagán, 57, a cabdriver who was standing on a street corner in Old San Juan hoping to pick up cruise ship passengers, said that although he does not vote for the New Progressive Party, he thinks Mr. Pierluisi is an acceptable candidate.

“At least he’s the least bad,” Mr. Pagán said. “The party is completely corrupt. History has said that that is the most corrupt party in history,” he added, noting that there were dozens of arrests during the administration of Mr. Rosselló’s father.

Bernardo Burgos Vázquez, 68, referred to concerns that Mr. Pierluisi, a lawyer, could have a conflict of interest because he works for a firm that does external legal consulting for the unelected federal oversight board that oversees Puerto Rico’s finances. On Tuesday, Mr. Pierluisi was placed on a leave of absence from the law firm, O’Neill & Borges, according to the firm’s website.

In any case, it should not be a serious problem, Mr. Vázquez said.

“You have to give a break to the people who are fighting for the best for the people,” he said. “They almost always judge people for things that they have not even done.”

Mr. Pierluisi’s brother-in-law, José B. Carrión III, remains the chairman of the oversight board, which was created by Congress. The New York Times found in 2016 that Mr. Pierluisi introduced legislation as resident commissioner that would benefit at least two Wall Street companies that had hired his wife, María Elena Carrión, for financial advice. (Mr. Pierluisi and Ms. Carrión are in the process of divorcing, the Puerto Rican news media have reported.)

[Read more about Mr. Pierluisi’s time in Washington here.]

Mr. Pierluisi’s ties to the unpopular oversight board are unlikely to sit well with some lawmakers.

“That could do some damage,” Representative Gabriel Rodríguez Aguiló, the House majority leader, said in an interview on Tuesday.

Many protesters, when calling for Mr. Rosselló’s resignation, also spoke out against the oversight board, urging him, “Llévate a la junta” — Take the board with you.

If Mr. Pierluisi is not confirmed by Friday afternoon, Ms. Vázquez would become governor.

Mr. Rivera Schatz is known to dislike Ms. Vázquez and to harbor ambitions to run for governor himself next year. And he holds considerable sway within his party; he became its interim leader after Mr. Rosselló relinquished the role of president.

But he, too, is considered a divisive figure. The protesters who marched against Mr. Rosselló and then Ms. Vázquez also chanted to Mr. Rivera Schatz: “No te vistas, que no vas” — Don’t get dressed; it’s not going to be you.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mr. Rivera Schatz said the confirmation process will play out and lawmakers will perform their constitutional duty. But he did not mention Mr. Pierluisi by name, or refer to his chances at winning the Senate vote. “There is no problem that does not have a solution, and in Puerto Rico we should focus on solutions,” Mr. Rivera Schatz said. “We should promote unity, not discord.”

Frances Robles reported from San Juan, and Patricia Mazzei from Miami.

[outsourcingnews2019-blog]

Top 8 Outsourcing Trends for 2019 – New Research

Forecasting the Top Outsourcing Trends for 2019

The New Year is nearly here. As we celebrate a busy and productive year in the outsourcing industry, what does the future hold? Is 2019 a year worth celebrating in terms of expanded outsourcing growth, and, if so, in what areas? What does the future of outsourcing hold?

Several media forecasters are citing job losses in the coming year, while others are claiming that outsourcing has seen its best times, and a slow, methodical slump is very quickly on its way.

However, not everyone is forecasting doom and gloom. Some analysts are quick to point out advances in technology, which tends to guide many industries, stands to empower the best buyers and service providers, allowing them to redefine their operations and to enter new aspects of outsourcing such as data analysis and customer-centricity.

While 2019 almost upon us and the end of an interesting decade, we’re interested in examining where our corporate strategies and energies should be placed. As new articles appear that discuss which technologies will be popular and how companies can improve performance, we are more than a little curious about where to devote our time in terms of outsourcing.  How can we get outsourcing to fit into the new wave of technological prowess? Can we manipulate change and make it work to our advantage?

I think we agree that outsourcing is not declining, but rather it is aggressively moving forward and progressing. According to the GSA report, 70% of companies surveyed are going to outsource more in the upcoming years, and 35% of them plan to do so significantly. In this regard, 84% of service providers expect the outsourcing industry to grow and 37% believe it will do so remarkably.

Companies are reaping their share of financial benefits, and that is great. Outsourcing allows multinationals to increase productivity and develop outcomes that take their products into the marketplace faster. Remove outsourcing from the equation, and this success may be slower to develop. The talent shortage felt worldwide in fields such as blockchain and Artificial Intelligence is already contributing to an increase in outsourcing. In the past few months, certain trends are likely to ramp up noticeably.

Here are my predictions on how the outsourcing landscape will change in 2019:            

#1: Global Skill Shortages

Unemployment is down significantly in many developed nations. That is both good and bad. It is good that so many people are working.  But it is bad when companies are searching everywhere for the right skillsets, and these candidates are very few, and when they do find them, they come at a premium.  For example, the lack of in-house engineering talent will be one of the main drivers of the IT outsourcing industry. According to the latest survey, over 70% of technology employers in the UK expect to face a talent shortage over the next 12 months. We are seeing nearly 600,000 vacancies in digital technology, which will cost the country £63 bn a year. Companies may have to outsource their services to more attractive locations in Central & Eastern Europe due to the shortage of tech professionals in their own countries.

In the United States, the IT talent shortage is also a growing problem. A report by Gartner predicts that by 2020 there will be 1.4 million computer specialist job openings. It will create a talent shortage that universities will find challenging to fill, even at 30%. At the same time, some companies are selective.  They want candidates that can hit the ground running with limited new hire training.  This will work against them when the talent pool is already extremely low.

#2: More than Just Cost-savings

The relationships between a client and a software development provider will be more process driven and people driven and less price-oriented. No doubt, cost reduction is and will remain the main advantage of outsourcing engineering work. However, it won’t be a decisive factor when choosing a service provider.

Increasingly, clients will be focusing more on the value delivered than in cutting costs. IT outsourcing companies will become systems integrators and partners to their customers. They will share greater risk and focus on delivering value-added services.

#3:  Security Concerns Tighten

Security is, and should be, a major concern for companies both internally and when outsourcing. In 2018, we saw some serious breaches of security, such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Consumer outrage alone is enough to scare companies into tighter security measures. Additionally, new GDPR regulations, which affect European organisations and any company that might interact with European data, will cause new data security changes.

#4: It’s All About Artificial Intelligence

In July 2018, Forbes stated the following about AI technology customization:      

“The burgeoning advancement of artificial intelligence in the tech world will continue to have a large impact on the way that we write code, build new technology and even advance frontiers like blockchain in the next few years. AI’s potential to customize tech to individual consumers is enormous, and we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of its capabilities thus far.”

In the outsourcing world, I predict 2019 will include many aspects of Artificial Intelligence. Customers continuously ask about AI capabilities, how AI can improve their products or services, and how we can help them achieve their AI goals. AI technology is growing rapidly, and many outsourcing firms are hiring AI experts to meet these client demands.

It is not that corporations have big data; it is how they use that data will separate those that are successful through the year from those that aren’t.

#5.  Strategic Alignments

Traditionally, lowering costs is the main reason to outsource. Corporate leaders focus on bottom-line performance. Outsourcing is a cost-effective way to reach financial performance goals.

However, based on the current climate moving into 2019, for the first time in a long time, it may not be totally about dollars. In fact, an attempt to save money may actually have a negative impact moving forward.  Instead, a clear vision of tomorrow, backed by appropriate investments today, is the path to achieve growth targets. That’s why it’s no surprise that companies are looking at more than cost details when it comes to attracting outsourcing partnerships. Instead, it has to do more with corporate strategy alignment.

Another important factor that organisations need to make sure when choosing an outsourcing partner is that the necessary tech skills, knowledge and qualification are in place in order to carry out the services needed. Further, companies need to keep in mind that an outsourcing partner should have a strategic eye and experience in the leading digital transformation and should be seen as a solution provider that aligns with overall strategic business objectives.

#6.  Alternative Trends in Outsourcing Destinations

In the upcoming years, countries in Eastern Europe will stand up against strong competition for India and China. So far, the largest share of global outsourcing revenue is generated in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region, with India and China taking leading positions. This may change in the coming year, as Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Kosovo will become new hot spots.

The dynamics of the IT industry in Kosovo is constantly growing. It has already established itself as an outsourcing destination. Some major global brands have decided to either outsource to Kosovo or open delivery centres, likes of AT&T, Vodafone, DHL, and Teleperfomance. AT&T in particular has enjoyed a huge success through its Kosovan vendor. Kosbit a global provider of managed services and IT solutions. IAOP recently named Kosbit a “World’s Best Outsourcing Provider 2018” for its commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.

#7. Improving the Customer Experience

Customers are the lifeblood of any business. Working to make their experience with your company the best it can be will usually guarantee customer retention. This will stabilize sales, and through word of mouth with their contacts, inevitably increase sales opportunities. A recent survey was created where leading marketing experts were solicited for their advice in creating an exemplary customer experience.  The survey, entitled, “A Look Ahead: Business Process Outsourcing by the Numbers,” included a detailed questionnaire to help answer key questions that define where the customer originates, what they want, and how companies can best serve them. Using this survey, the next steps should include sharing insights with your BPO partner in order to provide predictable, standard processes, backed by innovative technology. This will help to continually improve the customer experience.

#8.  Disruptive Outsourcing, Data migration and Security Requirement Trends

In the coming year, there will be several challenges in terms of data migration, security requirements, application optimization, organizational resistance, highly fragmented processes, and regulatory compliance.

Recently, Deloitte conducted a survey of 500 leaders representing a wide range of organisations with operational footprints in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The executives responding to the survey represented more than 25 different sectors across six industries.

The results of Deloitte’s survey are noteworthy. Disruptive outsourcing led the survey responses among the respondents, followed by cloud and automation as factors that will fundamentally transform traditional outsourcing in 2019. In fact, three key trends emerged from Deloitte’s outsourcing survey:

1.     Disruptive Outsourcing is enabling competitive advantage.

Among 2019’s trends, disruptive outsourcing, when executed well, will deliver a competitive advantage by transforming the way organisations operate, making them more agile, efficient, and effective. The advantages are obvious to respondents: approximately 84 percent of them have initiated discussions, conducted pilots, or implemented some disruptive solutions already. This trend will continue until 2019.

2.     Organisations are Embracing Disruptive Outsourcing Technologies such as Cloud and Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

Cloud and Robotic Process Automation will increase in 2019. 93% of organisations are considering or adopting cloud solutions, and 72 percent are considering the advantages of adopting RPA solutions.  In addition, 70% of respondents believe their service providers have opportunities and abilities to implement disruptive solutions.

3.     Disruptive solutions will lead to additional challenges in 2019.

Data migration, security requirements, and application optimization/change are a few examples of challenges related to cloud adoption. Organizational resistance, highly fragmented processes, and regulatory restraints remain as common challenges having to do with RPA adoption. Disruptive outsourcing solutions will challenge more traditional methods and drive a competitive advantage to those that adopt it.

Disruptive outsourcing will enabling organisations to reimagine and transform their business. It is challenging traditional outsourcing and driving competitive advantage. More than half of the organisations surveyed are adopting, or considering adopting, disruptive solutions to drive performance, improve speed to market, and increase innovation. Today, disruptive outsourcing is about collaborating with partners in the marketplace to integrate services that organisations can’t build on their own to innovate, transform, grow, and shake up their competitors. Outsourcing-led transformations can address both business and IT challenges. They have the potential to bring about dramatic change to the outsourcing industry like never before. This will result in cost reductions, though many organisations expect to invest some of those savings into business investments, particularly when doing so can eradicate costs elsewhere. With disruptive outsourcing, the only limit is imagination.

To move forward effectively, organisations must be thoughtful and proactive in every step of their outsourcing evolution, whether choosing service providers, negotiating flexible contracts, implementing a strong governance program, managing cybersecurity, addressing regulatory issues, or implementing robust service integration. Most organisations understand that now is the time to capitalize and get ahead of the competition, and disruptive outsourcing is the approach to take.

In 2019, companies will have to change their outsourcing strategy. Their next steps will determine how they can change solutions, which partners will generate increased revenue, how they can construct an incentives structure that motivates them to innovate, and how to implement and manage new outsourcing paradigms. History has shown that it is difficult to catch up if you ignore or delay acting on outsourcing disruptions. Those who seize this opportunity can execute real change.

Lessons Learned:  What organisations are planning for the future          

As 2019 approaches, here is what respondents said they would do differently when launching their next outsourcing initiative based on past experiences:

·         Service Provider Selection. Companies stated they would spend more time in RFP or service provider selection (42 percent), and use a competitive bidding process (39 percent). This may be due to the increased maturity of the procurement and vendor management functions within organisations. Many clients use a single source approach for selecting a service provider, with an expectation that the process will be faster to execute. However, they will likely pay higher fees, lower service levels, and less favourable terms. And it usually takes longer, since a competitive process creates a greater sense of urgency than a sole source approach.

·         Strategic Planning Approach. Others stated they would take a more strategic approach to planning a new outsourcing initiative: increasing the scope of service (34 percent); transforming the process rather than lifting and shifting (30 percent); investing in more service integration and transition (28 percent); and using a third-party advisor (27 percent).

Conclusion

This suggests that organisations recognise that the value of transformation, improved processes, experienced counsel, and transition play on the success of their outsourcing programs, though often too late. Today’s disruptive outsourcing environment is filled with opportunities to enhance innovation and market competitiveness for forward-thinking organisations.

As you can see, 2019 will be an exciting year for outsourcing as new technologies continue to unravel themselves and change the paradigm, with blockchain and big data being a great example of this. With such disruptive concepts as AI finally hitting the market, I know we will soon see ramifications and possibilities that we have never imagined before, having tangible effects on every industry, as we know it.

As CMO at Kosbit, Fatmir is passionate about helping companies adopt strategic IT outsourcing to make their businesses and workforces effective, efficient and more productive.

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JET Specialist Officer Exam Notification and Recruitment Alerts | Jet funda

If you aspire to work in the mainstream and be a part of the nation’s economic development, a job in the govt jobs may be the best option for you. Every year there are a number of vacancies in the public sector. Thousands of jobs are expected to be created this year, covering key sectors such as banking, railways, insurance, JET exams, government services, medicine, media and more. Educational qualifications for this profession range from intermediate to postgraduate.

JET Exams has issued a tender for the recruitment of JET specialist positions. Eligible applicants can apply online no later than 20 April 2019 on the official website. More details on JET technical statement, study plan, qualifications, admission criteria, selection process, application, salary, key dates at Jet Funda.

JET (Joint Employment Test) has published advertisements for hiring skilled workers. JET will inform CS, CA and law students. The JET exam will take place soon, probably in July. Therefore, all applicants who qualify for the exam and wish to take the exam are encouraged to complete the application form for the JET Specialist Notification Exam once the online form is posted.

JET exam is a competitive exam in India. JET Specialist Officer Exam Notification is organized by the JET Committee, an autonomous agency of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government. From India. JET exam allows candidates to apply for jobs like Lekhpal, Accountant and other jobs mentioned by Government organizations. Department or PSU that is part of the JET exam. Interested and qualified applicants can fill out the online application form from the department's official portal, which is shown at the end of this article. Here are some good faith steps to make application forms easy to fill out.

Create multiple jobs every year in government and other organizations such as IBPS, JET Exam, Tata Motors, ICICI Bank, HCL and other banks. We now provide complete information about government agencies and other positions like SSC, UPSC, Kereta Api, IBPS, JET Exam and other details about appointments and vacancies. Find high JET Specialist Officer Exam Notification and other reported jobs in the industry that are useful for entry-level jobs here.

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UK jobs creation slows as pay growth reaches 11-year high

~CXL~

Hiring eases in three months to July, showing stress placed on economy by Brexit

Pay growth for workers in Britain has accelerated at the fastest annual rate in more than a decade, despite cracks emerging in the jobs market as employers hold off against hiring new staff ahead of Brexit.

Workers’ pay, including bonuses, picked up to 4% in the three months to July, compared with the same period a year earlier, marking the fastest average wage growth since mid-2008.

Despite the increase in pay growth, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said hiring had eased in the three months to July, as companies and public sector employers took on 31,000 more workers – below the forecasts of City economists.

In a sign of growing caution among employers as the world economy slows and the Brexit turmoil in Westminster, the number of job vacancies fell to 812,000, the lowest level since the end of 2017.

The number of job openings has fallen in consecutive months since earlier this year, ending a period of steady growth that began in 2012. Economists said the decline in vacancies was the fastest for more than eight years, pointing to a sharper easing in the jobs market than the figures for wage growth might suggest.

Howard Archer, the chief economic advisor to the EY Item club, said the slowdown in job creation suggested “weak economic activity, as well as heightened Brexit and domestic political uncertainties [are] having an increasingly dampening effect on the labour market”.

Read More at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/sep/10/uk-jobs-creation-pay-growth-economy-brexit