If you haven’t noticed, technology has taken over the world and the only way for anyone to survive, especially college students, is to evolve alongside it. In the past, students lacked the technical knowledge necessary to take advantage of various IT resources that were beginning to appear across college campuses. Students at UBC today have no excuse for not taking advantage of IT resources available to them. All you really need is access to the internet.

The importance of having a personal website

Many students might be skeptical about the necessity of creating and maintaining a personal website. There are dozens of benefits gained from having a personal website and it doesn’t take very long to actually make one. To better understand how to get started building an online presence, all you have to do is compare local web hosting services to figure out where to house your website. After that, you can have a website up and running in a day or two using WordPress.

As a college student, having your own website can set you apart from other job applicants when your job search begins, whether you are applying for an internship or a full-time job. A personal website can act as a personal portfolio where you are able to showcase work from projects, organizations, and jobs. 

Controlling your personal branding is another added benefit of a personal website. You have the power to convince potential employers to form an opinion that you want them to form regarding your professional presence. Even having a second place to point recruiters to where they can place a face to a resume is an added benefit.

Imagine a scenario where you found your dream job. You and your competition sent in your resume and your cover letter, excited about the opportunity. The difference between you and your competition is that you have a personal website and they don’t. While they sit there twiddling their thumbs, you are updating your website to make it personalized towards the job you applied for. Imagine what will happen when a recruiter opens your website and sees “Specific Company, please interview me.”

Investing in a laptop

It’s understandable if you don’t have a laptop yet due to financial difficulties. School and everything surrounding your education is expensive. The problem is that laptops provide such an improved experience over an alternative. With a laptop, you can work whenever and wherever, achieving a level of independence and freedom that you previously lacked. 

If you are not able to afford your own laptop, you can simply rent one from the library – all you need to do flash your student ID.

Beyond that, you have other options. There are options for a personal laptop that will only cost you $200 such as a Chromebook. You may not be able to use complicated software and play games on a Chromebook but you can surf the internet, use Microsoft Word and Excel, and take notes in class.

Anything else that needs to be done can be supplemented by a rented laptop or by using a PC in the library.

Immerse yourself in coding and develop your interests

Coding is a modern language. Everything regarding technology beyond hardware is made possible through different coding languages. The value of knowing how to code is massive and could help you as automation takes the job industry by storm.

Beyond that, having any additional skills on your resume will help you in securing a job when you graduate. Any extra little bit can help when applying for a job. At the very list, showing you have a diverse set of skills can get you ahead of the competition.

There are various resources that any UBC students can make use of on campus to further their coding knowledge or to dive deeper into interests they have. The internet also has a lot to offer for free. Previous generations mainly view education as an institution. We don’t fully disagree as UBC is one of the best institutions for learning in the world, but there are other options as well.

Education has generally become much more fluid and learning is accessible in a wide variety of places. Anyone can learn how to play the piano via Youtube or learn filmography through an online learning platform such as Coursera. While you might not receive a document certifying your skills, you can learn many useful skills. The world is becoming increasingly flexible regarding qualifications. If you receive one degree and have skills in another field, the combination of the two makes you a unique job candidate.  

There is no reason why you cannot learn a new skill while pursuing your undergraduate degree or masters at UBC. It’s only a matter of dedication and self-motivation. As a student, learning how to balance your formal education with other learning opportunities will make you a well-rounded person after graduation.

Small Business Accelerator

At UBC, becoming an entrepreneur is just as much about immersing yourself in technology as it is about learning basic business principles. If you have a business idea, the business accelerator program gives you access to technology that will allow you to bring your business idea into reality.

The biggest boost the accelerator can give you is access to market research you wouldn’t have otherwise. Data from studies on the internet can cost hundreds and thousands of dollars. UBC has access to information you wouldn’t have access to otherwise.

The accelerator also gives access to other online resources such as business idea evaluation, business plans, funding, and legal assistance. Accessing this wealth of information while you’re in school can give you a massive leg up on future competition. 

Final Thoughts

Almost anything is possible with the internet and other forms of technology. The main issue is trying to figure out where to specifically look. Information overload is a real thing and UBC is attempting to make the process easier by providing specialized IT resources. Exploring the IT resources available at UBC can make your education better and your post-graduation life even more prosperous.

Modern day world runs on business deals, the respective structures constructed to govern and administer business relations and business people trying to expand business markets and increase profits. In such a scenario, finance becomes one of the most important fields of business, enabling aspiring parties to make good use of their money or find access to new sources of capital to undertake bigger projects. Business financing is therefore a force to be reckoned with as it continues to govern corporate relations, determine the boundaries and constraints of global business, while also opening brand new frontiers for aspiring minds and their projects.

The world of finance has always enjoyed a close connection to the domain of computer technologies and therefore the digital age has brought nothing short of a revolution for its matters. Robinhood, the popular millennial stock trading application, is a groundbreaking tool that has made financial investments mainstream, bringing $69 million in order routing revenue in 2018, tripling its revenues of such origin in 2017. The Menlo Park, the company that owns Robinhood, currently has 6 million users and a valuation of $5.6 billion, which is impressive considering that the company has been in existence for only five years. Robinhood’s policies have been receiving criticism lately due to its heavy reliance on high-frequency traders and their contributions to the ‘dark pool’ in global finance, which has been held responsible for the large-scale market swings that “allow institutional investors to gain an upper hand over smaller retail investors.” However, skeptics of such criticism point out that the entire industry witnessed 42% increase in order-routing revenue last year, meaning that The Menlo Park and Robinhood did not step outside of the boundaries of legality with their finance business, but merely enjoyed a global trend, signaling further financial success stories for the application.

Canada houses one of the most stable economies in the world but this does not mean that the country’s economy is invulnerable to crises as evidenced by the recently emerged issue of debt delinquency and how consumer delinquencies are expected to climb even higher in 2019.  Equifax Canada points out that as the 90-day delinquency rate rose by 1.5% in 2017 to 0.18% in 2018, the mortgage rates also rose by 0.4% to 1.07% the same year, resulting in a 15% rise in bankruptcies in Canada. For Canadian citizens of ages 65 and above, the delinquency rate increased by 7.2% last year, with the number of overdue payments for such seniors being on the rise for three consecutive quarters. According to Equifax’s findings, the total consumer debt of Canadian citizens, including the mentioned mortgages, also rose to $1.91 trillion in 2018 from its previous level of $$1.82 trillion in 2017. With respect to actual figures, such an alarming reality reveals that the average non-mortgage consumer debt was $23,520, having rose by 3% in 2018. As a general statement, it can inferred that the Canadian citizens need to take notice of the situation as well as possible action to slow down such increasing rates for the sake of preserving and maintaining the Canadian lifestyle.

When it comes business and finance, there is probably no other institution in the world as determinant and powerful as the Federal Reserve Bank of America, which makes the election of the members of the institution’s Board of Directors an important issue. Quite recently, the US President Donald Trump announced that the former Republican Herman Cain would not be running for a seat on the Board, fueling speculations that the president has political plans for America’s central bank as he sees the independent nature of the institution’s governance a threat to America’s political stability. Trump has previously demanded that the Fed should lower the interest rates for the sake of American businesses, which is a direct opposition to the general attitude of American presidents regarding monetary policy. Trump’s stance on the issue has been perceived as a continuation of his isolationist economic policies, due to the fact that the president aims at increasing economic welfare and stability in America by keeping production and jobs at home. For such a purpose, Trump claims that he requires financial privileges and freedom, both of which he expects and demands from the Federal Reserve System.      

 

Long working hours and inadequate sleep are the hallmarks of modern society. Perpetual deadlines and challenging goals have connived to create frenzy for super-human performance. The World Health Organization recommends seven to nine hours of sleep a night. But studies indicate that the average adult makes do with merely six hours of sleep each night. No wonder, business is booming in the world of sleep. According to a 2017 McKinsey report, the sleep health industry has historically grown by more than 8% a year and is currently estimated at $30 billion-$40 billion. From best mattress of 2019 and sleep spas to spooning robots and cuddle blankets, consumers are emptying their wallets to enjoy the elusive sleep.

An industry of sleep entrepreneurs has grown around the quest for deep and long sleep. They are offering hi-tech pajamas that absorb the body’s natural heat and reflect that energy back into the skin. A new robot promises to soothe a person to sleep with its Buddhist breathing techniques. Temperature-controlled pillows and mattresses stuffed with horsehair keep the sleepers cool and free from humidity. The CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) devices space is a billion dollar market, given the soaring instances of obstructive sleep apnea. There is also a phenomenal rise in sleep centers or labs that diagnose sleep disorders. Such labs are either independent or located in hospitals and universities. Companies are selling mattresses embedded with thin sensors that analyze sleep movements and snoring patterns, and provide recommendations on how to improve the snooze. Business entrepreneur ships are also unveiling white-noise apps such as Sleep Cycle alarm clock, which monitors sleep habits via the phone’s accelerometer and microphone in an attempt to understand and modify personal sleep. Wearable activity trackers such as Fitbit even allow a person to track sleep time, waking activity and other vital signs, thereby providing interesting insights into what helps and hinders good sleep. Manhattan’s famous Benjamin Hotel has a sleep program, accompanied with a sleep concierge and sleep consultant.

After funding sleep-depriving technologies such as streaming video, gaming and social networks, the venture capital industry has woken to the potential of the sleep industry. Sleep-focused companies have raised a cumulative $700 million, according to an analysis of Crunchbase funding data. Online sleep start-ups are also disrupting the mattress market. They operate on a simple business model, which consists in offering one or two variants of mattresses designed as per different human body types and needs, making choosing a mattress a breeze. By taking the online sales route, they cut out middlemen and thus offer affordable rates. The New York-based online mattress retailer Casper reached sales of $100 million within a year of its 2015 launch. The British company Simba, which was started in 2016, has already surpassed sales of £100 million. The Pzizz app, launched in October 2016, has exceeded half a million downloads across 160 countries.

Sleep is big business today. And going by the trends in contemporary society and lifestyles, the sleep industry seems headed only one way and that is higher.

Diamonds are a staple in the jewelry industry and they are a consistent favorite among consumers, but purchasing these rare and precious stones come with a high level of risk. Blood diamonds, or diamonds that are unethically mined and produced to fund conflicts in war-torn areas, make up as much as 20 percent of the stones that are on the market today. This multi-million-dollar illicit business contributes to a human rights and public health crisis that is predominantly affecting poor areas in central and western Africa. However, there are ways to ensure that you’re buying a stone that was legally, ethically, and responsibly sourced.

Some of the most heavily affected countries are Botswana, Liberia, Angola, and the Central African Republic – among many others. Individuals from local, impoverished areas are commonly targeted and recruited by violent groups for their labor efforts. These workers often trade their freedom, health, and livelihood just to keep themselves and their families afloat – even though their revenue depends entirely on whether or not they’re able to find diamonds at all. For a diamond that’s about one carat in weight, a worker in Democratic Republic of Congo could make $100 USD. The amount of work that’s required to mine these diamonds by hand is grueling and debilitating, but it’s fueled by a worldwide demand for the precious stones. The generated revenue goes into the pockets of violent rebel groups who continue to exploit and indenture people from vulnerable communities.

In response to the damage caused by this underground trade, leaders in the diamond industry created a verification system called the Kimberley Process to evaluate diamonds for their origin and integrity. This certification process has reduced the purchase of blood diamonds since its inception more than a decade ago, but it’s not foolproof. Due to illegal smuggling and falsified reports regarding the origin of exported diamonds, many illegitimate stones still make their way onto the market. For this reason, it is imperative for buyers to conduct thorough research before purchasing a diamond from anywhere.

In order to ensure that the diamond you want to purchase was mined and processed legally and ethically, look for stones that have an extensive trail of recorded information. Traceability is key when it comes to purchasing diamonds, and there are a few reasons for that. One method to ensure that you’re buying a conflict-free diamond is to look for specific certifications, such as an endorsement from GIA diamonds. This authority uses a rigorous, multi-step verification process to determine the origin of each stone they accept. Certified stones come with an engraved inscription, or a printed and sealed certificate.

Another thing to consider when purchasing diamonds is environmental impact. While diamond mining is inevitably going to have an impact on surrounding ecosystems, buying a legally sourced stone that was mined from a responsible company is one way to refrain from supporting destructive labor mills. Reputable miners operate within the requirements of law, while also choosing sites that will have cause the least amount of damage to the environment. By default, you can also rest assured that illegal, inhumane labor wasn’t used for production in a heavily regulated mine.

To be completely sure that your diamond is conflict-free, opting for a lab-grown stone is an easy way to keep your peace of mind. While they are man made, lab-created diamonds have the same makeup and appearance of natural stones. Since they are created from start-to-finish, there is no risk that they were mined, sold, traded, or obtained from conflict-affected areas. Of course this isn’t required if you take the necessary precautions, but it’s an additional option for those who would like a real diamond without any chance of it being a blood diamond.

The process behind checking imported diamonds isn’t watertight, but many retailers can guarantee that their diamonds are conflict and guilt free. Regardless of a diamond’s place of origin, purchasing from reputable producers will prevent consumers from buying stones that were either mined by force, detrimental to the environment, smuggled to hide traceability, or all of the above. Even though the amount of blood diamonds on the market has lowered dramatically since 2003, it’s still a huge and influential business that has its hands in some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable regions.

The United States is the largest consumer of diamonds in the world, contributing to nearly half of the diamonds industry’s annual revenue. Since about 80 percent of the world’s gem-quality diamonds come from Africa, there is a high probability that – without proper research and information – you could be purchasing a blood diamond and inadvertently helping to fund this violent and devastating underground industry. By remaining vigilant and confirming the identity and origin of every diamond we buy, we can help to quash a powerful business that has damaged the lives of millions and millions of people.

While 2018 has been The Year of Patience for cryptocurrency investors, the developers behind the world’s leading cryptocurrencies haven’t been sitting idle. The developers behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, and Ethereum aren’t waiting for prices to recapture their late-2017 glory. They’re working on new technology that will make cryptocurrency better, faster, more accessible, and more valuable to all.

There are plenty of good reasons to stay excited about cryptocurrency and new developments in blockchain technology. From what the leading cryptocurrencies have told us already, there appear to be 3 main themes emerging for 2019: scalability, usability, and speed, all while institutional investors hover just around the corner.

#1 Scalability

The biggest hurdle facing the mainstream use of cryptocurrency right now is scalability. Scalability is hampered by transaction speeds, transaction fees, database architecture, and tech literacy.

Ethereum is taking a proactive approach to scalability with its Constantinople hard fork, a move that’s driven ETH’s price recovery. Constantinople was designed to introduce off chain transactions such as BTC’s Lightning Network, reducing block reward and delays. The hard fork is being supported by major cryptocurrency exchanges.

#2 Usability

Bitcoin Cash has laid out a pretty clear road map that outlines what usability means in 2019:

• Instant security for merchants through pre-consensus
• Low fees for fractional satoshis
• Using CashAddr to differentiate Bitcoin Cash addresses from those used for Bitcoin

These are just some of the steps Bitcoin Cash is taking to become more user-friendly, and they’re not the only cryptocurrency taking usability seriously in 2019.

#3 Transaction Speed

Improving transaction speeds without resulting in higher transaction fees is crucial to making the use of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies more widespread. That’s why Bitcoin developers are rolling out an update called The Lightning Network, a solution to Bitcoin’s ongoing struggle with scaling and transaction speed. The Lightning Network will prove to be a big step forward for mass adoption – just in time to meet institutional investment dollars.

2019 will be another important year for cryptocurrency. Be sure to read about the latest cryptocurrency news to see where cryptocurrencies are headed. As they improve on these three cornerstones: scalability, usability, and transaction speed, you can expect usage to increase. With Bitcoin ETFs still on the horizon, there’s also the promise of a new wave of speculation and investment money.

Today, it’s easier than ever to buy cryptocurrencies for everyday use or investment on cryptocurrency exchanges like Bitbuy, one of the few exchanges that let you buy Bitcoin with Canadian funds directly from your bank account. Cryptocurrency exchanges are also evolving in an effort to make cryptocurrency more widely available.

In the long-run, skyrocketing prices may not be the best thing for cryptocurrencies. Finding more widespread use as everyday payment methods and in smart contracts, cryptocurrencies promise to become a permanent fixture in the everyday economy. Cryptocurrencies are maturing and developing the blockchain technologies needed to meet a broader audience.

As your business grows, you know you’ll need to expand and engage in the online market. Of course, with that being said, you’re going to need a functioning website. Perhaps you’re thinking of building your site or hiring a web developer to do the front-end and back-end work. Regardless of what you choose, you need to be aware of the five most common web design mistakes people make when creating a website. Whether you have experience with web design or not, these tips will either help refresh your memory or teach you something new.

Not mobile-friendly

Though it’s highly avoidable, if you make this mistake, it’ll drastically change the outcome of your site. You need to have your website mobile-friendly. In reality, 57% of web traffic is coming from smartphones and tablets. Which means if you snooze on this, you lose. Make sure your site is functional via smartphone and that it’s interactive for users.

Low-quality site

Your website is the face of your business which means you need to spend the money on making your website look good. If it’s not visually appealing, modern, functional, and interactive users are going to leave within seconds. Your goal is to keep them on your website for as long as possible. Invest in your site, and you’ll see the difference.

No analytics

A lack of analytics is a major problem with newly developed websites. If you’re uneducated in web design or hire a sloppy designer, you’re probably going to miss this crucial tool for your business. Using an analytic tool will help you measure your page views, users, demographics and more. This tells you who is going on your website and what they’re looking for. Shockingly, only 75% of small business websites are not using an analytic tool. Having analytic tool for your business is a game changer.

Lack of security and support

Building a website is one thing, but you do have the tools to support it? Are your devices adequately protected from external threats such as hackers? Do you back-up your business’s information? Do you have a tool which monitors your computers and servers? These are essential questions you should be asking yourself. Building a website is one thing but making sure it’s supported and protected is another. For example, server monitoring tools can check for issues with your server, memory usage, disk space, and more.

“We don’t do social media.”

What do you mean you “don’t do” social media? You’re running a business now; whether you like it or not, you’re going to have to jump on the bandwagon. Depending on your industry, you may need to open multiple accounts on various social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and, Facebook. Also, you need to have social media icons visible on your website and connected to all accounts.

Now that you know these mistakes avoid them at all costs. By following these tips, your website will automatically look more inviting and modern.

Steve Jobs once said, “Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer… because it teaches you how to think.” And much more, one may add. Programming is everywhere, right from using a smart phone and a chat app to unlocking a car and commanding a plane. A programming language is a set of grammatical rules that instruct a computing device to perform specific tasks. Computer programming bestows the ability to create absolutely anything and scale it instantly. For example, an application can be created to monitor a person’s heart rate in some part of the world and this can be immediately scaled up for the benefit of humankind all over the world.

Types of Programming Languages

Programming languages can be classified into two categories, viz. Low Level and High Level.

Low Level Languages

Low level Languages use the primitive operations of a computer. Machine Language and Assembly Language are Low level Languages as they write programs on the basis of a computer’s architecture. Machine languages are popularly known as first generation languages. In a machine language program, the computation is based on binary numbers and all instructions such as operations, data and memory locations are specified in those terms. Assembly languages are called second generation languages as they substitute the binary codes of machine language with alphabetic and numeric symbols.

High Level Languages (HLL)

High level languages are procedure-oriented and machine-independent. They are procedure-oriented as they use natural language-like structures to write the programs, which are then executed with the help of compilers and interpreters. They are machine-independent as they can be ported on any computer. Third generation languages such as C+, Java and APL are examples of high-level languages.

Top Programming Languages

JavaScript

JavaScript is the universal programming language of the web and the most sought-after programming language in the contemporary employment market. JavaScript works on both the client and server side, thus making it possible to build offline and desktop apps and run them on Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Python

Python is a popular programming language as it is incredibly beginner friendly and easy to master. It is also the language of choice for machine learning, which is becoming a ubiquitous reality of our times. It makes immense sense to pursue Certification Training and other Python Spark courses like this.

C#

C# was released way back in 2000, but is still one of the most liked programming languages in use today. It is easy to code and is deployed in all types of software development environments, ranging from writing web and mobile applications to 3-D games. C# is also a good starting point for learning other computer languages as it has conceptual and architectural similarities to Java and others.

To conclude, people get into programming for varied reasons spanning career, money, excitement of computers and challenge of building something new. Learning programming makes immense sense even for a person who does not wish to become a programmer. Computers are a part of life and learning to program will only make it better.

Travel is one of the most valuable things that a person can buy. While many have always had the urge to travel, it is more than fair to say that feats of technology like the internet and travel apps have heightened the increasing number of individuals who want to take to the skies to see the world. From dream Jordan vacations to white Christmases in New York, USA, there is a world of discovery and imagination out there just waiting to be captured. The introduction of technology into the travel industry is helping more and more eager travellers to be the ones to uncover it all. Travel technology is a relatively new concept, though the ideals have been around as long as technology itself. Wi-Fi connectivity and voice technology have helped companies connect with thousands of customers across the world.

In the past, the travel industry has relied on a few key technologies to keep it propelling forward. These few technologies include travel insurance and currency exchange. They still operate heavily in the travel industry today – they are even core technologies in the travel industry. The difference between then and now is that these traditional technologies are being utilised in alliance with new, transformative technologies, the biggest of them being the rise of digitalisation and the consequential development of social media as ‘#travelinspo.”

The very nature of social media is that it operates as a communication-based sharing network of platforms. For instance, Facebook is more written-focused, while Instagram and Snapchat are more visual-oriented. Regardless of the social media platform itself, there has been a rise in sharing about incredible locations (both hidden gems and renowned tourist destinations). This rise in sharing travel inspiration has inevitably led to a ripple effect of people becoming more interested in exploring the world and adding the destinations they see online to their own stories, pages, and news feeds.

Travel is all about wandering, exploring, and adventuring. At the heart of it all, people travel to see more of the world they come from. People have travelled as long as planes have existed, but the rise of social media technology means that there are more people than ever trying to give themselves a stronger sense of their place in the big, wide world. We crave beautiful things, and Earth is the biggest, most beautiful thing there is to discover and explore. All it takes is a passport and a plane ticket, and the rest becomes our history.

Thanks to the technology behind social media domination in this modern era, we are more focused on creating our own memories by scattering our presence around the globe. Travel today is one of the most exciting things that a person can do for themselves, and we are more driven to push ourselves and accomplish more thanks to the rise of the social media digital network. More than ever, this is a world worth travelling. More than ever, we are a species of individuals who are impassioned and driven to see it all. Thanks to travel technology like social media influence, we can.

Travel companies use various technologies to interact and engage with customers. In the past few years, travel and tourism companies have increased their dependency on Augmented and Virtual reality. The trend continues, and these technologies help companies to enhance the customers’ experience and even aid in content marketing. For example, airlines invest in VR technology to share visuals of the cabins to travelers in advance. This is done to increase ticket sales and ancillary services sales. Along with this, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been helpful in the evolution of technologies and innovations in the tourism sector. AI has helped the industry in three major categories: ChatBots or TravelBots, Machine Learning, and Robots. Using AI has helped in cutting down on human intervention significantly. With automation, we can speed up processes, improve quality and performance, and decrease costs.

Concluding, we’d like to say that the advent of technology is changing the travel and tourism industry, but we’re not entirely dependent on technology in the travel and tourism sector. We have the liberty to make necessary modification whenever required.

Finding a job these days can be an incredibly stressful process. Not only can it take weeks, even months or years, to find the perfect fit, but it also takes a lot of mental and physical energy and effort to remain steadfast in the pursuit of the dream career. Joining a company that specialises in debtor finance or modern marketing can be made all the more difficult when you are competing against a hundred other capable applicants for a coveted spot in an established company. Small businesses are often overlooked in favour of larger, more established companies when it comes to seeking employment, but there is in fact many benefits to joining a small business as opposed to a larger business.

The dream career can come at quite a cost, but it ultimately costs more when an individual puts more face value on established companies. A small business can provide a candidate with the perfect opportunity to be a part of something that yields and shows them the tangible results of their hard work. At a big company, it can be easy to be seen as just a number, with a person being seen largely as a spinning cog in the machine that is this huge company. If you are looking to be a part of a company that truly values you and your personal and professional contribution, then a small business is the way to go.

Additionally, small businesses tend to market themselves better than their large-scale competition, and this is an excellent insight into how those small business operate. Small companies tend to put more effort into everything, from marketing and the hiring process, to the inner workings and moving pieces of the business, because they have more to prove. They are thirsty to prove themselves, and as a result they try harder and put more blood, sweat, and tears into every aspect of their company. Bigger companies tend to just hire people to do half-wit jobs on a lot of aspects, ultimately weakening their resolve as titans of industry.

At a smaller company, you are more likely to get more face time with the boss. While it can be easy to view this as a downside, it is inherently more productive to view it as an opportunity to further your personal and professional development. When the boss knows who you are, and you develop a working relationship with them, they are more likely to spend time listening to you or teaching you, which ultimately works out tenfold for you as a professional, as you can learn more and use those lessons to strengthen your performance and skillset.

Ultimately what it all comes down to is effort. Smaller businesses are more likely to put more effort into every aspect of the company, they are more likely to be environments where you can have more face time with the upper management, and they are workplaces that you can grow and develop your professional skills without feeling like just another number in the factory.

The automotive industry has quite literally carried us from A to B for years. Transportation has been one of the greatest innovations at the hands of mankind since the first vehicle prototype was rolled out. These days, the automotive industry is amid a revolutionary transition, with the development of the electric vehicle being propelled forward and showing promise of a cleaner, more healthy future.

In this future, it is not only extremely likely but almost certain that electric vehicles will be rolled out on a global scale, with resident vehicles, business cars, and even significantly-sized corporate vehicle management companies going electric. The revolution is sparking right now, and the future is bright. But realistically, what is the current trajectory of the electric vehicle looking like?

The electric vehicle today

The development of the electric vehicle (EV) has brought with it a promising future, but in terms of where the electric vehicle sits currently, its grasp on modern consumers continues to tighten all the while. Electric vehicles on the road today are mostly powered by Tesla, the pioneering car manufacturer first responsible for making the dream a reality.

Today, there are just four million electric vehicles on the road – a miniscule number when one considers the fact there is currently over a billion petrol and diesel vehicles on the roads around the world. The adoption of the electric vehicle has excelled at an astronomical rate. In twenty years, the first million electric vehicles were sold. Today, a million of them are sold within a matter of four to six months.

The future of the electric vehicle

The changes to the automotive industry that are already in motion, as well as the changes that will soar into motion as the technology continues to evolve, are exciting, to say the least. While today the electric vehicles on the market are impressive and pioneering models of technological genius, the EV models of the future are likely to boast completely self-driving imbedded computer systems, smart awareness, and even hovering vehicle mechanisms in the distant future.

All the scenes we once saw in movies are coming to life before our very eyes, and the development of the EV is arguably the most innovative of all the dreams to come true. In a world where our impact on the planet has been so devastating, this kind of movement for change is not only welcomed, but enthusiastically encouraged.

Luxury carmakers join the revolution

Previously slow to gain favour in the industry, the evolution of the electric vehicle is expected to be the life-changing on an unparalleled scale. While Tesla has remained the definitive front runner in EV technology, companies like Volvo and Ford are coming out of the woodwork and pledging their ceasing of producing fuel-ran vehicles.

The truly unexpected source of support, however, comes in the form of the luxury car makers of the world. Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Range Rover are among the vehicle manufacturers who have openly committed to their support of an automotive industry that thrives on the development of electric vehicles.