Do an internet speed test

We’ve all been there. You’re in the middle of an important conversation, and your computer screen freezes. The person you were talking to is now stuck in an awkward position, you can’t hear a word they’re saying, and all you can do is sit and wait. This is so frustrating. And, even though it’s not your fault, these internet glitches can leave a bad impression on whoever you are speaking with. About 88pc of recruiters say that their number one pet peeve during an interview is an internet lag, as it breaks the flow of the conversation. So before your next virtual interview, presentation, or important meeting, ask family members to log out while you’re having your conversation. You can also test your connection through a simple Google search for “internet speed test.” Remember, it’s the upload speed (you’re “uploading” your video) that you need to test, not the download speed.

(Adapted from “4 Tips to Nail a Virtual Job Interview,” by Ben Laker, Will Godley, Selin Kudret and Rita Trehanu, published by HBR Ascend on Mar 16, 2021)

16-year-old hedge funds interns

In the dog-eat-dog world of hedge funds, giving an internship to a 16-year-old is almost unheard of. But when local talent is hard to find, teaching a minor how to generate alpha can be a worthwhile investment. And so last summer, high schooler Yi Ke Cao spent two weeks at Modular Asset Management, a near $1bn Singaporean hedge fund spun out of Millennium Management LLC. She crunched data in spreadsheets, chatted with veterans and watched nerve-wracking meetings where money managers defended their investment ideas from peers. Cao is the youngest is a wave of Singaporeans being readied for the world of active asset management. As billionaire tycoons and global hedge fund giants move en masse to the tiny city-state, a shortage of qualified professionals is starting to bite — forcing the government and investors to do more to cultivate the industry’s next generation.

(Adapted from “Hedge Fund Managers Are Training 16-Year-Old Interns In Singapore,” by David Ramli, published by Bloomberg Wealth on Mar 11, 2021)

Younger women becoming primary income earners

Among those earning over $100,000, nearly one in three millennial and Gen X women report being the primary income earner or contributing the largest share of the household finances. Only about 20pc of women in previous generations carried their families financially. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic being tougher on women’s earnings and employment, about 54pc of all women who can be considered higher earners report earning wages that are greater than or equal to that of their spouse or partner, according to a Wells Fargo survey. Younger generations of high-earning women are also shouldering the financial responsibility of their families’ needs. Just over half of millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) and Gen X (those born between 1965 and 1980) women say that take care of the family finances. That’s compared to only 40pc of women in the baby boomer and traditionalist generations.

(Adapted from “Younger Women Are More Likely To Be Primary Income Earners Than In Previous Generations,” by Megan Leonhardt, published by CNBC on Mar 9, 2021)

The satisfaction that education brings

Education plays a significant role in bringing satisfaction in life for the people of Pakistan, says a study based on a survey of 1,200. However, its effect is the strongest and most significant for the middle classes because it increases their ability to choose and make their decisions freely. For the poor, an increased level of education does not mean a higher level of freedom whereas, for the rich, the effect of education on life satisfaction is insignificant because they are free either way. Another interesting result of the study was that an increase in education decreases the probability of getting married, especially for the poor. Furthermore, people with more education on average tend to have fewer children.

(Adapted from “Education And Life Satisfaction: A Marginal Mediation Analysis,” by Faiza Hassan, Hafsa Hina and Abdul Qayyum, published by IBA’s Business Review in 2020)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, January 22nd, 2021