Sol Garfunkel and David Mumford think they know How to Fix Our Math Education (NYT, 8/24 Op Ed): “The truth is that different sets of math skills are useful for different careers, and our math education should be changed to reflect this fact.” I think they miss half the point. Here’s the other half: jobs. Even with… Read more »
As you have likely heard, Linkedin’s shares more than doubled in their first day of trading. Business growth may be sluggish in other arenas, but it is booming for today’s social networking sites. Linkedin alone has more than 100 million members, and has revolutionized the way people communicate–especially when it comes to networking. It has… Read more »
There are times in my life when my “to-do” list trumps my “done” list so completely that being “overwhelmed” doesn’t begin to describe the situation. I’m forced to explore other options: Find a twin to split the duties? Consider cloning? Wave a white flag, and take a nap? So far I’ve opted to simply… Read more »
The more detailed data you have to draw from, the more informed your business decisions can be, and the more profitable your business can become. Old news, I know, but sometimes it’s nice to be reminded that analytics are relevant– vital even, to the success of commerce. A recent article in The New York Times claims… Read more »
Forces are building rapidly that will result in this year being one of the biggest for employee turnover in decades. Historically, there is a significant and natural increase in employees leaving current employers as the economy gains momentum and more job opportunities open up. After years of job insecurity, reduced or no bonuses, salary… Read more »
Becky, snowshoe racing in Wisconsin. Note the hat: it’s Packer spirit wear; she’ll be cheering Greenbay during Sunday’s Superbowl. Well, it’s here — the Snowstorm of the Century has hit Chicago. I’m not quite sure how significant that is in a century that’s only 11 years old, but we’ve definitely got accumulation, with some serious… Read more »
For people in our industry, numbers have a life of their own. We get excited when data show us new trends, patterns and possibilities. But most of the world does not view this information in the same way. In fact, believe it or not, most people think of statistical data as dry, unfathomable, even boring…. Read more »
It’s been a remarkable year at Burtch Works. Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe it has been just a little over a year that we’ve been together in this new, flexible practice. Working nationwide, we have strengthened our many long-standing relationships and established some new ones. Here among the staff, we have welcomed a… Read more »
Compensation for Quantitative Professionals: What to Expect in the Near Term The last two years have seen the job market for quantitative professionals bungee from robust down to the weakest level in 70 years and, just recently, back to relative health. Now that things are getting back on track, at least for our industry,… Read more »
Mongolia, August 2010 Ger Tents in the Gobi It turns out that when you travel somewhere exotic and foreign,you’ll discover that things are, well, exotic and foreign. During our family summer adventure in Mongolia, we experienced the full yin and yang of foreign and exotic — from fantastic to absurd, from interesting to alien, from… Read more »
