August 19, 2016: Friday news roundup

Happy Friday, everyone! Are you ready for a roundup? We’re sharing tips for evaluating potential employers, thoughts on the value of college, stats on the global skills gap, and more.

How to tell if you’ll fit into a company’s culture before you take the job

Whether you’ve heard stories or lived the tale yourself, it’s a huge source of stress, disappointment, and frustration when the company you interviewed with doesn’t seem to match the one you’ve joined. Check out these helpful tips for sussing out the real culture before you accept the offer. On a related note, a new tool has launched to arm women, specifically, with information about how companies treat female employees.

Should college come with a money-back guarantee?

It’s a provocative question for sure. The authors share examples of a few schools that actually are offering guarantees of sorts. For example, SUNY Buffalo called “Finish in 4” that makes tuition free if students fail to earn their degrees in four years. (Of course, Udemy courses all come with a 30-day money-back guarantee… just sayin’!)

These countries are facing the greatest skills shortage

Some pretty interesting and alarming stats in here, especially if you’re trying to find a qualified worker in Japan, where 81% of employers report having trouble. In a virtual tie for second place are India, Brazil, and Turkey, three important emerging economies. Workers themselves aren’t confident of their skills either. Read on for predictions on what will be the most in-demand skills in 2020 (and start learning about them now!).

Your phone is becoming your favorite screen, even when you’re at home

Despite the word “mobile,” our phones are actually becoming our go-to devices even when we’re sitting around. New research found that 30% of internet data use at home is on phones and tablets. There’s a surprising twist, however. When it comes to streaming video, Windows PCs still grab the lion’s share.

If you want to be a better person, find something to do outside of work

Here’s a great final thought to take into the weekend: get out there and do something! Today’s society pushes us to be productive and results-driven all the time, but there’s real value in taking up a hobby with no tangible payoff or “point” to it. This is an idea that will resonate with Udemy’s legions of self-motivated learners, makers, and doers.