[Editor's Note: Join former Global Business Hub editors Devin Cole and Meg Reilly at Lir on Boylston Street on May 9th for the "Toast the Press" event to show some #journolove]

By Navah Fuchs

All across the country tassels are being flipped and caps thrown as families snap pictures of beaming graduates. Three out of five of those graduates will be in debt.

Student debt is a national epidemic causing major problems for students, families, and the cities vying for human capital. This problem is most acutely felt in Boston and Cambridge, the mecca for higher education. In Greater Boston there are over 70 learning institutions (formal and innovative), over 50 rental agencies that specifically focus on the student market, cultural activities specifically targeted to people 18-25, and over 200 businesses that form payment partnerships with universities. Seems like the ideal infrastructure to foster innovation and retention among the best and the brightest - until one factors in student loans.

[Editor's Note: Join former Global Business Hub editors Devin Cole and Meg Reilly at Lir on Boylston Street on May 9th for the "Toast the Press" event to show some #journolove]

By Charley Polachi

Finally the economy is in job creation mode.

My line of work is all about jobs- albeit placing top candidates in C-level positions globally. Having been at this for 30 plus years, I have seen many spikes, cycles, and trends. Even in lean times, finding the best technical minds to fill positions is a challenge for many promising firms. An obvious solution is to stop the brain drain from our best higher education institutions and keep the talent in the US. Don’t let the previous week’s events color your view of the issue: Immigration made our country great-don’t kill the American dream by preventing talented leaders from contributing to our businesses and society.

[Editor's Note: In case you missed Global Business Hub Contributor Ellen Keiley's segment on RadioBDC yesterday, you can listen to it here.]

Rita’s Career Corner …With Rita B. Allen

Writing a resume is a ritualistic process that everyone has to engage in throughout their career. Learning how to do so effectively makes all the difference in opening doors for us. Keeping your resume current, updating it on a regular basis is a critical career management practice.

Stay sharp and on top of your recent achievements by tracking them on an on-going basis and building your portfolio. Most organizations ask for a current resume when considering internal applicants for opportunities in addition to scanning external resumes. The best time to write about an accomplishment is immediately as it occurs and the experience is fresh in your mind rather than doing so at a later date when you need to create your resume. Be proactive and diligent about keeping it current and updated.

By Mary Thompson-Jones

If he’s smart, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim will not only speak to the 111th Northeastern University graduating class – he’ll actively recruit them.

Boston area graduates from Northeastern and elsewhere are exactly what the World Bank and other international financial institutions need. Today’s graduates are more multicultural and more multidisciplinary than their colleagues from even a decade earlier. They come from more countries, speak more languages, and thanks to programs such as Northeastern’s Dialogues of Civilization and an ever-growing menu of co-ops, internships, and service learning projects, they are more likely to have studied and/or worked abroad.

By Debi Kleiman

39% of smartphone owners use it while going to the bathroom. Yes that's correct.

According to eMarketer, in 2013 the number of mobile shoppers in the US will increase to 118 million consumers and represent 62% of digital shoppers. 82% of marketers in the US expect to expand their mobile media spending in 2013. It took 16 years for traditional web-media spending to reach $1billion. Mobile reached that in 5 years. In 2013, Temkin Group reports that in the US 57% go online using their mobile phone, and 16% do so for at least 3 hours daily.

By Craig LaRosa

The price wars are on. It’s a vicious battlefield out there. With sites like Amazon and Overstock and the proliferation of showrooming — where consumers browse a physical store before buying an item online, presumably because it’s cheaper — consumers can find the lowest price for anything on their shopping list easily and quickly.

Retailers are scrambling — in panic mode — fixating on the dollars and sense calculation, so much so in fact, that they neglect other factors that are just as important.

[Editor's Note: In case you missed Global Business Hub Contributor Ellen Keiley's segment on RadioBDC earlier this week, you can listen to it here.]

By Shannon O'Brien

This is the fifth and final article in a monthly, five-part series that advocates for living a balanced life in the areas of: Global Citizenship, Local Volunteering, Meaningful Careers, Strong Networks, and an Empowered Self.

“Boston Strong” is the slogan that has emerged in the aftermath of April 2013’s terrorist activity at the Boston Marathon, at MIT, and in Watertown. Each of us had different reactions to the events… Some people were on the scene, and others tuned in from down the street, or overseas. I myself was at the Finish Line one minute before the bombs went off, and was very grateful to already be out of harm’s way when I heard the two explosions. Tragically, many others were not so lucky.

Another installment in our ongoing series to help innovative MassChallenge companies get the word out about what they offer and get connected with what they need to thrive.

[The We are the Creative Industries series: The Creative Industries - video game companies, design, marketing and architecture firms, and talented people who write books, design houses, shoot movies, make art and record music, just to name a few examples - are an important part of Massachusetts' economy, with $1 billion statewide impact and over 100,000 workers. Click here to learn more.]

By Sam Aquillano

Back in 2009 I was running an organization focused on professional development for product designers. As we collaborated with other design industry groups more and more, it became abundantly clear that there is an incredible amount of creative work happening in Boston, but that there was no one talking directly to the public about design.

By Ellen Keiley

Busy schedules, mismanaged time, and days filled with distractions lead to stress, anxiety and reduced productivity in our personal and professional lives. It is incredibly beneficial to take the time to reflect on current practices, find ways to manage our time effectively, and develop clear direction and priorities in life. Below are some ways to accomplish that.

By Sachin Desai

Today, April 22nd, is Earth Day! Across the country small towns and college campuses are showcasing how important a healthy environment is to our everyday lives. At Harvard and other colleges, there are movie screenings, e-waste pickups, multiple Earth Day Fairs, public service events, and more. Let’s not forget how important Earth Day is - the first Earth day brought 20 million people out of their homes, making it the largest organized celebration in US history. However, today we know that the challenges we face are bigger than one day’s work can handle. Climate change threatens Boston’s very existence.

By Tim Bryan

On Marathon Monday my fiancee and I went to the Red Sox game and we were walking down Newbury St. to get some food and cocktails. When we got to Exeter and Newbury (around 2:40pm-ish) we contemplated heading over to Boylston and walking by the finish line, but my desire for a post-game cocktail was greater than my need to walk a block out of my way and fight a crowd.

[Editor's Note: Governor Deval Patrick and Mayor Thomas Menino have created The One Fund for programs assisting victims of the Boston Marathon attacks. Learn more and donate here.]

By Peter Cahill

What lessons can start-ups and early stage companies learn from an aging rock band?

On March 12, 2013, a federal district court judge in Massachusetts declined to dismiss a lawsuit filed by J. Geils against his former bandmates and management company.

The primary dispute centers on which party has the commercial rights to use the trademarks “J. Geils” and “The J. Geils Band.” Is it J. Geils himself? Or is it the other bandmates and management company?

[Editor's Note: Governor Deval Patrick and Mayor Thomas Menino have created The One Fund for programs assisting victims of the Boston Marathon attacks. Learn more and donate here.]

By Andy Molinsky

As any business leader can tell you, it’s not always easy to have a smooth, productive business interaction with people from other cultures – there are invariably different customs and expectations to be aware of. In a tough business environment, then, how can we learn to compete and win on the world stage? The key lies in a topic I’ve been teaching my students at Brandeis International Business School for several years. I call it “global dexterity,” and I assume it applies just as well to the world of sports as it does to business.

[Editor's Note: Governor Deval Patrick and Mayor Thomas Menino have created The One Fund for programs assisting victims of the Boston Marathon attacks. Learn more and donate here.]

By Lennox Chase

“The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.” ― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

Are you looking for a new position? Have you had a difficult time getting hired? The challenges you face may require small adjustments as opposed to drastic changes.

[Editor's Note: Technology Underwriting Greater Good (TUGG) is raising funds for programs assisting victims of the Boston Marathon attacks. Learn more and donate here.]

By Jocelyn Davis

Business leaders looking for meaningful growth are all about investing in their people to cultivate an engaged workforce, and ultimately, achieve higher sales and a stronger bottom line. Here are seven trends we’re watching:

[Editor's Note: Technology Underwriting Greater Good (TUGG) is raising funds for programs assisting victims of the Boston Marathon attacks. Learn more and donate here.]

By Chad O'Connor

For those of you that read this blog regularly, you know the sweet spot for Global Business Hub content - things that relate Greater Boston to the international community, that champion the sometimes unappreciated innovation that happens here daily, that champion the unparalleled thought leadership that exists here.

And so with heavy heart I write tonight of a far different nature, far later than the daily 11 AM slot at which Global Business Hub pieces usually post.

UPDATE - 4:40pm EDT - For our regular contributors, readers and the whole Greater Boston community - it is days like today that make me appreciate how amazing we can be when we pull together in times of crisis.

I hope you are all safe.

I hope you have found out the whereabouts of your loved ones and friends.

My heart goes out to the victims and their families.

And I hope the people behind this horrible bomb plot are caught and punished swiftly.

Best always,
Chad

[Editor's Note: In case you missed Global Business Hub Contributor Ellen Keiley's segment on RadioBDC earlier this week, you can listen to it here.]

[The We are the Creative Industries series: The Creative Industries - video game companies, design, marketing and architecture firms, and talented people who write books, design houses, shoot movies, make art and record music, just to name a few examples - are an important part of Massachusetts' economy, with $1 billion statewide impact and over 100,000 workers. Click here to learn more.]

By Philip Rooke

As the CEO of an e-commerce business with over 2,000 shops on Facebook, I have a unique perspective on Facebook selling. After two years of testing, my company sees fewer sales from our global Facebook presence than from orders originating in New Zealand, where we don’t have a marketing or sales presence, or a country-specific website. Quite frankly, Facebook has been underwhelming for sales generation.

By Stuart Levinson

Business owners innovate when it comes to their products, company culture, and business models. Good entrepreneurs are constantly looking for the next big thing, the pioneering idea that will help grow their businesses and establish them as visionaries. But a much overlooked element of every business, which is desperately in need of innovation, is customer communication.

By Maggie Walsh

Sheryl Sandberg has created an enviable career in the male-dominated Silicon Valley, first at Google and now at Facebook. It’s no wonder that her book “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead,” has created a major debate among both women and men and turned her into a highly sought-after speaker.

While I agree that having the drive to succeed is a critical component for female success in corporate America – I don’t agree with Sandberg’s underlying premise that women should act more like men to be successful.

By Ellen Keiley

Mentoring can have a huge impact. A mentor can help you navigate through politics and roadblocks, push you out of your comfort zone, introduce you to a new network of contacts, speed up the process of advancing in your career, and be a very inspirational motivator along the way.

By Parna Sarkar-Basu

Is your company on pace to launch two, four, or even 10 mobile apps this year? If not, you could be falling behind the leadership pace.

In a Web-based poll conducted by my company, Verivo Software, respondents were asked to choose a range of mobile apps their organizations were planning to build in the next 12 months. Out of almost 800 respondents, 30 percent said they would build five to nine apps while 27 percent said they would build between two to four mobile apps over the course of 12 months.

By Chad O'Connor

Maybe you think “Those chumps over there, that will never happen to us. We’re doing great!” Well, whenever you’re done admiring your company from Hubrisville, let’s get real for a minute.

Great company culture takes time and effort to build up, but it is easy and quick to destroy. A few bad apples, a few botched messages, a few small details overlooked and suddenly your company is the sinking ship that any smart rat is trying to abandon.

[Editor's Note: TiE Boston, an organization founded in 1997 by the legendary Desh Deshpande and other Indian entrepreneurs in New England, is the very active Boston chapter of a global non-profit organization that promotes entrepreneurship. TiE Challenge 2013, a free accelerator program offering startup-entrepreneurs visibility, mentoring, and the opportunity to present to “TiE-Angels” for investments of up to $1M, is accepting applications through April 7 April 15, 2013.]

We recently caught up with Divyan Gupta (divyan [AT] keshiha [DOT] com), Founder and CEO of Keshiha Services Pvt. Ltd., a New Delhi (India) based niche e-commerce company, to find out the latest on how e-commerce is changing in India...