Should Scotland Be Independent?

This year will see the referendum on Scottish independence. Considering the amount of press the issue is getting lately, I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss what this could mean. Should Scotland be independent?

Oliver Rawlings readers you have to understand that this is a somewhat delicate issue. After all the Scots have always been somewhat ambivalent to being a part of the United Kingdom; the rise of the Scottish National Party, who have made Scottish independence a key element of their political platform, tells us this.

However what we have to look at are the financial consequences of such a move. Whilst Scottish independence is certainly an attractive prospect, the reality is that it is going to cost and considering the size of Scotland you have to ask whether it’s a cost they can afford.

Experts are coming out now and predicting that Scottish independence would cost millions of pounds. You can imagine why. There are so many costs that you have to factor in when establishing yourself as a separate nation.

Suddenly Scotland would be completely responsible for building its own army, government, infrastructure etc. There are a thousand costs that are attached to setting up a new nation and the reality is that Scotland would have to find the money from somewhere. Tax revenue may not be enough.

It’s a pattern you see whenever a new country is formed. Look at what happened to the post-Soviet Republics in the early 90’s. They had major economic hardship and the reality is that breaking away from the Soviet Union, as liberating as it was, cost them.

However currency is the issue that is worrying most people. Many in Scotland have said that they would like to keep the pound as their currency. They would certainly have to in the interim regardless, as setting up a new currency takes time and you have to have a transitional stage.

It’s the idea of a shared currency that is worrying economists everywhere. They look to the Euro and what happened there. Many economists say that the shared currency meant that when some nations saw economic hardship, the shared currency dragged others down with it. They point to the recent Eurozone crisis to illustrate the point.

Scottish independence is a tricky subject. At the end of the day it comes down to one question that voters will have to ask themselves. Is separation from the rest of the Union worth the literal cost that it will incur?

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Why Should You Be Using LinkedIn?

Considering how the world of business has changed over the last decade, there are tools becoming more popular every day that you can use to get ahead in the business world. One of these is LinkedIn. So how can you Oliver Rawlings readers use LinkedIn to get ahead in the modern world?

The world of business is not what it used to be. Once upon a time if you wanted to cut a business deal you would go to a trendy bar in the west end. If you wanted to get a job you would scroll the wanted ads in the local newspapers and if you wanted to make contacts you would go through a friend of a friend.

The internet, particularly social media, has changed all this. The internet allow for a greater flow of information than ever before. With the internet you can make a contact in seconds and maintain that contact without ever having to meet face to face (unless you have a video chat on Skype).

This means that the world of business and employment has changed as well. For example if you’re looking for a new job you don’t go to the local newspaper, you go to a job site such as Reed or Indeed. These actually allow greater scope for job opportunities as they allow you to apply for a job anywhere in the world.

This is where social media comes in. Social media really is a wonderful way to make connections anywhere across the world. It’s a versatile medium that allows you to hone in on who you want to talk to and make that connection in seconds.

So it makes sense that you would use social media to post job applications and make business connections. Yet certain social networking sites have different uses. This is why you should be using LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is the professional’s social networking site. It’s where employers are often now posting job opportunities and it is specifically tailored to be used like a CV. You can post your personal information along with any professional experience you have because the features of LinkedIn are designed to allow you to do so.

However it goes much further than this. LinkedIn also has a number of communities and groups that you can join .The great thing about these is that they are geared towards professional industries. This means that you can talk to other professionals, whereas something like Facebook is catered more to socialising with friends.

LinkedIn is the professional social networking site. If you’re looking to get ahead professionally in today’s world, you should be setting up a LinkedIn account the minute you finish reading this sentence. 

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