August

Software Development Manager, Ed Guiness, has published the book 'Ace the Programming Interview: 160 Questions and Answers for Success', after becoming frustrated that his candidates were often poorly prepared for the interview.

The book equips Programmers to land their dream job through strong preparation for the interview stage. Ed also organises advice workshops and has set up a volunteer project to help charities access IT gurus to help with their websites and computer needs.

A joint EU-APEC committee, which includes the French and German data protection authorities as well as the European Data Protection Supervisor and the European Commission, has been studying similarities and differences between the EU's binding corporate rules (BCRs) framework and APEC Cross-Border Privacy Rules. The committee's goal is to facilitate data protection compliance in this area for international businesses operating in the EU and the APEC region, including by creating a common frame of reference for both sets of cross-border data transfer rules.

"More than 70% of employers expect to increase short-term overseas assignments in 2013, according to a report on expatriate policies and practices by consultancy firm Mercer. The report found 55% of employers expect to increase long-term overseas assignments and highlighted for the last two years there has been an increase in the overall number of international assignments. It found China, United States, Brazil, UK and Australia are the priority destinations in their respective regions for expatriates. The report also showed more than half of employers reported an increase of long-term (52%) and short-term assignments (53%) in 2011 and 2012. The top five reasons cited for international assignment programmes are: to provide specific technical skills not available locally (47%), to provide career management|leadership development (43%), to ensure knowledge transfer (41%), to fulfill specific project needs (39%) and to provide specific managerial skills not available locally (38%). Anne Rossier-Renaud, principal in Mercer's global mobility business said, ""Mobility and HR directors now face great complexity in the number and type of international assignments that need managing."" "