I quit my first job out of college at PwC after a year. Working at the Big Four has pros — but one con was a dealbreaker.

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Left: Sofia Javier, Right: A PwC office building with the logo on the side of the building
Javier left PwC to join Comcast as a senior financial analyst.

Courtesy of Andrew Pham; NurPhoto/Getty Images.

  • Sofia Javier was excited to start her career at PwC in September 2023.
  • But after experiencing two of accounting's "busy seasons," she felt overwhelmed.
  • Javier quit Big Four accounting in 2024 and feels she has more work-life balance at her new job.

This as-told-to essay is based on a

Business, Environment

The job market's boy problem is getting worse — but data suggests some ways to fix it

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gen z man building a house
Gen Z men are increasingly enrolling in technical school.

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  • Unemployment among young men is rising, with labor force participation stagnating.
  • The trend could lead to understaffed industries and impact Social Security's coffers.
  • Men going to vocational school could help; so could more attention on workers with disabilities.

The job market's boy problems are getting worse.

A new

Economy, Business, Style

We left New York City to buy a home in a Maryland beach town. After a few months, we realized we'd made a mistake.

Tech Insider
A woman and her husband posing together on their deck.
We left New York City to live in a beach town year-round, but a few months later, we started to regret our decision.

Haley Paskalides

  • My husband and I spent more than a decade building a life we loved in New York City.
  • But in our mid-30s, we left in search of a quieter, slower life in a Maryland beach town.
  • Less than a year later, we missed nearly everything about city life and regretted buying our
Business

You'll soon be able to slide into DMs on Spotify with music and podcast recommendations

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Daniel Ek onstage with the Spotify logo displayed behind him
Spotify debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in 2018.

Don Emmert/Getty Images

  • Spotify is introducing in-app messaging for music, podcast, and audiobook recommendations.
  • Users will need to accept an incoming message request first.
  • The rollout is coming to mobile devices in "select markets."

Spotify is adding an in-app messaging feature to allow users to slide into DMs with their music or podcast

Business

I'm a New Yorker who spent 4 days in Atlantic City. Here are 7 things that surprised me.

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the author at gordon ramsay steak in atlantic city
A New Yorker shares surprising things about visiting Atlantic City, from the free beaches to the chef-owned restaurants.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

  • I've lived in New York City for six years and have only been to Atlantic City once before.
  • I recently spent four days visiting the beachside city and was surprised by parts of the experience.
  • The restaurant scene impressed me, as did the free beach and
Travel, Travel, Business

After visiting every country in the world, I had a new perspective on life. I no longer wanted to be in the US and chose to live in Portugal.

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woman smiling for camera holding a camera with a yellow castle in background
Gina Morello at Sintra in Portugal.

Courtesy of Gina Morello

  • When I first started traveling, my motivation wasn't about checking countries off a list.
  • Visiting exotic countries like Ethiopia gave me an appreciation for different cultures.
  • I wanted a more laid-back lifestyle and a country that would support my overall wellness goals.

When I crossed the border in Mozambique in December 2020, I joined a

Travel, Business