I quit my job at EY after 13 years to launch my own business. Here are the 5 lessons I learned from my Big Four career.

Tech Insider : Business, Politics, Sports
Joshua Lee smiles at the camera as he sits on a couch

Joshua Lee

I'm an American living in Mexico. Since Trump's election, I've been met with more curiosity and confusion.

Tech Insider : Business, Politics, Travel
Meagan Drillinger in Mexico, where she lives and works
Writer Meagan Drillinger loves living in Mexico, but she does miss the US.

Meagan Drillinger

I'm an international scholarship student at Harvard whose future is up in the air. Trump's visa order is short-sighted.

Tech Insider : Business
man poses for a photo in front of the White House
Harvard student David Gayle, a 29-year-old policy advisor from London and a Kennedy Memorial Trust scholar, is unsure if he can finish his graduate degree.

Courtesy of David Gayle

I retired at 52 and only have enough money to be financially secure for the next year. I'm still happy with my decision

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Technology
Walter Green standing outdoors with a blazer and red baseball cap.
Walter Green decided to retire early after both of his parents passed away.

Photo courtesy of Walter Green

I grew my investment portfolio to over $1 million in 10 years. Even during a recession, these 3 tactics worked for me.

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Technology
Bola Sokunbi posing and smiling.
Financial educator Bola Sokunbi said it's really important, even if you're working full time, to have other sources of income.

Virten Media

I quit a director-level job to work part-time at a massage therapy office. It was the best career move I've ever made.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment
a woman poses at her desk with a laptop of a pen
Carole-Ann Penney.

Jessie Wyman Photography

I'm a federal employee watching colleagues get laid off by DOGE. It's been devastating — we aren't cogs, we're human beings.

Tech Insider : Business
A photo collage of a gentleman in a forest scene with layoff imagery

Crispin la valiente/Getty, DNY59/Getty, Tyler Le/BI

I'm a former recruiter for Google and Indeed. If I were labeled an underperformer, here's what I'd do next.

Tech Insider : Business
headshot of a woman in a green top
Erica Rivera spent three years at Indeed as a recruiter and around two years at Google.

Sebastian Rivera

I grew up poor and now make $150K in tech. Prioritizing myself allowed me to give back to my parents and family.

Tech Insider : Business, Technology, Travel
a family of five poses around a dinner table
Viviana Vazquez, middle, and her family.

Viviana Vazquez

I'm still looking for a job 8 months after my layoff. I have 20 years of experience and can't get hired — I'm scared.

Tech Insider : Business, Economy
woman applying to jobs
Jennifer Gittelman says one regret may be holding her back from getting hired.

Maria Korneeva/Getty Images

Subscribe to BI-freelancer