I left Google and spent a year traveling. 6 months on a Thai island led me to a career I never expected.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A woman painting on an island in Thailand.
Sara Wilczynska took a yearlong career break and discovered watercolor while traveling in Thailand, setting her on the path to a new career.

Provided by Sara Wilczynska

I quit my job at 53 and feel like I can breathe again. My advice to older job hunters: Know your value.

Tech Insider : Business
Nicole Cicero
Nicole Cicero.

Elianel Clinton for BI

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nicole Cicero, a 54-year-old sales representative in New Jersey. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I love scuba diving and coding. So I figured out a way to make a living doing both.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Eliana Jordan
After teaching scuba diving around the world, Eliana Jordan learned to code and began building a scuba-diving booking app.

Courtesy of Eliana Jordan

I applied for a job for the first time in 20 years. Job seekers are in a whole new world now.

Tech Insider : Business
The author takes a selfie next to a row of lockers in a high school.
The author said applying for a job for the first time in more than 20 years had some unexpected challenges. She persevered and landed a job as a test proctor.

Courtesy of Trisha Daab.

I moved to Colorado and became a ski instructor after a layoff from my senior VP job. The pay cut is worth the peace.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Douglas Craig outside with mountains and trees in the background
Douglas Craig moved to Colorado and is working at an aerial adventure park this summer.

Douglas Craig

I left my $450,000 tech job to open a halal BBQ restaurant in Texas. It made over $2 million in its first year.

Tech Insider : Business
Salahodeen Abdul-Kafi stands in front of dozens of uncooked sausages waiting to be smokes.
Salahodeen Abdul-Kafi uses an MM2000 smoker to make his meat.

Business Insider

I missed out on a pro basketball career by one cut. At 26, I bought an Irish pub with my mom instead.

Tech Insider : Business
A young man with his arms crossed in a restaurant.
When Jareb Dougherty realized he didn't have a career in basketball, he moved home to run a restaurant with his mom.

Provided by Jareb Dougherty

We left stable jobs to start a consulting firm that's raised $580K this year. Even through loss and divorce, here's why we took the risk.

Tech Insider : Business
Alexandra Tyson and Felicia Jones Taylor
Alexandra Tyson and Felicia Jones Taylor left their stable jobs in education to start a consulting firm.

Siyana Partners Consulting

I moved abroad for my husband's job. It made me question who I was without my career.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Politics
A woman standing and dressed in black.
Chatrine Siswoyo moved to Hong Kong for her husband's job opportunity.

Provided by Chatrine Siswoyo

I quit my corporate job to become an influencer. It's the riskiest thing I've ever done — here are 5 things I learned.

Tech Insider : Business, Economy
A woman smiling near a rail overlooking a mountain and the sea.
Keara Callahan

Courtesy of Keara Callahan

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