DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ I quit my tech job due to burnout and left London. Moving to Lisbon cured my loneliness and restored my work-life balance.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

He moved to Lisbon in 2023 and started a new company focused on building community. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Charlie Baron, 30-year-old founder in Lisbon, Portugal, about moving from London. When I moved to Lisbon, I was burned out and lonely from working from home for a tech startup I'd co-founded. Getting investment and finding tech talent in London might have been easier, and it would have been faster to set up a business in London.

Persons: Charlie Baron, —, I'd, Tesla, ChargedUp, paddleboarding, He'd, We'd, would've, didn't Organizations: Baron, Service, Loughborough University, Social Locations: London, Lisbon, Portugal, VCs, California, Spain, France, Europe, Rent

☆ I'm a boomer who learned to use AI for work. It's made me more productive, but I worry about younger generations misusing it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-20 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

My freelance translation work is flexible and fits around my job as a university teacher. AdvertisementMarco Simões started using AI for translation in 2020. I decided to try out translation work on the side after someone at Intel suggested I work as a translator there. Using AI has meant my productivity has increased, and I can accept more jobs than I did in the past, but pay doesn't necessarily increase. Using AI tools, such as Bard and ChatGPT, I can translate around 1,000 to 1,200 words an hour.

Persons: Marco Simões, Simoes, —, São Paulo, Wintranslation, I've, Bard, ChatGPT, I'm, It's Organizations: BI, Service, Novell, Intel, São Paulo, Google Locations: Sao Paulo, Brazil, São, America

☆ I lived in 5 different US states. None of them had what I was looking for, so I moved my family to Finland, and I have no regrets.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

I'm a Gen X child from the San Francisco Bay Area. Since that first move, I've lived in Alabama, Virginia, and Texas and returned to the Bay Area. The main difference was that the Bay Area was more diverse than Phoenix at that time. The Bay Area had changed so muchWe moved to Half Moon Bay in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in 2017, I got a job at UC Berkeley. People moved in and out of the Bay Area a lot, so it was hard to make lasting social connections.

Persons: Rosanna Guadagno, Guadagno, —, I've, I'd, Dallas, didn't, we'd Organizations: Service, San, Santa Clara University, US, University of Alabama, Alabama, National Science Foundation, University of Texas, Dallas, Big Tech, San Francisco Bay Area, UC Berkeley, Stanford, University of Oulu Locations: California, Alabama, Texas, Finland, San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, Alabama , Virginia, Bay, Arizona, Tuscaloosa, . Texas, Virginia, Washington ,, Dallas, Austin, Silicon Valley, San Francisco Bay, Oulu, Switzerland

☆ I moved to the US from India and took out a $59K loan to follow my dream of landing a job in Big Tech. My risk paid off.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

I've been interested in computers since I was a child and wanted to pursue a career in computer science since the eighth grade. I did my bachelor's degree in computer science at Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology in India from 2012 to 2016. I sat the exam and got decent marks, so I applied for several master's degrees in computer science in the US in 2017. I got into the computer science master's program at Stony Brook College in New York to start in 2018. All the computer science students worked and lived on the same campus – it felt competitive, but also motivating.

Persons: Shireen Nagdive, Nagdive, —, I've, I'd, Salesforce, haven't, I'm, you've Organizations: Service, Salesforce, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Stony Brook College, Microsoft, Bay Area Locations: India, Silicon Valley, Kalyan, Mumbai, New York, America, Stony Brook, Long Island, Washington, Bay, Silicon, California

☆ I worked as a wealth advisor for Goldman Sachs. Here's what I learned from how the super rich manage their money.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-06 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ayesha Ofori worked in wealth management for Goldman Sachs for six years. AdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with 40-year-old Ayesha Ofori, CEO of Propelle, from London, about her experience working at Goldman Sachs. If you'd asked me what success looked like at the time, it would've been being a partner at Goldman Sachs. AdvertisementSaving money isn't enoughWhen I was at Goldman Sachs, I noticed we didn't have many women clients. When I worked at Goldman Sachs, I was focused on paying off my student loans and saving money.

Persons: Ayesha Ofori, Goldman Sachs, Ofori, —, Goldman, I'd, you'd, would've, I'm, It's, I've, you'll Organizations: Service, Goldman Sachs, Business, Columbia Business School, Goldman, Invest Locations: London, New York

☆ I work with Warren Buffett. He's probably the smartest person in the world — here's the best advice he's given me.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Karen Goracke is the CEO of the jewelry store Borsheims, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary. Goracke worked her way up from the store room, and Warren Buffett interviewed her for CEO. AdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Karen Goracke, CEO and President of Borsheims, about her career and working with Warren Buffett. I started working as a sales associate for Borsheims, a jewelry store in Omaha, in 1988 straight out of college. She had no idea Warren Buffett was standing next to her.

Persons: Karen Goracke, Goracke, Warren Buffett, Buffett, —, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Borsheims, Berkshire Hathaway, I'd, Warren Buffet, We're, I'm, Warren, It's, That's, I've Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, Service, Borsheims, Las, Berkshire Locations: Omaha, Berkshire, Nebraska, Switzerland , New York, Las Vegas

☆ My job offer was rescinded, so I started freelancing to support myself. Gen Z workers like me are turning to portfolio careers for security in this economy.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

I was a content creator on LinkedIn and TikTok already, so understood the creator space. AdvertisementMy grad job offer was rescindedEven though I was already freelancing, I planned to work in a corporate job after university. That same month LinkedIn told me my job offer had been rescinded because the program was sunsetted. I'd planned to move to San Francisco for the LinkedIn job. Since my first job offer was rescinded, I've been in the mindset that I have to bet on myself.

Persons: —, Ben Chipman, TikTok, Serena Kerrigan, I'd, grads I'd, I've Organizations: Service, NBC Universal, Duke University, Business, Duke, LinkedIn, Companies, Fortune, We'd Locations: San Francisco, Boston, Lima , Peru, Madrid, New York

☆ Amazon's RTO policy is the right decision, according to a Gen Z founder who said most of his employees come in 5 days a week
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He founded an AI startup in 2023 and told BI the majority of his 14 employees come in five days a week. "Remote work benefits people who are more stable in their career at the expense of people who are junior," he said. BI has reported on multiple Gen Z employees who feel isolated and restricted by their remote working environment. Advertisement"If you're a new grad and you're starting a job and you just work a remote job, you're just shooting yourself in the foot," he said. He told BI, "Four or five years ago, this was the norm," adding, "Why are we even thinking remote work is normal?"

Persons: —, Jeffrey Wang, Wang, Everyone's Organizations: Service, Plaid, Harvard, Business, Tech, Networking, BI Locations: San Francisco, Hawaii

☆ A millennial couple bought an old, abandoned farmhouse and moved to Italy. They said renovating it is a full-time job.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Sturtewagen still works remotely as a business coach, alongside renovating the property with Brokamp and documenting their progress for nearly 100,000 fans on YouTube. They told Business Insider they didn't consider buying a property in Italy until they began visiting the country regularly after Sturtewagen's mother moved there. Sturtewagen told BI part of the house was habitable, though decorated in an "old-fashioned" 1960s style. They spent seven weeks in Italy in the first half of 2023, and moved into the farmhouse in August 2023. Renovating is a full-time jobThe couple said renovating the farmhouse and making videos filming their renovation is a full-time job.

Persons: —, Bertus Brokamp, Sturtewagen, Brokamp, jouster, Sturtewagen's, they'd, We're, Sturtewagen siad Organizations: Service, Business, YouTube Locations: Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands, Italian, Sturtewagen, Italy, Piedmont

☆ Read the college essay a Harvard grad wrote about McDonald's that landed him offers from Harvard, Yale, and Princeton
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-21 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewWhen Jeffrey Wang was a high-school senior in Connecticut in 2014, he wasn't sure what to write about for his college application essay. AdvertisementHe wanted to show his personalityHe read Harry Bauld's book, 'On Writing the College Application Essay,' which made him realize college admissions officers wouldn't have time to read each essay diligently. Authenticity is keyThe essay summarizes how Wang discovered his local McDonald's was an ideal place to study and meditate. AdvertisementHe got into Yale, Harvard, and PrincetonGrowing up, Wang dreamed of attending Yale in his home state of Connecticut. AdvertisementDo you have a college admissions success story?

Persons: —, Jeffrey Wang, he'd, Wang, Harry Bauld's, wouldn't, they're, they'd, you'll, Ella Hopkins Organizations: Service, Business, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Duke, MIT Locations: Connecticut, Cheshire , CT, McDonald's, San Francisco, ehopkins

☆ I sacrificed my honeymoon and almost cut my maternity leave short for work. I've learned to prioritize my family and set boundaries.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Working hard didn't protect me from getting laid offAfter college, I worked as an editor in 2008. After a year, I landed a job working for a small school. This time, I took the approach that work is work and didn't want to give so much time to it. While in the office, my boss asked me for updates on the project I'd been working on before taking leave. I love my work and work hard, but it's just a part of who I am — not my entire identity.

Persons: —, Kari Shafenberg, Levi Shafenberg, I've, It's, we'd, I'd, they'd, wasn't, That's, Shafenberg Organizations: Service, Army, Business, Management Locations: Colorado

☆ I floundered in white-collar jobs until I found my calling as an electrician in my 40s
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Rachel Hoobing, a 50-year-old electrician in San Francisco. I found it very stressful and decided to leave in May 2012 and apply for an electrician apprenticeship. In 2015, I got my electrical trainee card, which meant I could do some non-union work as an electrician. I applied for an electrical apprenticeship with a union in 2016, when I was 43, and started the following year. AdvertisementI work for a union as an electricianI became a union electrician at the end of my five-year apprenticeship in 2021.

Persons: —, Rachel Hoobing, I'd, wasn't Organizations: Service, Business, Jobs Corps, Department of Labor, Job Corps, Home Depot Locations: San Francisco, arborists

☆ 3 signs your job is taking over your life and how to stop it before burning out
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But long working hours can impact your mental health and relationships, career coach Laura Leuillier said, adding people should spot the signs of overwork before completely burning out. She shared common signs that your career could be taking over your life and how to change your perspective of work to take it back. Advertisement"No one can sustain these incredibly long weeks and long work hours where you are working every weekend, and that's become your norm," she said. Working long hoursDoing many work tasks at once might give the impression you're being productive, but it can be "counterproductive," Leuillier said. But it's a problem if work is consuming most of your thoughts and dominating your conversations in your personal life, Leuillier told BI.

Persons: —, Laura Leuillier, Leuillier, that's Organizations: Service, Business

☆ I've been laid off 6 times, but being let go at 54 was different. I've been unemployed for a year.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Angie Longacre became a content writer after she was laid off from her graphic designer job. Longacre was laid off four times over the following decade but found it easy to bounce back. But she said that she had been struggling to find a job since being laid off a year ago. AdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Angie Longacre, a freelancer in Pennsylvania, about her experience getting laid off at 54. While I was looking for another one, I saw an ad looking for writers for books on different topics for beginners.

Persons: Angie Longacre, Longacre, —, I'd Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Pennsylvania

☆ My wife and I both work full-time. Summers are complex — we have to plan our kids' summer schedules 6 months in advance.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

My working hours haven't decreased from my finance days, but I have more flexibility and control over my work schedule. We plan summer childcare in DecemberSummer is harder. Through the years, my wife and I have learned that we have to plan our summer schedule in December. AdvertisementSummer camp hours do not follow working hoursOur kids go to different summer camps in and around Boston for 10 weeks of the summer. The kids attend private school, and summer camp costs us roughly the same.

Persons: —, Pat Dooling, I'd, it's Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Boston

☆ I grew up in France and the US but America is the best place for a go-getter like me
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood in Toulon, in the south of France. In France, my sister, who was a year and a half older, and I would walk to school when I was six. I struggled with moving back to FranceOur family moved back to France when I was 14. In France, you're stuck at the bottom if you don't have the right connections. Europe is better for work-life balance and a better quality of life, but the US is the place to be if you're a go-getter like me.

Persons: —, Arthur Begtine, Begtine, we'd, I've Organizations: Service, Business, France Locations: Atlanta, France, Toulon, Tunisia, Nice, Georgia, Ernstein, Spanish, York, Pelham , New York, New York, Europe, Montreal, Canada

☆ Inheritance can tear families apart. A financial therapist shares 3 ways to manage conflict.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Even when assets are split equally, family members might butt heads over how money should be invested or spent. Understanding your emotions around money can help to navigate tricky inheritance conversations, Tessler said. AdvertisementPeople might feel that they don't understand money or that their siblings don't see them as financially responsible. Using personality tools, such as the Enneagram, can help people figure out where their family members are coming from when disagreements arise, she added. AdvertisementTessler said she has previously advised clients to wait 24 hours before reading emails from "intense and challenging" family members.

Persons: —, Bari Tessler, who's, Tessler, spender Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Bari

☆ My kids lived in Slovenia for a year. When we returned to the US I felt reverse culture shock.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

I'd never left the US until I moved to Slovenia, and I didn't have a passport until I was 28. America has a lot to offer kids too, but I'm so glad my kids experienced a new culture. When I first went to visit my kids' preschool in Slovenia, I accidentally wandered through the kitchen instead of the admin office. Parents in Slovenia attend preschool with kids for 2 weeksMy three-year-old, who was in the older kids' class, started two days after my first visit. In Slovenia, parents attend preschool with children for one or two weeks to help them acclimatize.

Persons: —, Britanny McAnally, I'd, We'd, we'd, don't, we're Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Germany, Slovenia, Tennessee, Nashville, Monterey , California, Slovakia, Italy, Croatia, Ljubljana, America, daycares, California, Nevada, Europe, Vilnius, Lithuania's, Garmisch, Zugspitze

☆ I skipped grad school and became a mechanic instead. I ended up getting a dream job at Tesla.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Diana Welsch about training to be a car mechanic instead of going to grad school. I went to trade school instead of grad schoolI decided to go to trade school in 2014. AdvertisementI got a dream job at TeslaAt my trade school fair, I saw that Tesla was hiring trainees. I left Tesla later that yearI'd wanted to stay at Tesla my whole life — it was the most fun job ever. I wish I had gone to trade school after high school instead of college.

Persons: —, Diana Welsch, I've, Tesla, I'd, Elon Musk, Uncle Elon, Elon, they'd Organizations: Service, Business, Universal Technical Institute, Sun Devil, Tesla, Bluetooth, LA, Management Locations: Arizona, Phoenix, Los Angeles, North Dakota

☆ A New Yorker took her first solo trip to Greece at 38. She loved the slower pace of life so much that she moved there.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

She told Business Insider she worked 16 hours a day some days and often worked weekends. Rodriguez told BI they'd been working hard on a new project just before being let go. AdvertisementWith her new business, Rodriguez thought she needed to stay in New York to meet clients in person. She took a solo trip to GreeceRodriguez decided to attend a friend's birthday party in Greece in June 2021. She'd never visited the country before and decided to take a 10-day solo vacation to Greece around the party.

Persons: —, Marissa Rodriguez, Rodriguez, she'd, Chris Burch, Wonder, Sofia Vergara, Renata Black's, Greece Rodriguez, She'd, New York —, couldn't Organizations: Service, New York University, Business, C.Wonder Locations: Puerto Rico, Manhattan, New York, Greece, America, Athens, there's, New York City

☆ A mom in Sweden took 21 months off when her kids were born, and her partner took 15. Sharing parental leave changed their expectations of each other.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Parents get 480 days of leave in SwedenIn Sweden, parents are entitled to 480 days of leave per child. AdvertisementLindgren started parental leave two weeks before their daughter was born, after which her husband took 10 days of paid leave, which is standard practice in Sweden. In total, Lindgren took 10 months of parental leave for her first child and said she was paid 80% of her salary during most of this period. Her husband took a combination of parental leave and annual leave to make it happen. When their second child was born in December 2021, Lindgren took another eight months of parental leave.

Persons: —, Nicola Lindgren, Lindgren, breastfeed Organizations: Service, Business Locations: New Zealand, Sweden

☆ I help tired moms take care of their newborns at night on top of my day job. It's hard but rewarding work.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Jessica Hall, a night nanny and occupational therapist in Chicago. I'm now the clinic lead and oversee physical therapy, social work, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. AdvertisementI started working as a night nanny on the sideHall said it was rewarding to help parents who were struggling with balancing their newborns and going back to work. Related storiesI needed to know about pediatrics and child development for my occupational therapy training. I did night nanny shifts two or three times a week, though sometimes I did it five times a week.

Persons: —, Jessica Hall, I've, I'm, I'd, It's Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Chicago, Arizona, Illinois

☆ I work 2 full-time jobs from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. I'm sacrificing sleep, friends, and hobbies so I can retire in my 30s.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I started working two jobs while I was finishing my sociology and business major in college in 2021. My marketing job was flexible, so I could do my college work during my lunch breaks or quiet periods. I kept up my 2 jobs after collegeIt felt natural to continue working two jobs after graduating from college in 2022. I kept up my customer service job, working 65 hours over two weeks. If you work two full-time jobs and would like to share your story, email Ella Hopkins at ehopkins@businessinsider.com.

Persons: —, Jane, I'd, I'm, I've, Ella Hopkins Organizations: Service, Business, FIRE Locations: Canada, ehopkins@businessinsider.com

☆ I was rejected from my first promotion at Google. Here's how I took control of my career and landed 3 promotions.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Then I could go back to my manager and say: "Here's the problem, and here's what I did to solve it." I applied for another promotion a year after being turned down for the last oneI applied for another promotion. AdvertisementGetting rejected the first time was a blessing in disguise because I learned so much by getting rejected. I was tasked with being the tech lead of a number of critical projects for the Google Fiber TV ads team. Learning that I had to take control of my own career was vital to all the promotions I've had in my career since.

Persons: —, Irina Stanescu, who'd, I'd, I've Organizations: Service, Google, Business, YouTube, Uber Locations: California, Romania

☆ How to run an efficient meeting, according to tech billionaires who took them very seriously
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"I like a crisp document and a messy meeting," Bezos said in a conversation with podcaster Lex Fridman in December. Microsoft had just bought the company Williams worked at. Gates "was always curious, always wanted to understand, always drilling for more detail," Williams wrote for BI in 2023. AdvertisementAfter Jobs died in 2011, Segall wrote a book about Apple's work culture, "Insanely Simple." "He stopped cold," Segall wrote.

Persons: —, Mark Cuban, Jeff Bezos, Cooper Neill, Bezos, Lex Fridman, Bill Gates, Sean Gallup, Chris Williams, Gates, Williams, he'd, Steve Jobs, Justin Sullivan, Ken Segall, Jobs, Segall, Lorrie, Eric Schmidt, Antoine Antoniol, Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Rosenberg Organizations: Service, Business, Getty, Microsoft, Intel, BI, Getty Former, Google

Search resuls for: "Ella Hopkins"

25 mentions found