• Russia's elites are growing frustrated with Putin's efforts to wage war in Ukraine, per Meduza.
• Sources told the outlet they're also concerned about the long-term impact of Western sanctions.
• But Russian security officials appear to want Putin to intensify the war, a DC think tank said.

Russia's elites are growing tired of waiting for the war to end and are concerned about the long-term impact of Western sanctions on Russia's economy, according to a report by Meduza.

High-ranking sources told the independent Russian outlet that Russia's "elites" are disappointed that the war with Ukraine didn't end in 2024.

The sources included people close to and in the Russian presidential administration, two State Duma deputies, a senator, and three high-ranking officials in Russian regional governments.

One government source told the outlet that the overall emotions are "disappointment" and "fatigue."

"We were waiting for the war to end, for the fighting to end," they said. "We are tired of even waiting."

Two people close to the presidential administration said that the government doesn't have a clear postwar vision.

Meanwhile, another source said Russian elites, primarily high-ranking security officials, are growing irritated by the lack of manpower and material to wage the war, and believe Putin must launch a mobilization effort to further shift Russian society and economy to a war footing.

Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has significantly grown its military and war economy. However, the war has come at a considerable cost.

Russian troop losses have risen for six straight months, the UK Ministry of Defence said this week, citing Ukrainian data. It said Russia's costliest day came on December 19, when 2,200 of its troops were killed or wounded.

Russia's economy has also come under strain due to persistent high inflation, slowing economic growth, and Western sanctions.

Even so, the Institute for the Study of War, a DC think tank, said Meduza's report, published Thursday, suggests that high-ranking Russian military and security officials believe Putin should escalate the war rather than seek a diplomatic solution.

In an update on Thursday, the ISW said that Russian security and military officials don't appear ready to abandon the war, despite mounting battlefield losses.

Instead, it said, they are seemingly advocating for Putin to intensify Russia's war effort by calling for additional partial reserve call-ups and a formal decision to transition to a wartime footing.

But, according to the ISW, Putin is against further mobilizing the Russian economy or a partial involuntary reserve call-up because these measures would be extremely unpopular and would worsen the country's labor shortages.

• Andersen Consulting was once one of the top names in professional services.
• The firm rebranded to Accenture in 2000, and its parent company went bust following the Enron scandal.
• Now Andersen Consulting is making a comeback, The Financial Times reported.

One of the leading consulting brands of the 1990s, whose parent company was brought down in the Enron scandal, is making a comeback.

Andersen Consulting, which was one of the "Big Eight" consulting firms, will relaunch next month, unnamed sources told The Financial Times.

The firm's comeback has been orchestrated by Andersen, a tax business founded in 2002 by former employees from Arthur Andersen, the once-prestigious accounting firm and the parent company of Andersen Consulting. It acquired rights to the Arthur Andersen name in 2014 and renamed itself Andersen in 2019.

Andersen has mostly focused on tax and legal work but has been steadily building a consulting division under the guidance of George Shaheen, a former CEO of Andersen Consulting in its heyday. Shaheen joined the group as a special advisor in 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile.

In the past six months, the company has added 20 member firms focused on consulting from the US and other countries, several of which have connections to the old Andersen Consulting and Arthur Andersen, the FT reported.

The resurrection of Andersen Consulting marks a major comeback for what was once a leading name in professional services.

"Andersen Consulting was the Coca-Cola of professional services," Andersen's global chairman and CEO Mark Vorsatz told the FT. "If you are over 40 in business, you know Andersen Consulting."

The original Andersen Consulting split from its parent company, Arthur Andersen, in 2000 and rebranded as Accenture.

One year later, the Andersen name was tarnished when Arthur Andersen became embroiled in the Enron scandal. Executives at Enron, one of the largest energy providers in the US, were found to have hidden billions of dollars in debt by manipulating financial models and lying to investors.

Enron filed for bankruptcy, and thousands of employees lost their jobs and retirement savings.

Arthur Andersen, Enron's auditor, was found guilty of obstruction of justice for shredding its client's auditing documents as the government started its investigation.

The fallout led to Arthur Andersen's collapse in 2002, reducing the "Big Five" global accounting firms to four. It is one of the most dramatic corporate collapses in US history — one year earlier, the firm had reported roughly $9 billion in global revenue.

The rebooted version of Andersen Consulting would not try to compete with Accenture as an outsourcing services provider, Vorsatz told the FT.

Andersen did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• Morgan Stanley on Wednesday promoted a new class of managing directors to help steer the firm.
• See all 173 new MD names here.
• The promotions come as Wall Street prepares for a more active environment for dealmaking.

Morgan Stanley this week welcomed a new class of leaders to help shepherd the bank through what's expected to be a more active dealmaking environment. On Friday, they shared the names of their 173 new managing directors, the bank's highest title outside the C-Suite.

The promotions are an annual rite of passage on Wall Street and follow similar elevations at banks like Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, which each promoted new executives to their top ranks in recent weeks.

Morgan Stanley new MD class is larger than last year's, although short of the multiyear highs hit at Goldman and Citi. Some 46% of the new MDs come from the firm's institutional securities group, 13% from investment management, and 9% from wealth management.

Here's the full list of names of the new MDs. See here for statistics on the makeup of the new class.

Here's the list organized in alphabetical order:

Andrea Alberti

Andrew Arena

Emma Atkins

Mona Benisi

Maria Berezhkova

Alison Bilger

Priya Bindra

Jon LeBoutillier

Nathan Bishop

Peter Boehm

Dan Bray

Katalin Broz

Shinya Bukawa

Edward Bury

Ryuk Byun

James Carroll

Matt Cashia

Kathy Chan

Kendal Cehanowicz

Fabien Charbonnel

Issam Cherif

Florence Hiu In Cheung

Simerjeet Chhatwal

Joseph Chiovitti

Cassandra Choi

Lindsay Connor

Lori Corbett

Stephanie Crombie

John Crowe

Jon Davis

Laura D'Albey

Toussaint Davis

Jamie Day

Daniel DeDora

Daniel Diamond

Sean Diffley

James DiGuglielmo

Danielle Dimitriou

James Donnelly

Charles-Antoine Dozin

Patrick Edwards

Cedar Ekblom

Steve Farr

Kurt Gabriel

Tish Garrett

Jenna Giannelli

Marjorie Goichberg

Jennifer Gonzalez

Fernando Manuel Gonzalez Baquero

Max Gordon-Brown

Anna Grainger

Jonathan Greenberg

Stephen Grambling

Emma Griffin

Dirk Grunert

Inan Gunbay

Pranav Gupta

Yash Gupta

Caroline Halimi

Kyle Hallett

Ryuichiro John Hanawa

Todd Hand

Andrew T. Hill

Phil Humphreys

Jaylene Howard

Sophia Herrmann

Ross Hutcheson

Daniel Iacovitti

Eiji Ieno

Kiran Inamdar

Tomoo Ishimaru

Emiley Jellie

Paul Jodice

Chris Ju

Michele Jones

Patrick Keeley, Jr.

Michael Keene

Andrei Keis

Brian Kelly

Aly Kerr

Hussein Khattab

Christopher Khouri

Nicholas R. Kirschner

Krisztian Kovacs

Sara J.G. Krantz

Jenna Krause

Mithun Kunder

Colm Leahy

Ben L. Lee

Dick Lee

Jason Lees

Benjamin Liberos

Uri Lichtenfeld

Daniel J. Lingeza

Fan Liu

Sarah Lloyd-Johns

Elly Lukenskaite

Mayank Maheshwari

Richard Mancusi

Koren Maranca

Lesley A. Matthews

Helen Mbugua-Kahuki

Mandy McClung

Felipe Medeiros

Lauren Miller

James Montgomerie

Joseph Morgan

Louise Mylott

Paul Nicely

Marianna Nichols

Patrick J. Nolan

Onyekwere Randy Ojukwu

Dina Paek

Monica Pal

Mark K. Parsonson

Liju Paul

Rebecca Peckham

Richard Perrott

Tony Piperno

Jon Pistilli

Laurie Pistilli

Sanjiv Prasad

Anthony Preisano

Jared Richardson

Chris Rigoli

Lúlica Rocha

Alison Rooney

Brendan Ross

Daniel Rossi

Samantha L. Schreiber

Neil Schwarz

James Scilacci

Stephen Scott

Matt Sebesten

Federico Sequeda

Sajan Shah

Brian Sanderson

Steven Santoro

Rebecca Shaoul

Eugene Shenkar

Aleksey Shevchenko

Derek Simmons

Snigdha Singh

Sat Sivanathan

Ben Smith

Lucio Solms-Lich

Zachary Solomon

Nick Spiller

Reed Staub

Kirsten Stewart

Alexandra Straton Gleich

Jason Swankoski

Keiko Takeno

Emma Tamblingson

Frank F. Tang

Daniel Tay Zhi Yang

Courtney A. Thompson

Paul B. Tucker

Ciaran Tuohy

Bolivar Valera

Alex J. Visokey

Elizabeth Mazzagetti Waggoner

Robert R. Walton, Jr.

Mae Wang

David White

Patrick Whitehead

Emma Whitehouse

Russell Wilk

Brandon D. Winikates

Erik Woodring

Ken Yamaguchi

Saba Zahid

Mike Zheng

• I thought Gen Z would love my company because I built a fun, inviting culture.
• However, my first Gen Z intern wanted to explore departments outside her internship.
• She "quiet quit" and then left the company four months later because I treated her poorly.

For years, I dreamed of working for a company like Google. After all, who wouldn't want to head into the office on Monday morning and be greeted by sleeping pods, VR summits, or Quidditch matches? The entire place was a millennial wonderland with a never-ending supply of cereal bars and gluten-free baked goods.

The early 2000s was the genesis of open office spaces, open-door policies, and open-mindedness. When I started my own business, I copied and pasted this format and waited for Gen Z to knock down my door, begging to work for me.

But my neon signage, proclaiming a fun and diversified environment with great company culture, only caught the interest of one Gen Z applicant.

Thankfully, she seemed like the perfect fit for our internship. Her values aligned with my company, and her education and experience fit our exact needs. But after multiple Zoom meetings, I felt like I was trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

She clearly decided to "quiet quit" after a week and didn't stay after her internship. Instead of looking at myself and my own company, I blamed the new hire.

My intern had goals I didn't expect

When I set out to bring in my first intern, I presented my company as a place where everyone belongs and can bring their entire self to the table. Well, I didn't exactly honor that goal. Instead of taking the time to ask my intern questions and find out what her goals were, I saw her as a solution to my needs.

I hated creating social media campaigns. So, when my intern's résumé boasted her experience and educational background in digital communication, I leaped at the chance to bring her onto the team and use her skills.

But in one of our first meetings, she told me she wanted to explore different departments and figure out if this industry was right for her.

I panicked. I hoped she'd focus solely on my need for social media, but she was interested in branching out beyond that.

My cool office culture didn't seem to appease her or her curiosity to learn more. She lost interest in the company quickly, and I noticed her "quiet quitting." After four months, she left the company for good.

I quickly learned Gen Z is different in the workplace

As a geriatric millennial, I wasn't raised to see my degree separate from my future career plans. I picked classes that made sense for my aspirational goals and chose internships that aligned with my education and background.

But that's not what Generation Z is about. They're interested in exploring and learning — especially during internships. They want a full experience, and that includes trying on different hats to see what fits.

My intern wanted to experience what it was like to live in my shoes, to see the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I wish I could tell you that I adapted and was the best boss ever, but I'd be lying. I lost my intern because I couldn't figure out what to do with her. I ignored her and gave her menial tasks to fill her schedule.

I wish I had done so many things differently

Firstly, I would have broken away from my interview script and gotten to know her. I would have asked her about her five-year plan, what her hobbies were, and how I could help her reach her goals.

As much as I wish I had changed sooner, there's a huge part of me that's so grateful for this failure. It taught me to break a lot of my own biases and think in broader terms of creating a place of belonging.

Even though I wasn't able to retain my first intern, I retained all the lessons she taught me. I will forever be grateful for that.

• The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is among the most famous luxury overnight trains in Europe.
• The train's six grand suites start at about $30,800 and are often the first to be booked.
• The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express grand suites have private bathrooms and extravagant decor.

Forget yachting in the French Riviera and skiing in Switzerland — the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express grand suites sit atop the wealthy traveler's bucket list.

The luxury travel company Belmond operates six trains. Perhaps its most famous is the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, comprised of revamped 100-year-old carriages.

It's also among the most luxurious trains in Europe. The 108-guest moving hotel operates 44 routes in 17 cities, mostly in Europe. Prices start at about $8,850 for a cabin on its one-night journey from Venice, Italy, to Paris.

If you want to travel in the train's top-tier accommodation, you'll have to pay more than three times that price. A journey in a grand suite costs around £25,000, or about $30,800, Gary Franklin, Belmond's senior vice president of trains and cruises, told Business Insider.

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express grand suites are the epitome of European luxury train travel.

Red carpets welcome all guests on their overnight journeys, complete with lavishly decorated vintage carriages, fine-dining restaurants, and jaw-dropping views of passing scenery.

However, only the grand suites offer guests luxurious amenities such as private showers and around-the-clock butler services.

It's worth it to many — the accommodations are "definitely a rich and famous-type bucket list item," Julie Durso, a Scott Dunn Private travel manager, told Business Insider in November.

Over the past few years, Belmond has seen a spike in demand for its trains. Franklin told BI that the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express has become especially popular, with bookings growing 10% from 2023 to 2024.

The train's flashy grand suites have concurrently piqued the interest of wealthy travelers — according to Franklin, they're often the first accommodations to be booked. And for good reason.

The train has 54 cabins, six of which are in the highest-end grand suites category.

The accommodations, first introduced in 2018, each have a unique design inspired by a city on the train's routes.

For example, the Venice, Italy-themed suite fuses Italian Baroque and Renaissance designs. Venetian furniture, vintage glass light fixtures, and a marriage of silk and woven fabrics fill the room with a historic Italian ambiance. The headboard combines arches and sharp edges, a nod to the country's Renaissance castles.

Similarly, the Budapest suite features Gothic and Ottoman architectural styles, with ornate marquetry and embroidered silk-patterned furniture. The tall, curved headboard recalls the cathedrals and mosques of the Ottoman Empire.

No matter the decor, all suites include a couch, closet, double bed, dining area, and en-suite bathroom.

Most of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express accommodations have shared restrooms without access to a shower.

But there's no need to share in the grand suites — the private bathrooms all have a rainfall showerhead, a glass-blown sink, and heated marble flooring.

The living room then separates the bathroom from the bedroom.

The train has three restaurant cars. Guests staying in these high-end accommodations can instead dine in the privacy of their suite and unwind.

Staying in the luxurious moving hotel room also includes welcome caviar, 24-hour butler service, and bottomless Champagne.

It's a good time to be in the luxury travel business.

Travelers are increasingly spending big for unique, high-end vacations.

To capitalize on this, Belmond added two grand suites to its Scottish train, the Royal Scotsman, in 2024.

The new accommodations were "exceptionally well-received," Franklin said — so much so that the company is now building more to debut in 2025.

• A slow cooker or Crock-Pot can be a valuable yet underutilized tool in your kitchen.
• A slow cooker can make many cozy comfort foods, from stews to simple soups and roasted meats.
• Meats like brisket and short ribs become tender when made in a slow cooker.

There's nothing better than coming home to the comforting aroma of beef stew or pasta sauce simmering in a Crock-Pot, especially on those particularly cold winter days.

As the weather turns cooler, it's the perfect time to bring out your Crock-Pot or slow cooker to prepare hearty meals that cook on their own during the workday.

Business Insider spoke with chefs and cookbook authors about their favorite comforting slow-cooker meals, from hearty beef stews and chowders to brisket, and researched celebrity chef's go-to Crock-Pot dishes. 

Here are 17 cozy comfort-food dishes you can make in a slow cooker, according to chefs.

Short ribs become extra tender when slow cooked.

Short ribs are one of cookbook author Kim Laidlaw's favorite things to make in a Crock-Pot, and they're a go-to on a chilly winter day.

In her cookbook, "Everyday Slow Cooking: Modern Recipes for Delicious Meals," Laidlaw gives multiple different recipes for short ribs, and she recommends trying them for a meal featuring other sides.

"If you do them in a slow cooker, then the meat is out of the way," she told Business Insider. "Then, you can focus on other side dishes like polenta or risotto."

Stew is one of those slow-cooker meals where you can practically toss in the ingredients and walk away.

Beef, turkey, or chicken stew is a perfect stick-to-your-bones meal during the cold winter and fall months.

"Beef stew is really nice in the slow cooker," Laidlaw said. "That's something I grew up on with the slow cooker, and it's just as good today."

But stew is also hassle-free.

"Slow cookers are perfect in the winter for soups and stews," Laidlaw said. "The best part is that you can set it in the morning and walk away."

Corn chowder is another simple meal you can make with a few inexpensive ingredients.

If you make this chowder in the fall, you can use in-season fresh corn as is suggested in this celebrity chef-approved Martha Stewart recipe, found on the chef's website.

However, you can also take the easy route by choosing canned corn from the store. The chowder is flavorful yet light and uses heartwarming ingredients like heavy cream, bacon, and baby red potatoes.

Brisket is another meat that becomes super tender in a slow cooker.

Laidlaw's recipe for slow-cooked braised brisket includes garlic, onion, dry red wine, carrot, and chicken or beef stock, with a chimichurri sauce.

"Brisket is a natural partner for the slow cooker, as a gentle braise renders it meltingly tender," Laidlaw writes in "Everyday Slow Cooking."

Ribs can also be made in a Crock-Pot.

"Ribs do really well in the slow cooker, and you can always stick them under the broiler in the end to crisp them up," Laidlaw said.

Bolognese sauce is another great way to utilize your Crock-Pot.

"Bolognese is great because you can cook it for a long time," Laidlaw said. "You just have to remember that the sauce doesn't evaporate the same as it would if you were doing it on the stove. You definitely need to compensate and put less liquid in the pot if you're using a slow cooker."

You can also make mac and cheese in a slow cooker.

Celebrity chef Martha Stewart's recipe for slow-cooker mac and cheese is not only easy to make but super delicious and perfect for the fall and winter seasons.

"It is important to use pungent cheeses, such as sharp cheddar, mixed with a little Gruyere or pecorino Romano for extra bite, since the white sauce and pasta will absorb a lot of flavor," Stewart writes.

Chicken stock and broth are two kitchen staples you can make in a Crock-Pot.

Hugh Acheson's slow-cooker chicken broth is pretty simple — all you'll need is a whole chicken, salt, garlic cloves, white onions, carrots, celery, and a few seasonings to taste. 

You can find the full recipe for Acheson's chicken broth in his book, "The Chef and the Slow Cooker."

You can also make chicken soup in a slow cooker.

"A simple soup with Thai chilis, coconut milk, and lime is just wickedly good," Acheson said.

The recipe for Acheson's slow cooker chicken soup with chiles, coconut milk, and lime can be found here on Garden & Gun. Or, if you're feeling a little more adventurous, Acheson also said a slow cooker is a perfect way to make delicious chicken and dumplings.

Meatballs are another warming meal to make in a slow cooker.

Acheson points out that not only are meatballs, like the veal meatballs he includes in his book, easy and delicious to make, but they're a comforting, kid-friendly option you can make in a slow cooker.

"Slow cookers are not necessarily the best tool for cooking for one — they work so much better for nourishing an entire family," he said.

Acheson said his go-to slow-cooker meal on a winter's day is lentil soup with a little sour cream.

"I usually go for something that won't take too long," Acheson said. "Usually, I go for a lentil soup with Tuscan kale and a little sour cream and herbs on top. To me, that's the type of food you want as you're watching the snow fall down."

The recipe for Acheson's lentil soup with Tuscan kale can be found here on Cup of Jo.

Acheson also points out that large batches of soup are great for the next day.

Braised and pulled chicken is another great way to use your Crock-Pot.

One of the benefits of using a slow cooker is starting with a basic protein and jazzing it up.

From Mexican food-inspired spices to Indian simmer sauces, there are tons of ways to transform simple braised or pulled chicken dishes into something show-stopping.

This recipe from Delish tells you how to make slow-cooker barbecue pulled chicken.

Pork shoulder is a slow-cooker staple you can use in a number of dishes.

"One dish I think is so versatile is pork shoulder in a slow cooker with broth and a little salt and pepper," Laidlaw said. "I just braise that and then you can turn into so many different things."

Laidlaw explained that using a pork shoulder, you can make everything from pulled-pork sliders to carnitas tacos or burritos.

You can also prepare a leg of lamb in the slow cooker, but you might want to sear it first.

"Leg of lamb is so good as it breaks down in the slow cooker," Acheson said. "Cooking in the slow cooker and then finishing another way is going to make sure your meat is at its best. Whether that means re-searing the meat or throwing it under the broiler, you might want to think about other steps to really finish off your meal."

Laidlaw added, "Recipes that have you throw everything in without any prep ahead are not nearly as good or as flavorful as the ones that do. Taking ten minutes to brown the meat before you put it in or getting the onions started goes a long way to making your meals more delicious."

You can also make poached or braised fish in the slow cooker.

"It's really about rethinking recipes and figuring out how to do it in the slow cooker," Acheson said.

One of the "best recipes" Acheson said he uses from his book is one for a braised catfish stew, the recipe for which can be found on Garden & Gun.

"It's got this long-cooking, beautiful broth that's just a vision at the end," he told Business Insider. "It's got chilies, peppers, and mace — big flavors. It just works perfectly. When slow cooking, you really want to choose a dish that works well simmering potentially all day."

Goat shoulder is another delicious meal you can make in a Crock-Pot.

"These days, goat shoulder doesn't have that gamey taste it might have had before," Acheson said. "When you're talking about cooking a large piece of meat, a slow cooker is a great place to start."

You can even make a comforting dessert like cheesecake in a Crock-Pot.

One of the desserts Laidlaw includes in her book "Everyday Slow Cooking" is for gingersnap-brandy cheesecake, which would be perfect as a treat on a cold day or even a holiday dessert.

• Some Americans are struggling to find work due to a challenging labor market.
• Many have found temporary ways to generate some income while they look for jobs.
• These strategies aren't always enough to prevent significant financial challenges.

Americans who are struggling to land full-time jobs are finding creative ways to pay the bills while they search for work.

Juan Pelaez has been looking for a job for more than two years. To generate some income, Pelaez said he's driven for Uber Eats and Instacart, done some part-time work for his prior employer, and was a background actor in the coming film "Happy Gilmore 2." However, since he was laid off from his account executive job at a marketing agency, Pelaez said he and his wife have taken on tens of thousands of dollars in debt from credit cards and personal loans.

Pelaez, 47, is based in New Jersey and said he earned about $3,500 across roughly 22 days of work for the acting opportunity. Landing the gig has helped him get similar work on a few other productions.

"It has not accounted for a full-time position salary, but it has been a great help," he told Business Insider.

Pelaez is among the Americans who have had a hard time finding work in recent years. Since October, more than 750 recent job seekers between the ages of 18 and 76 have responded to Business Insider's informal, nonrepresentative surveys and shared their stories with reporters through emails. Some said they've faced stiff competition for white-collar roles, while others shared that they couldn't land a job in their industry, despite having an advanced degree.

Their struggles have been driven in part by a widespread hiring slowdown in the US. Excluding a two-month pandemic-related dip in 2020, US businesses are hiring at the lowest rate since 2013. Among the nearly 7 million unemployed individuals as of December, about 1.5 million had been looking for work for at least six months — up from 1.1 million a year prior. To be sure, the unemployment rate remains low compared with historical levels.

The job seekers who BI heard from said part-time employment, gig work, selling their belongings, and other strategies have helped them stay afloat financially, but many continue to face significant financial challenges.

Are you looking for a job and comfortable sharing your story with a reporter? Did an AI job tool help you land a job recently? Please fill out this form.

Many earning opportunities don't replace a full-time job

Some job seekers told BI they found part-time roles, but the jobs haven't paid enough to cover the bills.

Rhonda Alexander has been looking for customer success management jobs since being laid off from her tech role in March 2023. To earn some income, Alexander, who's 55 and based in Illinois, started working part-time as an AI content engineer last April. She said the role involved evaluating the quality of AI-generated content.

Alexander said she enjoyed the work but was paid $21 an hour, which she felt wasn't enough to support herself. She said that her contract came to an end in late December.

"It seems that I am back on this miserable roller coaster of seeking a role in order to literally put food on the table and a roof over my head," she said. Going forward, Alexander said she's focused on developing new income streams, including becoming a notary. She's also driven for Uber and DoorDash in recent months.

Amanda Wilson has been looking for work for months. She quit her part-time caregiving gig in July — which she said was unsustainable due to the long commute and the physical demands of the job. She said an injury she suffered last year has limited her.

The 35-year-old, who's based in Arizona, said she's applied to hundreds of jobs — including customer service and management roles — but has only received an offer for one job: a different part-time caregiving gig where she's working 10 hours a week.

To earn some income, Wilson said she sold her Xbox One and a few video games for about $150, as well as three swords from her collection for about $100 each. But this money wasn't enough: Wilson said she's been forced to max out her credit cards and draw upon her savings.

"Right now, I can afford rent and my car payment for this coming month, but that's it," she said in December, adding, "I will probably have to sell off more things."

Meanwhile, Pelaez is hopeful that boosting his skills — and reflecting those changes on his résumé — will help him land a job that matches his experience level. For example, he said he's working toward Google's data analytics certificate through Coursera. While he's continued his gig driving and acting work, he said he temporarily paused his job search in October.

"With the overwhelming ghosting and lack of feedback from prospective employers, it becomes a cycle of never-ending applications," he said.

• After over 25 cruises, I know how to book the best cabin on a cruise — and which I prefer to avoid.
• Cabins in the ship's rear or on the bottom two decks can feel rocky during sea days.
• I avoid rooms next to elevators, below gyms, or above theaters to reduce my risk of noisy neighbors.

After going on over 25 cruises, I've learned what I really value and dislike on my sailings — especially when it comes to where I sleep.

First of all, even though it can save me money, I don't let the cruise line choose my room, as it can result in me being stuck with cabins near noisy venues or with obstructed views.

Instead, I make strategic choices and consider a few crucial factors when choosing my ideal stateroom location.

Here are the cruise rooms I always try to avoid booking.

Cabins at the back of the ship can have great views but major drawbacks.

The aft, or ship's rear, provides perfect panoramic views. During one Western Caribbean Princess Cruises, I upgraded to a suite in the ship's aft.

Although the wraparound balcony was beautiful, it was super rocky, especially on sea days. Plus, these rooms tend to be noisier because they're usually near the ship's engines.

While sailing in the back of other ships, I've experienced engine noise and vibration, particularly when entering and exiting ports of call.

I don't book cabins one or two floors above a theater, nightclub, or live-music venue.

Although it may seem convenient to be near onboard entertainment hot spots, the risk of pulsating noise isn't worth it for me.

To determine where these sorts of venues are on a ship, check the cruise line's website or conduct a quick internet search for "[ship name] deck plans."

It feels too risky to book any cabins beneath sports courts, a pool, or a gym.

Soundproofing can vary from poor to excellent, depending on the cruise line, ship, and ship's age.

Although most cruisers hear occasional noise from neighboring cabins and in the hallways, the sound can feel near-constant if you're situated near highly trafficked public spaces.

I never book near recreational areas because the dribbling of basketballs and pounding from running can sometimes be heard within the cabins directly below. I also avoid rooms beneath the gym because some people like to drop their weights.

Lastly, I skip staterooms one floor below the pool so I don't need to worry about hearing music from concerts or the sound of deck chairs scraping across the floor.

I'll skip oceanview rooms on the same deck as running tracks or lifeboats.

On many decks with running tracks, passersby can easily see into your room, so you have to remember to keep the curtains shut, which defeats the purpose of having a porthole or window.

I also never book oceanview rooms on the same deck as lifeboats because they can obscure the view.

When I sailed on Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady, I was given a complimentary upgrade from interior cabin to one with an obstructed-view sea terrace. It was nice to have natural sunlight streaming into the room, but I'd never pay extra for a view of the lifeboats.

You won't catch me choosing a stateroom on the bottom two decks of a ship.

Cabins on the lower levels of a ship tend to cost less than higher ones, but that discount usually comes with drawbacks. I don't book these because they're often more subject to engine noise and extreme ship rocking.

If I had to choose a room on a low deck, I'd pick one midship where there tends to be less motion.

I wouldn't book staterooms in the bow of the ship.

I never book staterooms in the forward because they can be too close to the anchors. A cruise ship typically has at least two at the bow, one on the starboard (right) and one on the port (left).

On some ships, passengers close to the anchors can hear when they're dropped.

The top deck isn't for me.

I don't book staterooms on the top deck — it doesn't matter what type they are.

Although these rooms tend to have the best views, they're usually adjacent to noisy and high-traffic areas like the buffet and pool.

I avoid staterooms directly across or right next to the elevators.

Elevator banks are high-traffic areas on cruise ships, especially on embarkation, port, and disembarkation days. Although it's convenient to be near them, the noise risk isn't worth it.

Instead, I book staterooms that are five to 10 cabins away from the elevators, so I'm midship and close to the elevators.

Generally, I try to choose midship cabins on the middle decks.

For me, a midship cabin on a ship's middle decks is ideal for avoiding excess noise and rocking.

Many ships divide their decks into thirds, and the midship cabins tend to be the most expensive (probably because they're quite desirable).

To save money while reaping the benefits, I try to book the first room on either side of the midship — the difference is only a few feet.