The best things in life may be free, but that doesn't mean they won't take time, sweat, and perseverance to acquire.

That's especially the case when it comes to learning important life skills.

To ascertain which talents are worth the investment, one Quora reader posed the question: "What are the hardest and most useful skills to learn?"

We've highlighted our favorite takeaways, as well as a few other skills we thought were important.

SEE ALSO: 15 things successful 20-somethings do in their spare time

DON'T MISS: The 20 cities where Americans work the hardest

Empathy

"You can be the most disciplined, brilliant, and even wealthy individual in the world, but if you don't care for or empathize with other people, then you are basically nothing but a sociopath," writes Kamia Taylor.

Empathy, as business owner Jane Wurdwand explains, is a fundamental human ability that has too readily been forsworn by modern business.

"Empathy — the ability to feel what others feel — is what makes good sales and service people truly great. Empathy as in team spirit — esprit de corps— motivates people to try harder. Empathy drives employees to push beyond their own apathy, to go bigger, because they feel something bigger than just a paycheck," she writes.

Time management

Effective time management is one of the most highly valued skills by employers. While there is no one right way, it's important to find a system that works for you and stick to it, Alina Grzegorzewska explains. 

"The hardest thing to learn for me was how to plan," she writes. "Not to execute what I have planned, but to make so epic a to-do list and to schedule it so thoroughly that I'm really capable of completing all the tasks on the scheduled date."

Mastering your sleep

There are so many prescribed sleep hacks out there it's often hard to keep track. But regardless of what you choose, establishing a ritual can help ensure you have restful nights.

Numerous studies show that being consistent with your sleep schedule makes it easier to fall asleep and wake up, and it helps promote better sleep in general.

Lilliana Vazquez, style expert and founder of The LV Guide, discusses the situations where men can unbutton a button or two on their dress shirt.

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Chase has partnered with Business Insider and The Players' Tribune to present a special edition of “Letter to My Younger Self," a series in which athletes reflect on their biggest lessons learned—from finance, to relationships, to careers.

You did it. You landed the big job — one that will require a significant move. You're in good company. According to the US Census Bureau, 20% of all movers' reasons for relocating were job-related. Whether it's on the other side of the state, or across continents, few things are more exciting than a life change full of new opportunities. But you've got a lot of work to do before receiving that first paycheck, and the average state-to-state move can run more than $5,600, according to the American Moving & Storage Association.

Here are five key ways to plan your move — and make it a smart one for both your career and your bank account:

1. Understand your new cost of living

Is that 30% pay bump worth the move? If you're moving from San Francisco to Omaha, there's good chance it is, considering the cost of living is an estimated 68% cheaper there. But if you're headed to a location with a significantly higher cost of living, spend some time crunching the numbers.

Use a cost of living index to compare everything from relative home prices to the cost for one pound of potatoes. And don't forget to research local taxes as well, whether you're moving to a new city or country. If higher costs negate your potential pay bump, consider whether the new position offers other benefits — such as a prestigious company or possibility of growth —will still make the move worthwhile.

2. Take time to plan and save

A big job offer is exciting. It's tempting to immediately put in your two-weeks notice and tell your new employer you'll be ready to start work in the next month. But there are compelling financial reasons to take it slow.

And while your new employer may offer help with moving expenses, that may be limited in both what it covers and how much they'll pay. Meanwhile, you'll have a security deposit or down payment on a new place to live. If you're in the middle of a lease or have to sell your home, you could be on the hook for months of double housing expenses. During your transition there will be hotels, meals on the road, moving insurance, and an assortment of other costs. The more time you give yourself to strategize and save, the easier the move will be on your bank account.

3. Plan out your personal relationships

As important as your career is, let's face it: family and friends may be even more important. How often do you anticipate visiting them, and what will be the associated travel costs? Will weekly video calls hold your over until the holidays? Can they afford to visit you? Regular travel can add up quickly, so calculate it into your anticipated living expenses.

4. Sell what you can

If a new couch is going to cost $700, but shipping your old couch can cost $500, it may not be worth hauling it along. By selling some of your larger items — like couches and bedroom sets — you can accumulate moving funds while simplifying your transition. Even better: If you're moving from car-dependent Cleveland to public transit-heavy New York City, consider selling your car as well.

5. Keep close track of old bills

Take careful inventory of all your existing bills and follow up with every account to make sure no outstanding balances remain after your move. A late payment can stay on your credit report for seven years.

You want your career move to be a huge success in every way. That means minimizing the financial burden of the transition as well. By keeping these tips in mind, you can you lower your relocation costs and focus on making the most of your big break.

This post is sponsored by Chase.

SEE ALSO: More Letter to My Younger Self

Join the conversation about this story »

The best things in life may be free, but that doesn't mean they won't take time, sweat, and perseverance to acquire.

That's especially the case when it comes to learning important life skills.

To ascertain which talents are worth the investment, one Quora reader posed the question: "What are the hardest and most useful skills to learn?"

We've highlighted our favorite takeaways, as well as a few other skills we thought were important.

SEE ALSO: 15 things successful 20-somethings do in their spare time

DON'T MISS: The 20 cities where Americans work the hardest

Empathy

"You can be the most disciplined, brilliant, and even wealthy individual in the world, but if you don't care for or empathize with other people, then you are basically nothing but a sociopath," writes Kamia Taylor.

Empathy, as business owner Jane Wurdwand explains, is a fundamental human ability that has too readily been forsworn by modern business.

"Empathy — the ability to feel what others feel — is what makes good sales and service people truly great. Empathy as in team spirit — esprit de corps— motivates people to try harder. Empathy drives employees to push beyond their own apathy, to go bigger, because they feel something bigger than just a paycheck," she writes.

Time management

Effective time management is one of the most highly valued skills by employers. While there is no one right way, it's important to find a system that works for you and stick to it, Alina Grzegorzewska explains. 

"The hardest thing to learn for me was how to plan," she writes. "Not to execute what I have planned, but to make so epic a to-do list and to schedule it so thoroughly that I'm really capable of completing all the tasks on the scheduled date."

Mastering your sleep

There are so many prescribed sleep hacks out there it's often hard to keep track. But regardless of what you choose, establishing a ritual can help ensure you have restful nights.

Numerous studies show that being consistent with your sleep schedule makes it easier to fall asleep and wake up, and it helps promote better sleep in general.

Robots are coming for all our jobs, but we’ve still got the edge in a few key areas.

McKinsey’s new report on the future of automation notes that humans are better than robots at: spotting new patterns, logical reasoning, creativity, coordination between multiple agents, natural language understanding, identifying social and emotional states, responding to social and emotional states, displaying social and emotional states, and moving around diverse environments.

The report named four skills where robots matched us and five where they beat us.

McKinsey finds that almost half of work activities globally could be automated using current technology. Of course, the robots are getting better.

Here’s a chart showing when McKinsey expects robots to pass humans on all of those skills:

SEE ALSO: This helpful chart reveals if a robot will take your job

DON'T MIS: After the singularity, robots will take ALL OUR JOBS

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NOW WATCH: There's a hidden map in your iPhone of everywhere you've been

Bethenny Frankel, founder of Skinnygirl, author and entrepreneur, discusses her best advice for negotiating.

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Barbara Pachter provides advice on how to properly act in business and social settings in The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat, and Tweet Your Way to Success. After going through the book and speaking with Pachter to compile the 21 business-etiquette rules every professional should know, here's how to act where some of the most important business is held, the dinner table. 

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Sal Khan began tutoring his family members over the web. This small act of kindness turned into the Khan Academy, a company that offers educational videos for people all over the world. Khan is one of Silicon Valley's biggest stars, and Bill Gates, was one of the first people to take interest.

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Career expert and "I Will Teach You To Be Rich" author Ramit Sethi explains the top three things every entrepreneur should focus on when they start a business.

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US News & World Report recently released its 2017 Best Jobs rankings, which determines the best occupations in the US based on median salary, employment rate, growth, job prospects, stress level, and work-life balance. You can read more about the methodology here.

The publication then ranked these coveted positions by pay, finding that, unsurprisingly, many of America's top jobs come with six-figure salaries.

Here are the top 10.

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LONDON – If you've just had a big night out, you might want to think twice before posting the gory details on Facebook or Instagram.

Especially if you want to work in finance.

Banks and hedge funds are increasingly checking social media accounts of potential hires to see if they will be a responsible, sober employee. 

Investors are employing the same techniques to decide who gets to manage their money. They often look for specific personality traits and psychological profiles before trusting a person with their wealth.

Specialist firms carry out the checks and Business Insider spoke to one of them – Corporate Resolutions – to find out what triggers the biggest and brightest red flags. The company, based in New York, was set up by a former FBI agent.

"We cruise social networking sites to ensure the potential executive or money-manager is not commenting on or posting pictures," that potential employers would find distasteful, Joelle Scott, a senior vice president at Corporate Resolutions, said.

Sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram offer a huge repository of public information about private people. Here's what companies like Corporate Resolutions look at.

1: Drug use – "You’d be shocked to know how many executives flaunt illegal behavior on social networks," said Scott.

One of the UK's most high-profile bank scandals involved former Co-operative Bank CEO Paul Flowers being secretly filmed handing over £300 in cash for drugs such as crystal meth and ketamine in 2013.

2: Salaciousness – "It may not be 'illegal,' but some types of behaviour are embarrassing, and employers don’t want any part of it," Scott said.

Big banks may see salacious behaviour as a risk factor. Last year, the transcripts of text messages between a former Goldman Sachs salesmen and an alleged prostitute known as "Michella" were released in a court case between the Libyan Investment Authority and the US bank.

3: Threatening or harassing statements about friends, co-workers, celebrities or political figures – "People forget that using Facebook or Twitter to express extreme opinions about a politician puts a potential employer in a very uncomfortable position. Often, they’ll move on and look at other qualified candidates," said Scott.

The last thing a bank needs is a loose cannon. 

Business Insider is hiring an Audience Development Manager to join our fast-growing Business Development team. We're the dynamic digital publishing company behind Business Insider, Tech Insider, and INSIDER.

The Audience Development Manager's mission is to 1) understand the ever-evolving world of social networks and platforms, 2) maintain running analysis of those platforms and company performance, 3) interpret data related to those platforms, and 4) put stats into actionable plans.

This role is situated on the business side of the company and involves collaboration with the analytics, editorial, product, and tech teams to evaluate and execute opportunities for audience growth. 

The ideal candidate for this role has experience in digital media working on distribution across social platforms, in addition to experience with analytics. Importantly, this person understands and has a passion for content that works on the web.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage relationships with existing and new social media platforms to grow readership across all sites
• Partner with teams across the organization to develop and enhance the BI social media strategy (editorial, analytics, sales/studios, product/tech)
• Develop and deliver regular and ongoing reports on audience development initiatives
• Use analytics to create plans and collaborate to put them into action
• Embrace experimentation and constantly iterate to maximize distributed reach and revenue

Qualifications

• At least 2-4 years of experience at a digital news organization
• Familiarity with digital analytics tools (Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, ComScore etc.)
• Hands on knowledge of social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, to name a few)

To succeed in this role, you will need

• A passion for the digital media space and web content
• Ability to stay up-to-date on industry developments and competitors and to be active in the media communityExtremely strong organizational and analytical skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Facility with Excel; analytic mindset

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NOW WATCH: Watch President Obama tear up while addressing Michelle in his farewell speech

Two Sigma, a $40 billion hedge fund that uses advanced technologies to find investment opportunities, has grown at a rapid rate over the past few years.

The number of employees at the firm has grown 400% over the past seven years, and it now has 1,000 staff members in offices in New York, Hong Kong, Houston, London, and Tokyo.

It has generated $13.1 billion in returns since its inception in 2002, according to LCH Investments, a London-based fund of funds, making it the 20th-most successful fund of all time. Only one fund, Brevan Howard, has generated more in a shorter time period.

Evan Anger is a senior vice president in recruiting at the firm, and at a breakfast event organized by the recruitment firm Options Group, he explained how the firm identified the next generation of leaders within the firm.

He said it's all about three things:

• Engagement. Anger and his colleagues in HR look at how engaged an employee is in what they're doing and life at the company, as well as their level of engagement with the company culture.
• Contribution versus scope of the role. The firm also tracks how actively employees engage with topics outside their day-to-day role. That helps provide insight into whether someone could one day step up or take a bigger role in a different team.
• Career velocity. How fast is someone rising through the ranks? Are they being promoted ahead of schedule?

It sounds pretty simple, but it's useful to know.

SEE ALSO: The president of the New York Stock Exchange talks history, technology, and simplifying trading

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NOW WATCH: A Harvard business professor explains a legal form of 'insider trading' in America

An unlikely candidate for the job, Michael Lewis started out working as a bond salesman for Salomon Brothers in the 1980s. He quit and at age 29, shot to fame with his semi-autobiographical work, "Liar's Poker," which chronicled the excesses of '80s Wall Street.

Lewis has since authored many bestselling non-fiction works, including "Moneyball" and "The Big Short." His newest title is "The Undoing Project."

Here, Michael Lewis offers advice to his 20-something self — and everyone else — about how to take control of your own fate early in your career.

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An unlikely candidate for the job, Michael Lewis started out working as a bond salesman for Salomon Brothers in the 1980s. He quit and at age 29, shot to fame with his semi-autobiographical work, "Liar's Poker," which chronicled the excesses of '80s Wall Street.

Lewis has since authored many bestselling non-fiction works, including "Moneyball" and "The Big Short." His newest title is "The Undoing Project."

Here, Michael Lewis offers advice to his 20-something self — and everyone else — about how to take control of your own fate early in your career.

Join the conversation about this story »

RapidSOS, a New York-based startup that's modernizing the way people connect with emergency services, is growing quick. 

Their smartphone app Haven, which allows users to transmit their exact location to emergency dispatchers, was launched in June 2016 and the company expects to be in a million devices by the end of this year. 

RapidSOS's founder Michael Martin was recently named to the 2017 Forbes' 30 under 30 list for healthcare. 

The 29-year-old entrepreneur told Business Insider his idea for the app was inspired by a "quintessential New York experience."

"I was walking home late at night when I noticed that someone was following me," he said.

"I didn't want to attract attention by dialing 911 on my phone, so I ended up calling an Uber," he added.

And that's when it hit him. Contacting 911 should be just as easy as getting an Uber.

The main selling point of the app, however, isn't its convenience. Martin said it addresses some of the issues that underpin the emergency dispatch infrastructure.

"The system was built back when landlines were king and so it's not well equipped to handle cell phones," he said.

"Over 10,000 people die a year because calls drop or dispatchers can't accurately pinpoint a person's location," Martin added.

Martin told Business Insider that his entrepreneurial journey wasn't a cake walk, and that it took almost four years to bring the product to market.

In addition to raising hundreds of thousands of dollars from various student entrepreneurial contests including the Harvard Innovation Challenge, Martin said he and his team had over 10,000 conversations with industry experts.

We asked Martin to share his best advice for young aspiring entrepreneurs. He said they should consider three things:

Importance of passion. When you're starting a company there are so many ups and downs and tons of challenges. If it's not something you're passionate about, you're going to be miserable.

Take on a big problem. I always encourage my younger peers to avoid anything that's too comfortable. If you're too comfortable, then you're not being challenged. Do something that's different and that will make difference.

It's not all about disruption. The notion of disruption is very in vogue these days. But from my experience, it's not always about disrupting an existing industry but partnering with it and then improving it.

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NOW WATCH: Michael Lewis reveals why some Germans are obsessed with 'human feces'

Lynne Doughtie, chairman and CEO of KPMG in the US, is one of the most powerful women in the world after becoming the group's first female boss in July 2015.

Tasked with overseeing more than 30,000 people, she is also a prominent player on the world stage for helping shape the global agenda at the World Economic Forum each year as well as getting more women into work.

One of the key ways in doing that is promoting the use of mentors and sponsors. 

In Davos, Switzerland this year, Doughtie sat down with Business Insider and told us the difference between a mentor and a sponsor and which one is better for helping you rise up in your career. 

Produced by Joe Daunt. Special thanks to Lianna Brinded and Graham Flanagan

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We spend most of our lives working and planning for retirement. When it's finally time to retire, finding the right place to live is key. WalletHub ranked the 50 states and Washington, DC. in order of best and worst places to retire. Analysts compared the states based on affordability, quality of life and health care. Within those three main categories, there were 31 additional metrics to rank the states

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We brag to impress. But there's a fine line between sounding impressive and sounding like a jerk. If you cross that line, you run the risk of making more enemies than friends. Here are some science-backed tips on how to brag the right way.

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The Economic Policy Institute calculated income inequality in the US by state, metropolitan area, and county. This map shows how much annual income a family needs to earn to be considered in the top 1% of their state.

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