Job hunting can be a frustrating odyssey of nos and non-responses, and applying for gigs can feel like screaming into a void. (Are you alive? Are they alive? Is anyone out there?)

To combat that, many job seekers with coding and design experience go to extreme — and extremely creative — lengths to stand out and demonstrate their skills.

It's a risk: Not every hiring manager is going to be on board with an unconventional approach. But as the creators of these masterpieces prove, a clever résumé can also yield big rewards.

From designing a personal Amazon page (complete with reviews) to making a candy bar wrapper to showcase job skills, here are some of the most creative résumés we've ever seen:

Vivian Giang, Melissa Stanger, and Rachel Sugar contributed to earlier versions of this article.

SEE ALSO: 12 hobbies that look great on your résumé, and one that doesn't

DON'T MISS: 11 ways to pad out your résumé without lying

Jessica Wen's sweet résumé started off as a class project and ended up landing her an internship

Wen, now a designer and strategist, designed the chocolate résumé packaging concept in 2012 when she was a graphic design major at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. 

Wen repackaged chocolate bars with her brief résumé printed on the inner side of packaging with the words "THANKS" or "EAT ME" cut out by hand as a leave-behind item for one of her college's career fairs.

"I was able to get a call-back and ended up landing a four-month internship position at a large architecture firm in DC," Wen tells Business Insider.

Charlotte Olsen's "Golden Ticket" offers an extra incentive to hire her

As a part of a self promotion task from her time as a graphic design major at Southampton Solent University in England in 2012, Olsen created a chocolate packaging résumé that included a "Golden Ticket" offering 10% off her design services.

"I thought I would try to stick out as a job seeker and make something fun and eye catching to show my personality and my own original style as a designer," Olsen says.

Her "100% RAW TALENT" design plays on traditional chocolate packaging with things like an ingredients section that lists her skills, a "best before" section that says "Before someone else snaps me up", and phrases along the packaging like "No artificial skills" and "Not factory made."

"So far that chocolate CV has been quite the success for my career," she tells Business Insider.

Erik Sena used SnapChat's 'on demand' geofilters to get noticed by employers

After seeing how geofilters were being used by fashion moguls to advertise locally, Sena tells Business Insider he was inspired to create geofilters in May with his personal brand on them to help him stand out in the oversaturated advertising job market.

"I had been interviewing and sending my résumés to companies for months since the beginning of the semester with no luck, so this was a last ditch effort to get my name out there," he says.

Sena says he used his experience as a copywriter and a designer to quickly whip up his design, and he paid $108 to SnapChat to have them run on-demand geofilters targeted at the ad-companies he wanted to work for.

SnapChat let's you assign an area where you want your geofilter to appear, and whenever someone uses SnapChat in that area, your design shows over messages in the app. Sena targeted BASIC and Red Door Interactive in Downtown San Diego and TBWA\Chiat\Day, Ignition, Deutsch and R/GA in Playa Vista, Los Angeles, with his geofilter. 

"Thankfully, two of the companies that I tried to reach out to actually took notice," Sena says. "Red Door tweeted a screenshot of my geofilter and actually invited me to the office for lunch." Sena says one of the associate creative directors at BASIC also liked a couple of his tweets and followed him on Twitter.

"Even though I didn't get a job offer or even an interview from any of the companies I targeted, the least I could have hoped for was to be noticed by them, and I was," Sena says.

Since then, he says he's included the move on his résumé and talks about it during interviews, "which definitely helped generate some conversations."

"In fact, one of the biggest talking points during my most recent interview was this situation, and I was lucky enough to land the job, so I'd say it helped tremendously," Sena says.

Every actor who succeeds in the tough world of entertainment had to start somewhere.

Business Insider spoke to several television stars to find out what their first paying showbiz gig was. 

While a few of them were lucky enough to land a huge job in the early days of their career, the majority of the stars we spoke to had pretty humble beginnings ranging from local plays to long-forgotten commercials and tiny roles.

Find out how your favorite TV stars earned their first Hollywood paycheck below:

SEE ALSO: The first paid jobs of 29 TV stars

DON'T MISS: Here's what the young breakout stars of Netflix's 'Stranger Things' look like in real life

Donald Glover, "Atlanta" (FX)

"I was an extra in some movie about a black basketball team that was shot in Atlanta, not 'Remember the Titans.' That was my first paycheck."

Ming Na Wen, "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (ABC)

"I did 'South Pacific.' I was Liat and it was with a major regional theater in Pittsburgh. I got my equity card from it."

Ben Feldman, "Superstore" (NBC)

"I did a Broadway show. They made ‘The Graduate’ into a play on Broadway, and it was like right after I graduated college. And I did that. It wasn’t about the check — it was having a consistent pay. I was in the show for like a year, and that was insane to me. And to all of my friends, who were like waiting tables, or bartending, or whatever."

Amanda Knox opened up about the events that led to her conviction and later acquittal in the murder of her roommate in Italy for a new documentary available on Netflix now.

Simply titled "Amanda Knox," the documentary features Knox carefully describing what she went through as first the police, then the media, and then the entire world debated whether she brutally stabbed her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, to death in their home on November 1, 2007.

Knox's story would've been enough for most, but the film also includes interviews with her codefendant and former lover, Raffaele Sollecito; the attorney for the man believed to have really been behind the deadly attack; and the man who led the Italian investigation.

Here are five things we learned from Netflix's "Amanda Knox":

SEE ALSO: 'Luke Cage' star Mike Colter says his Netflix show 'has no agenda,' but there is a nod to #BlackLivesMatter

DON'T MISS: We spent a day with Chelsea Handler on the set of her Netflix talk show — here's your behind-the-scenes look

The weird moment the investigator first believed Knox killed her roommate.

The murder weapon was still missing. While at Knox's boyfriend's apartment, the police asked Knox to go through his knives in case one of them matched the murder weapon.

Knox began to panic and slap herself around the ears. Italian prosecutor Giuliano Mignini witnessed this and believed that memories of the crime were returning to her. This is when he first suspected that she killed Kercher — even without the kind of evidence you need for proof.

The police told Amanda Knox that she had HIV, even though she didn't.

While it added to Knox's fragile state in prison, the police wanted to get a list of people she had sex with. They hoped it would lead them to more witnesses or suspects. At the time, the theory was that multiple people were involved in the murder.

The media comes out as the real villain.

Not only did media outlets track everyday events during the trial, but they also reported a lot of sensational and untrue stories surrounding the case. Probably the worst defense for that comes when Daily Mail reporter Nick Pisa admits in the documentary to not fact-checking his stories before they were published — all in the name of being first.

"It's not as if I can say, 'Right, hold on a minute. I just wanna double-check that myself in some other way.' I mean, goodness knows how," he said. "And then I let my rival get in there first before me, and then, hey, I've lost a scoop."

How much is Hollywood shelling out for its top TV talent? 

In this age of wall-to-wall TV programming, stars have become essential in bringing sizable audiences to shows.

Variety talked to actors, executives, agents, managers, attorneys, and others who are in the know about how much TV stars are making these days and found that the gap between the salaries of main stars and supporting ones has become larger.

Star salaries can range from $1 million an episode for the main players of CBS's "Big Bang Theory" to as small as $20,000 per episode for the actors who play the Lyon kids on Fox's "Empire."

Here's a look at the biggest salaries across comedy, drama, and reality/news/talk series*:

*Salaries are per episode, unless otherwise indicated. Some salaries may include producing fees and profit participation.

SEE ALSO: Here's how much money reality TV stars actually make on shows — it's not what you think

DON'T MISS: 29 actors reveal how they got their first Hollywood paycheck

$1,000,000 — Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)

$1,000,000 — Kaley Cuoco, "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)

$1,000,000 — Johnny Galecki, "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)

This presidential election may have the most lopsided batch of newspaper endorsements the US has ever seen.

While Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has garnered the support of a long list of editorial boards, her Republican rival Donald Trump hasn't received any. LibertariancandidateGaryJohnsonhassix.

A number of conservative-leaning papers have even cautioned voters against putting Trump in office, and said they too are "with her."

Trump did receive the endorsement of four major newspapers in the Republican primaries, but they have yet to double down on their support for the general election on November 8.

Clinton received over 80 newspaper endorsements during the Democratic primaries, and dozens of editorial boards have since reiterated their conviction that she should be the next president, not Trump, now that they know those are the two major-party options.

Some of the papers, including The Desert Sun and The Houston Chronicle, rarely endorse Democrats — but 2016 is no regular election cycle. 

There are bound to be more endorsements as Election Day nears, but here's what she has so far:

SEE ALSO: In unprecedented move, USA Today says don't vote for Trump — but it doesn't endorse Hillary Clinton either

DON'T MISS: Conservative Arizona newspaper tears into Trump, endorses first Democrat for president in 126 years

The New York Times: "Our endorsement is rooted in respect for her intellect, experience, toughness and courage over a career of almost continuous public service, often as the first or only woman in the arena."

Source: The New York Times

Los Angeles Times: "Perhaps her greatest strength is her pragmatism — her ability to build consensus and solve problems. As president, she would be flexible enough and experienced enough to cut across party lines and work productively with her political opponents."

Source: Los Angeles Times

The Baltimore Sun: "One candidate stands in the broad tradition of American leadership that has made this the greatest, most powerful and most prosperous nation in history. The other would have us trade that legacy for a cult of personality. The choice is clear."

Source: The Baltimore Sun

Today, only a few actors make $1 million per half-hour episode of television. And they all happen to be starring on CBS's "The Big Bang Theory."

The only other time that was accomplished was in 2002 when the cast of "Friends" successfully negotiated their historic $1 million-per-episode pay deals.

How did they pull that off? The simple answer is that all six cast members negotiated together. That meant that each one would be paid the same or they would all leave the hit show. 

But there's so much more to the story, like how did they come up with collective bargaining? And how did others involved in "Friends" feel about it? Plus, how much would their $1 million be worth today?

Here's everything you need to know about the "Friends" stars' historic $1 million-per-episode salary negotiation:

SEE ALSO: Here are the biggest salaries of TV's top stars

DON'T MISS: Here's how much money reality TV stars actually make on shows — it's not what you think

All the circumstances were just right.

When the cast won their $1 million/episode salaries (or $22 million per season), the show had just recovered from seasons of declining ratings and was enjoying its highest-rated season in five years. But the stars really wanted to do other things, which meant the show was close to ending. It would end up running just two more seasons, but no one at the time knew exactly. And if NBC felt it could get at least one more year of "Friends," it would take that. The network needed all the time it could get. None of the shows NBC produced in eight years showed the ability to replace "Friends."

That year, "Friends" was averaging 24.7 million viewers a week — about two million viewers more than any other show in television. It also rated highly with young viewers, the kind advertisers always want.

To make the timing even more critical, salary negotiations were still open as the show had just four scripts left in the season. The writers had to know if they needed to write a proper series ending.

It was also getting terribly close to network upfronts, which are annual presentations of the season's upcoming schedule to potential advertisers. If NBC didn't have "Friends" on its schedule, it would've been disastrous for advertising sales.

The odds were stacked against NBC and looking really good for the show's stars.

David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston took a loss so they could band with their costars.

According to accounts of the events, the "Friends" cast didn't just decide to band together for a million dollars in 2002. They had been negotiating their salaries together since the show's third season. But that required two of the stars to take initial pay cuts.

As the central couple of the show, David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston made more money than the others. After the hit first season, Schwimmer was being courted with movie offers and his agents felt it was time to renegotiate his "Friends" contract. But he had enough forethought to convince his costars to act as a mini-union and insist on being paid equally.

That may have cost Schwimmer and Aniston initially, but who knew how long they'd stay the most popular actors on the show. By negotiating as a group, they not only gained leverage, but some job security. The show could easily drop one actor, but how could they write around the loss of all of them?

According to various sources, here's how much the cast made each season per episode:

Season one: $22,500

Season two: $22,500 to $40,000

Season three (when they began collective bargaining): $75,000

Season four: $85,000

Season five: $100,000

Season six: $125,000

Seasons seven, eight: $750,000

Seasons nine, ten: $1,000,000

"A million dollars an episode is kinda ridiculous."—"Friends" cocreator

Not everyone believed that the "Friends" cast deserved their $1 million-per-episode haul.

Last year, "Friends" cocreator Marta Kauffman called the salary "inflated."

"A million dollars an episode is kinda ridiculous," Kaufmann said. "Let's be honest, that's a lot of money."

Star Matt LeBlanc was also asked that year if he believed that the cast was worth the hefty salary. He believed that "worth" had no real bearing on the topic.

"I’ve been asked this question before, but phrased as, do I think we were worth it? Were we worth $1 million? To me, that’s such a strange question," LeBlanc told The Huffington Post.

"It’s like, well, that’s irrelevant. Are you worth it? How do you put a price on how funny something is? We were in a position to get it. If you’re in a position in any job, no matter what the job is — if you’re driving a milk truck or installing TVs or an upholsterer for a couch — if you’re in a position to get a raise and you don’t get it, you’re stupid. You know what I mean? We were in a position and we were able to pull it off. 'Worth it' has nothing to do with it."

Sometimes you have to wait until you've got some experience under your belt before you see a substantial payoff.

PayScale recently looked at salary data from this year's College Salary Report and analyzed the difference between starting (less than five years of experience) and mid-career (10 or more years of experience) pay by college major.

While salary-growth potential shouldn't necessarily encourage students to pursue a particular major, it's an important consideration to make when thinking about the future.

Here are the 18 college majors with the greatest increases in wage between early- and mid-career.

SEE ALSO: 20 college majors where the pay goes nowhere

DON'T MISS: The 20 highest-paying jobs for women

18. Meteorology

A common job: Meteorologist

Starting median pay: $43,600

Mid-career median pay: $82,700

Increase in pay: $39,100 / 90%

17. Marketing and management

Common jobs: Marketing manager, marketing coordinator, marketing director

Starting median pay: $44,700

Mid-career median pay: $84,800

Increase in pay: $40,100 / 90%

16. Agribusiness

Common jobs: Staff accountant, credit analyst, executive director

Starting median pay: $43,200

Mid-career median pay: $83,100

Increase in pay: $39,900 / 92%

Private colleges tend to be more expensive than their public counterparts.

However, at the following schools, the payoff is worth the extra cost.

PayScale, the creator of the world's largest compensation database, recently looked at the starting and mid-career pay for over a million college grads — including professionals who graduated with a bachelor's from 963 colleges and universities.

For its College Salary Report, which was compiled using data from employees who successfully completed PayScale's employee survey, PayScale sorted the results by college major, degree, college, and type of school.

Students with a bachelor's degree from these private colleges go on to earn the highest salaries 10-plus years into their career:

SEE ALSO: 25 college majors with the highest starting salaries

18. Wabash College

Early career median pay: $59,000

Mid-career median pay: $121,000

Alumni who believe their work makes the world a better place: 55%

Undergraduate enrollment: 926

16. (tie) Williams College

Early career median pay: $54,900

Mid-career median pay: $122,000

Alumni who believe their work makes the world a better place: 56%

Undergraduate enrollment: 2,072

16. (tie) Santa Clara University

Early career median pay: $62,500

Mid-career median pay: $122,000

Alumni who believe their work makes the world a better place: 49%

Undergraduate enrollment: 5,486

The INSIDER summary:

• Netflix has a huge selection of comedies. Here are 37 great ones to watch.

Comedy is quite possibly the most difficult genre of film to produce. Drama, horror, romance — these genres all achieve their intended response with relative ease compared to comedy. In order to make someone laugh, a lot of things have to go right. The audience's familiarity with the subject, the unusual thing that enters the picture, and the timing of that unexpected twist all have to click in order to achieve the guffaw that the movie is aiming for. That's why there are a lot of comedies out there, but not very many good comedies — comedy is hard. Thankfully though, you can watch some of the funniest movies around on Netflix.

Netflix's library is massive, and although their collection of comedies features a ton of movies you probably haven't heard of (a lot of which aren't very funny), several of them are laugh riots; and a few even rank among the greatest comedies ever made. You'll find big comedic stars like Will Ferrell, Bill Murray, and Kristen Wiig; along with works produced by some of the most hilarious filmmakers like Albert Brooks, Amy Heckerling, and Wes Anderson. So take a look at the 37 funniest movies you can watch on Netflix right now, and just try and hold in your laughter.

SEE ALSO: Here are the must-see movies most likely to win Oscars in 2017

1. Zootopia

Netflix's big Disney deal is starting to bear fruit with this, the funniest Disney animated feature in years.

2. Dazed And Confused

Before he was winning Oscars as a dramatic actor, Matthew McConaughey was making fans laugh at his townie loser.

3. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

A classic from '80s comedy great John Hughes.

From glamorous cocktail bars to dimly-lit basement dens, The World's 50 Best Bars awarded annually, commend the best of the best in the world of high-end alcohol.

The Awards are produced by Drinks International and voted on by 476 bar industry experts around the world.

While New York Irish cocktail bar The Dead Rabbit may have taken the top spot on this year's list, more London bars appeared in the top 50 than any other city with nine winners and Europe was the dominant continent with 22 of the top 50 bars. 

Choose wisely the next time you go for drinks in England's capital and head to one of the nine London bars below that are among the top 50 in the world. 

48. Callooh Callay – Coming in towards the bottom of the list, this eccentric Shoreditch cocktail bar, known for the second bar it has hidden behind a wardrobe, earned a spot in the top 50.

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32. Oriole – This isn't your typical tiki bar. With 39 exotic cocktails and excellent bar food, go tropical in high-class fashion with a visit to Oriole, number 32 on the list.

30. Bar Termini – This tiny, dimly-lit bar may only fit 30 customers at a push, but it's certainly worth a visit, whether it's for a morning coffee, an evening Negroni, or a delicious plate of burrata.

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From October 7, 2001, until December 28, 2014, US and NATO forces carried out combat operations in Afghanistan.

While those operations were meant to end and the US had begun withdrawing troops from the country by the end of 2014, the Taliban continued success on the battlefield, coupled with the ineffective performance Afghan security forces, led the US to continue its deployment in the country, which has seen decades of wars fought by numerous combatants.

Overall, the US has a force of nearly 10,000 Afghanistan, though President Barack Obama intended to reduce that force to 5,500 in 2017, the continued Taliban threat has caused a change of plans, with some 8,400 troops slated to remain in Afghanistan at the end of next year.

Most NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan at the end of 2014.

By the end of that year, foreign-military losses amounted to 3,500 killed and 33,000 wounded. Those loses included 2,400 dead and 20,000 wounded for the US; 453 and 7,500 for Great Britain; 159 and 1,859 for Canada; and 89 and 725 for France, though those numbers do not include private-security contractors.

Since 2001, the US has spent about $110 billion on Afghanistan's reconstruction, more than the cost of the Marshall Plan that reconstruct Europe after World War II. Washington has allocated more than $60 billion since 2002 to train and equip Afghan troops.

The US money spent in Afghanistan has yielded limited results, however.

Security in the country remains precarious and the Taliban is believed to control more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since 2001. A record 5,100 civilian casualties, including 1,600 deaths, were recorded in the first half of 2016, according to the UN.

Below, you can see a selection of photos documenting the last 15 years the US's war in Afghanistan.

SEE ALSO: Watch a US-led coalition airstrike wipe out an ISIS bomb factory in Iraq

Osama bin Laden is seen at an undisclosed location in this television image broadcast Sunday, October 7, 2001. Bin Laden praised God for the September 11 terrorist attacks and swore America "will never dream of security" until "the infidel's armies leave the land of Muhammad," in a videotaped statement aired after the strike launched Sunday by the US and Britain in Afghanistan.

The US and Britain on October 7, 2001, launched a first wave of air strikes against Afghanistan and then US President George W. Bush said the action heralded a "sustained, comprehensive and relentless" campaign against terrorism.

Eyewitnesses said they saw flashes and heard explosions over the Afghan capital of Kabul in the first phase of what the US has said will be a protracted and wide-ranging war against terrorism and the states that support it. The attack had been prepared since the September 11 suicide attacks on the US. 

Mohammed Anwar, left, and an unidentified boy in Kabul, Afghanistan, display pieces of shrapnel from bombs dropped Monday morning, October 8, 2001.

The US and Britain hit Afghanistan and key installations of the Taliban regime with cruise missiles Sunday night for harboring suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden. Many residents of Afghanistan seem unfazed by the bombing after living in war like conditions for more than 20 years.

Even if you're on a budget, you can still stock your kitchen with devices you love.

From foldable colanders to tiny mitts, there are all sorts of affordable products that can spice up any kitchen or dining room.

Check out these must-have kitchen tools for under $25.

SEE ALSO: 12 cooking tools everyone should have in their kitchen by age 30

A strainer that fully submerges and cleans produce.

YouTube/R Awker

Caveman Factory's Anton Strainer Bowl submerges fruits and veggies so you can clean them fully before you eat. Compared to a normal strainer, it also wastes less water while rinsing off dirt.

Buy it here: $23.95

A spiralizer that slices pretty vegetables.

The Paderno Tri-Blade Slicer is an easy way to make veggie dishes more fancy and exciting.

Buy it here: $20

A measuring cup that doubles as a digital scale.

This tool by Taylor Precision Products is both a digital scale and measuring cup, so you'll always get the right amount of ingredients for your recipes.

Buy it: $20.72

Despite bearing the moniker of another country, most Americans would argue that French fries are one of the United States’ most iconic — and popular — dishes. 

However, we’re just another country that has put its own spin on a classic Belgian plate. That’s right: Our beloved fries were most likely first invented in Belgium, where they’re called “frites,” in the 1600s.

Many countries in every corner of the globe — from Canada to Japan — have their own way of eating this beloved dish.

Read on to learn more about how fries are served around the world; you may find your new favorite way to eat them.

1. Poutine

Originally invented in Quebec, poutine may just be one of Canada’s most signature dishes—and, of course, it features fries front and center. In this dish, French fries are first cooked to medium-thick perfection—ideally, the fries should be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. From there, they’re plated and topped with cheese curds and gravy. It may be a bit of an acquired taste, but poutine-lovers swear by this regional fry delicacy. 

2. Gyros

Pita gyros are pretty much the go-to in Greece—but it’s not all about the meat, falafel, and veggies. Many shops in Greece offer an option to add fries, with additional condiments available on the side.

3. Slap Chips

While other countries may serve their fries alongside other foods, South Africa stays a purist with its slap chips, where the recipe is all about the preparation and cooking method. This secret to this dish is soaking the cut raw potatoes in vinegar before frying up the batch—twice. These fries, which should be notably crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, are available at fast food restaurants across the country.

Millions of Americans switch jobs every year, and that can be a good thing for those who move up the ranks to positions of better pay and more responsibility. But there’s a potential downside to mobility: the forgotten 401(k).

The more frequently workers hop around, the greater the chance they will leave behind 401(k) accounts that might be neglected or even lost over time. From 2005 through 2014, more than 25 million employees have kept at least one retirement account with a previous employer, and millions of workers have left two or more, according to Social Security Administration.

It’s easy to lose track of 401(k) accounts if you don’t take them with you. As the years go by, companies might be restructured, sold, or go out of business. As a result, their 401(k) plans might get folded or merged. At the same time, employees might change their contact information and fail to update a past employer.

“I’ve seen it happen,” said Mike Piper, a CPA and the author of the blog Oblivious Investor. “People change jobs, they never rollover [their retirement accounts] and they don’t know where their money is.”

SEE ALSO: 7 ways your credit score can affect your life

Leaving money behind can make sense, but out of sight shouldn’t be out of mind

It might make sense for you to keep your 401(k) with a past employer if you’re happy with your investment options and are comfortable with the fees associated with your plan.

If you choose to leave your retirement account behind, it’s important to monitor your investments and be sure they match your goals and risk tolerance as these are considerations that might change over time.

And make sure your plan has your current contact information and that you stay on top of your past employer’s status, writes Jeanne Medeiros, director of the Pension Action Center at the University of Massachusetts Boston. You’ll want to know if they have merged with a new company, or are facing financial difficulties.

If you aren’t up to the task of keeping up with the former account, it’s important to note that you do have other options, including rolling over your 401(k) to your 401(k) account with your new employer or to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

Sometimes employers will call the shots for you

Keep in mind, if you don’t stay active in monitoring your retirement accounts, a past employer might make decisions on your behalf.

If you have less than $5,000 in a previous employer’s retirement savings plan, and you don’t indicate what you want done with the money, a plan can rollover your money into an IRA, a move that may or may not make sense for you. And if you have less than $1,000 in your account, a plan can simply write you a check. This could trigger taxes and penalties.

The bottom line: “It’s your money,” Piper said. “It’s up to you to make sure you know where it is and that it’s invested appropriately.”

Have you lost track of a 401(K)? Here are some tips for tracking it down

If you lose track of your 401(k), you might need to do some hunting to find it.

A good place to start is with your former employer. Contact the human resources or accounting department and be ready to provide your Social Security number and your period of employment.

Most employers are required to file an annual report on their 401(k) plans—ERISA Form 5500—with the Department of Labor. Using the name of your past employer, you can do a free search for those filings on efsast.dol.gov, a search engine run by the Department of Labor.

A plan’s Form 5500 will provide the identity of the plan’s service providers, said Richard McHugh, vice president, Washington affairs for the Plan Sponsor Council of America, which represents employers who sponsor 401(k) plans.

In some cases a 401(k) plan might be abandoned or “orphaned.” This might happen because the plan sponsor has filed for bankruptcy, or a company’s owner has died or been jailed.

The Department of Labor runs an Abandoned Plan database. This site helps plan participants learn if a plan is in the process of being shuttered or has already been terminated. You can search the site for the name and contact information for a “Qualified Termination Administrator,” a custodian, such as a bank or insurance company, which might have been assigned to terminate the plan. You can then contact this party and seek help in finding your lost retirement account

With a few exceptions, every actor in Hollywood wants a piece of the superhero genre. Marvel and DC have redefined the movie landscape with their cinematic universes, and anybody with a resume is crawling out of the woodwork to audition for the next big part. With their long, rich histories, it can be hard to cast the right person as a comic book icon. Each unique character is has a specific level of nuance, and while an actor may look the part, that doesn’t always mean they have what it takes to capture the essence of the role.

We’ve already compiled our list for the best superhero casting decisions, rewarding such memorable performances as Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Chris Evans’ Captain America with well-deserved praise. Now, it’s time to turn our attention to the not so happy choices — the performances we’d rather forget than have to ever watch again. We’re not saying these actors are the only bad thing about their films, but they certainly didn’t bring a positive light to an already bad production.

So as a reminder that even celebrities make mistakes, we present the 20 Worst Superhero Movie Castings Of All Time.

We apologize in advance.

SEE ALSO: Here are the must-see movies most likely to win the Oscars in 2017

20. Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor

Before you decide to sacrifice us to the gods of the DCEU for including Zack Snyder’s take on Lex Luthor on our list, let us make ourselves clear. We aren’t hopping on the “Batman v Superman” is the worst comic book movie of all time” bandwagon. While we understand that the movie has its fans (deservedly so), we also know that it wasn’t without its flaws, and those flaws are the most obvious when Jesse Eisenberg arrives on the scene.

Snyder’s vision for the business magnate and power hungry billionaire comes off as a deranged Mark Zuckerberg minus the quick, whimsical quips that came with Eisenberg’s performance in “The Social Network.” What’s more is that Eisenberg failed to have a commanding presence on screen, feeling too much like a spazzed out tech genius with serious inadequacy issues than anyone who could exhibit the confidence it takes to rule over Metropolis. It didn’t help that the character dipped into unintentionally hilarious territory with a strangely homoerotic scene involving a Jolly Rancher. Overall, the character plays more like a potential antagonist for the next season of “Silicon Valley” than anyone who should have been going up against the likes of Superman.

19. January Jones as Emma Frost

A seductress with extraordinary psionic abilities, Emma Frost has become known among comic fans as a character with flexible morals. Born into an abusive household, she was put into a mental institution by her father following the discovery of her telepathic powers. After that, she served as Sebastian Shaw’s apprentice as part of the Hellfire Club until joining the X-Men, where she became a teacher for the gifted young mutants and started an affair with Cyclops.

As a morally grey character willing to do whatever’s necessary to keep the mutant race safe, Frost is constantly plagued with doubt over her actions. While the eye test would suggest January Jones was destined for the role in Matthew Vaughn’s “X-Men: First Class,” the decidedly wooden results proved she was incapable of transferring the White Queen’s assertive nature to the big screen. As a member of Shaw’s Hellfire Club, Jones comes off as uninterested and devoid of any signs of internal conflict. While the actress’ role as Betty Draper in “Mad Men” proved she was more than capable of turning in a villainous performance, her take on Frost showed she just wasn’t the right choice for the part.

18. Nicolas Cage as Ghost Rider

Given Nicolas Cage’s list of crazy performances and his diehard devotion to comic books, we’re not blaming him for wanting to play the stuntman turned flaming spirit of vengeance in the “Ghost Rider” movies. Instead, we’ll chalk this miscasting up to the production team that decided it was a good idea to cast a middle-aged actor as the young, usual blonde Johnny Blaze.

While Cage is far from the worst performance on our list, he definitely goes overboard with his delivery, often crossing the line with his trademark intensity and loud expressions. Cage was ultimately committed to the role, but it wasn’t anything we haven’t seen from the actor before. A strange concoction between Elvis Presley and Evil Knievel, the role was nothing more than a fun cosplay experiment that, while entertaining, was short of gratifying for fans of the motorcycle-driving Marvel hero. Maybe viewers will finally get the adaptation they deserve as the Robbie Reyes version of the character takes center stage in season four of “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Volvo's XC90 is not your average car. 

The company's latest luxury SUV is beautifully designed and chock full of innovative details, including tons of high-tech safety features and a number of handy convenience functions. 

Earlier this year, I had the chance to try out the 2016 XC90 T8, which is Volvo's plug-in hybrid version of this car, for a few days. 

Here are the 14 features that impressed me the most.

SEE ALSO: The most expensive Volvo of all time is here

1. Instead of a push button for you to start/stop the engine, you start the car by simply keeping your foot on the brake and turning the engine knob to "start."

The first thing you will notice once you start the car is how incredibly quiet it is because of the electric motor. 

2. To park, you simply hit the "P" button in the center console.

3. Apple CarPlay is easy to set up in the car and makes accessing all of your iPhone's data while driving incredibly easy.

Volvo's 9-inch touchscreen display basically turns into a giant iPhone when using CarPlay. There's even a "Home" button that takes you back to your start screen where all of your controls are. 

The INSIDER Summary:

• The "Moonlit Graveyard Ghost Stroll" in Mystic, Connecticut, is guided by a medium.
• It reveals fascinating details about religion, race, and gender in America's infancy.
• Ironically, learning about history in a graveyard makes it come alive.
• No, I didn't see any ghosts.

Local museums are a great way to learn about the history of any destination, and haunted houses provide spooky thrills, but moonlit graveyards are truly the best of both worlds.

Even if you don't believe in ghosts, delving into American history through people that lived it is the most authentic way to get to know a place.

It might sound bizarre, but my Moonlit Graveyard Ghost Stroll in Mystic, Connecticut, with Seaside Shadows was the highlight of my trip. Here's why.

Mystic, Connecticut is a quaint little town about three hours outside of New York City.

My friend Rivka and I booked a “Moonlit Graveyard Ghost Stroll” through a tour group called Seaside Shadows.

For $20 a person the hour-and-a-half-long tour promises a lesson on photographing ghosts and the graveyard’s “real active spirits,” as well as local legends and folklore.

We were lucky to get the founder of Seaside Shadows, Courtney McInvale Reardon, as our guide.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

As a kid who grew up with futuristic video games, reruns of "The Jetsons" on TV Land, and an overactive imagination, I'm more than ready for the "house of the future."

But with so many smart-home products on the market, it's hard to separate the good ones from those that aren't quite ready for primetime.

I've used all the products on this list, except for the last one, and all of them have made my apartment smarter, and my life easier.

SEE ALSO: 20 must-have tech accessories under $20

DON'T MISS: 9 tech gadgets that’ll make your everyday life easier

Amazon Echo

Every smart home needs a hub. Whether you opt to use Apple's HomeKit and Siri, Samsung's SmartThings and an app, or the Amazon's Echo and Alexa.

After going back and forth for almost a year about whether I was comfortable having an "always listening" device in my apartment, I decided to take the plunge. It's been great. In addition to being able to ask the Echo a whole bunch of questions about the news or weather, it gives you the ability to interact with smart-home products using only your voice. It's amazing.

Voice operation removes a layer of friction between me and my smart-home devices that I didn't know would be there. It's so much more natural and fluid than fumbling through an app. All of the devices on this list are Echo-compatible, and honestly, I wouldn't buy a smart-home product if it wasn't.

Amazon Echo, $179.99, available at Amazon

Philips Hue bulbs

My first post-Echo purchase was Hue bulbs. At first, they seem absolutely unnecessary, and while they're a definite luxury, they're extremely useful. My apartment only has one source of light — a ceiling lamp. It got annoying to get up and cross the room to flip the light switch before going to sleep each night. Instead, I say, "Alexa, turn off my bedroom lights," and boom, they're off.

I can also set the bulbs to rotate between different colors, which is nothing more than a fun party trick, but hey, it's nice to have fun once in a while! These bulbs were the smart-home device I was looking forward to trying the most, and they haven't disappointed.

Philips Hue Starter Kit, $179.99, available at Amazon

A Philips Hue Lightstrip

In the same family as the Hue Bulbs, the Hue Lightstrip is a very thin, but very bright light strip. Once you have one set of Hue devices set up, it's dangerously simple to add more. This light strip lives in my kitchen, underneath a set of cabinets. Having these on all night (and able to be turned off with a single voice cue) has saved me a bunch of stubbed toes during nighttime trips to my bathroom.

Like Hue's bulbs, the power strip can be dimmed, which is great because I need these to be a room-filling nightlight, not a beacon.

Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus,$89.99, available at Amazon

When Hurricane Matthew pounded Florida's eastern coast on Friday, it roughed up a few important NASA and SpaceX buildings.

NASA on Monday closed Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to survey the storm's damage.

"Since safety is our utmost concern, teams of inspectors are going from building-to-building," NASA employee Steven Siceloff wrote in a blog post on October 8.

The storm also battered some of the facilities SpaceX uses in Cape Canaveral.

An industry source who works in area (but did not wish to be named due security concerns) told Business Insider that the Solid Motor Assembly Building (SMAB), which SpaceX now uses for launch preparations, had about "50%" of its metal sheeting torn off and "holes the size of a school bus."

When asked about the storm's damage and impact to its already delayed launch schedule, a SpaceX representative told Business Insider in an email: "Hurricane Matthew caused some damage to the exterior of SpaceX's payload processing facility at Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The company has a ready and fully capable back-up for processing payloads at its SLC-40 hangar annex building."

SpaceX also said launchpad 39A — which the company plans to use for future missions to the space station and perhaps Mars— suffered "no damage."

NASA also released the following photos taken during aerial and on-the-ground damage surveys. Luckily, most of the infrastructure there seems to be intact.

SEE ALSO: Here's Elon Musk's complete, sweeping vision on colonizing Mars to save humanity

DON'T MISS: SpaceX and its biggest competitors are waging a space battle on Capitol Hill

The photos show a gaping hole in the roof of a KSC facility.

NASA's famed "astronaut beach house" also took a beating from Hurricane Matthew.

Hurricane Matthew mostly tore off the roof of this Cape Canaveral-based NASA building.

In November of 2012, Clelia Mattana handed in her letter of resignation.

She had an established career as a sourcing coordinator at luxury fashion brand Burberry, a good salary, and her own apartment in London. But something was missing.

"I was unhappy because I wasn't following my true nature. All I could think of was visiting remote places, traveling to my favorite destinations, and exploring my passion for photography and writing," Mattana told Business Insider in an email.

The decision was made when she was on holiday in her native Sardinia in August of 2012. "After years of doubts and fears I decided that in six months I would quit my job and start traveling indefinitely," she said.

Less than half a year later, she had saved over $16,000 (~ £11,200) and set out for her first destination: Southeast Asia. Four years later, Mattana is still on the road, documenting her adventures on her blog, Keep Calm and Travel, and her Instagram.

Mattana spoke to Business Insider about what her nontraditional life looks like, the reality of working on the road, and how she affords it.

SEE ALSO: 18 countries where you don't have to leave a tip

"When I imagined how my life would have looked in 10 years, working in a field that didn't represent me at all, something broke inside me and I knew that I had to do something radical to change my situation," Mattana said.

"So I decided to take the riskiest decision of my life, quitting a secure, prestigious job for the big unknown."

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 Myanmar.

"I had never been to Asia before and being born in a beautiful Italian island, Sardinia, I thought that starting with Thailand, with its totally different culture, cheap prices, and wonderful beaches, was the obvious choice for me."

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In Thailand.