James Garners Words of Wisdom for Your Career

James Garners Words of Wisdom for Your Career What gal doesnt love The Notebook, the movie inspired by Nicholas Sparks romantic novel? I just happened to be watching it this past weekend when I saw the news that Dukeactor James Garnerpassed away at age 86. Garner, as writer for The New York Times, Bruce Webber, pens, was a genuine star but as an actor something of a paradox a lantern-jawed, brawny athlete whose physical appeal was both enhanced and undercut by a disarming wit.The award-winning actor was most noted for his roles in Maverick, The Rockford Files, and a slew of films. He also received a Purple Heart for his tafelgeschirr in the Korean War.So, to honor the legendary film star, I thought itd be a great idea to apply some of Garners on-and-off-air wisdom to our many career pursuits. Below are five different scenarios many people encounter in the many stages of their careersand how Garner s wisdom over the years applies to each one1. The moment when you decide to forgo the traditional route, take a leap of faith and walk in the direction of your dreamseven though they go down an unconventional path.James Garners word of wisdom I didnt want somebody in an office guiding my career. If I had a failure, I wanted it to be my failure. If I had a success, I wanted it to be my success.2. You scramble through a 30-minute pre-employment test that is full of mathematical equations you havent seen since high school. The questions are timed, of course, and it seems like question after question slips by before you have enough time to solve the problemyet, you still receive a callback for an interview.James Garners words of wisdom Science only goes so far and then comes God. (Duke, The Notebook)3. Youve negotiated a higher starting salary, but theres one last thingyour schedule. You ask your soon-to-be manager about telecommuting options, to which he or she responds that there are none.James Garners words of wisdom Well, you cant have everything. (Duke, The Notebook)4. Youve been at a new job for a few months now, but you still lack confidence. The workload is more than you anticipated and you question whether you can keep up. Are you talented enough? Is this really the right field for you? Will you ever reach your long-term career goals? If only your work/skills/abilities were like so-and-sos, then you would be confident.James Garners words of wisdom When I started working, I didnt have a clue what I was doing, in that I was just wandering around, hoping that I could succeed. Then after I got a little under my belt, it took me about 25 years to feel like I knew what I was doing.5. Your aha moment when, after youve worked and worked and accomplished your goals, yet you look back at it all and realize what true success in life means.James Garners words of wisdom I am no one special. Just a common man with common thoughts. Ive led a common life. There are no mo numents dedicated to me and my anthroponym will soon be forgotten, but in one respect Ive succeeded as gloriously as anyone who ever lived. Ive loved another with all my heart and soul and for me that has always been enough. (Duke, The Notebook)

Sick of your job These companies will pay you to quit

Sick of your job These companies will pay you to quitSick of your job These companies will pay you to quitThose of us who dread work fantasize about getting up from our desk and walking out the door for good. But this dream is held by financial realities. We need that paycheck. If money is what is holding you back, however, more companies are offering an exit package that will make it possible for you to leave with cash in hand.Online retailer Zappos is known for being a pioneer of this pay-to-quit trend. At Zappos, new hires are given what is known as The Offer, and is officially called the Graceful Leave Policy, CNN reports. If new hires are realizing that they are not a good fit for Zappos notorious cult of commitment, they can opt out and are given a months salary to leave within three months of starting their job. Amazon, which bought Zappos in 2009, offers a similar program, making it an annual offer. If you are unhappy at Amazon, you can get offered up to $5,000 to leave once a year.Why paying to quit is a good culture moveIn workplaces with miserable employees, you can imagine this offer looking like an annual purge of empty desks and liberated workers, but Amazon said only three employees have taken the offer so far this year. For those of us unused to this kind of offer, the quit incentive may sound counterintuitive.Isnt the goal of recruiting to get good workers to stay?But the pay-to-quit offer demonstrates that unterstellung companies are prioritizing commitment to the job over mindless output. They want employees who actually enjoy working there and are willing to pay money to ensure that only the most committed employees stay. By making an easy exit a company policy, it gives employees the agency to leave on their own terms and it gives managers the peace of mind to know that underperforming or unhappy employees can part ways without friction.This is a philosophy that others preach with the other kind of exit-firing. Sebastian Thrun, the co-found er of Google X and President of Udacity, is so dedicated to giving his employees autonomy over their work that he calls his exit policy Project Freedom the liberation of individuals from the burden of having to work under me. Instead of firing employees working for him that are not working out, he liberates them by giving them a new task to find a new job. Their sole task at work becomes to find a new job where they will be a better fit.Jobs do not work out for a multitude of reasons, some more to do with cultural fit, some more to do with managerial mismatches. But ultimately it does not matter why the job is not working out, what matters is ensuring that it easier for the employee to take the next step to get to where they need to be.