With the release of Cars 2, we decided to take a look at the man behind the wheel of one of the biggest franchises in Disney history. Animator-writer-producer-director John Lasseter, the movie’s director and chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, is well-known as a pioneer in developing the art and science of computer-generated animation. If you’re seeking career inspiration, look no further than the incredible life (yes, he was also the executive producer of The Incredibles) of John Lasseter. Start with his on-screen advice below, and read on for other career lessons we’ve adapted based on his story:

Career Lesson #1: Create your own opportunities.
When Lasseter discovered that there are people who actually get paid to make cartoons, he didn’t leave his animation aspirations stuck in the pages of his personal journal, or even in those “What do you want to be when you grow up?” essays you have to write for school. In high school, Lasseter actually wrote to Disney Studios, saying he wanted to be an animator. And Disney wrote back! They encouraged him to get a great art education, learning the basics of figure drawing, design, and color.

Career Lesson #2: Don’t be afraid to explore new educational avenues.
It gets better. In his senior year of high school, Lasseter got another letter from Disney, this time saying they were starting a character animation program at California Institute of the Arts. It was a new, untested program – going to his mom’s alma mater, Pepperdine University, would have been a safer bet – but Lasseter took a chance, got himself a scholarship, and enrolled in the inaugural year of the program. He learned from the Disney greats and earned his B.F.A. in film in 1979.

Career Lesson #3: Forge your own path.
When Lasseter graduated and got a job with Disney, he discovered a sad truth – at that time, the animation studio was not being run by great artists and visionaries like the ones who taught the Cal Arts program, but by lesser artists and businesspeople. He could have just kept his head down and maintained the status quo – how many of us do that? – but instead, he became increasingly enamored with the possibilities of using computer graphics in animation. Unfortunately, Lasseter’s enthusiasm for this fairly new technology earned him a reputation as something of a loose cannon at Disney, and he got fired.

Career Lesson #4: Keep your dream alive.
Getting fired might sound like a death sentence, but we all know that wasn’t the end of the story for John Lasseter. His next gig – at Lucasfilm, which later became Pixar, which was later bought by Disney – wasn’t far behind. After he got fired, Lasseter went to a computer graphics conference, met up with some contacts he had made at Lucasfilm, and got himself a job that same day. Notice that he didn’t sit around waiting for an offer to come to him – he went out and made it happen! He believed in the possibilities of a new technology and found some other people who believed in it, too.

Career Lesson #5: Be true to yourself.
At 54 years old, Lasseter claims he is still a little boy, and making animated movies is a great way to let that little boy out. Obviously, this is a job where thinking like a grown-up is not always the best thing. But even if you don’t have aspirations in the cartoon world, your childhood interests can still serve as inspiration for your present-day career. Just look at how Lasseter, the son of a manager at a Chevrolet dealership, used his lifelong love of cars!

When John Lasseter gave a commencement address at Pepperdine University in 2009, he encouraged the graduating class never to let anyone kill their dreams. Coming from the man behind the Disney/Pixar magic, that’s good advice.

-Robyn Tellefsen

Every summer, my TV is constantly tuned into Wimbledon, where with every serve, volley, and amazing backhand, I am amazed by how important the medical staff is to the players battling to win the championship.

Some matches are paused as players seek help of trainers to diagnose problems and give them the medical help they need to make it through each game, set and match.

In defending champion Rafael Nadal’s match Monday, he called for a trainer, who taped his left foot and give him cream to help with the pain, and then he went on to beat Juan Martín del Potro to make it to the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Nadal got an MRI exam on his foot to determine the severity of the injury, a procedure that requires the expertise of a radiology technologist.

There’s not only the physical strain when playing tennis, but mental strain in often evident when playing solo or communicating with a partner. Even viewers can feel mentally and emotional exhausted after seeing favorites such as the Williams sisters and Andy Roddick lose or watching intense matches. Sports psychologists can be beneficial to players, whether they’re at the height of their career or not living up to expectations, or just needing to control their outbursts (remember Serena Williams’ profanity-filled tirade against a lineswoman at the 2009 U.S. Open?).

Other professionals, such as chiropractors, massage therapists and physiotherapists, also can make up a tennis players’ entourage or be used by players at tournaments. Of course, it’s not just for tennis but all other sports, where the medical profession is a key behind-the-scenes member of the team.

As you’re considering job choices, realize how choosing the health care industry is not only leading to jobs in hospitals and doctors offices but in active settings where immediate attention often is needed. For tennis players at Wimbledon, the medical assistance can be a factor in dominating opponents in this summertime Grand Slam event.

-Lori Johnston

Once upon a time, computers were cool. And then the dot-com bubble burst, and technology became a bad word. Now the industry is making a comeback, with Hollywood and celebrity entrepreneurs leading the way in their glamorous portrayal of the tech world. Check out some tech icons – real and fictional – who are making computer science cool again.

Mark Zuckerberg
As if being co-founder, CEO, and president of Facebook weren’t enough, entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg is now immortalized in film. (Yes, we’re talking about “The Social Network.”) The programming prodigy began writing software in middle school, well before his Harvard dorm room days. We’re guessing that the billionaire’s real-life story is not as sensational as the movie makes it seem – but we’re certainly paying attention to computer geeks now.

Chloe Sullivan
She wasn’t in the original Superman comics, but on the WB’s “Smallville,” which just finished its 10-year run, Chloe Sullivan (played by Allison Mack) won over even the most hard-core comic book geeks. Chloe was always something of a computer whiz, but once she launched Watchtower as the heroes’ base of operations, she truly became a force to be reckoned with. The erstwhile best-friend-in-the-shadows was transformed by her own techie talents and tenacity. So go ahead and let your geek flag fly.

Stevie Richards
Wrestling fans know him as Stevie Richards, but the former ECW, WCW, WWE, and TNA wrestler has been getting his real name – Michael Manna – out there as a tech guru. He founded the T4 Show (Tech Today Tech Tomorrow) to cover the world of technology in a way that’s fun and easy to understand. He became “chief technology evangelist” for PhoneFusion to help the company with phone upgrades and updates. And this past March, the pro wrestler scored some serious geek cred by being the first person to pitch a perfect game in Major League Baseball 2K11. Looks like computer geeks come in all shapes and sizes.

Chuck Bartowski
Chuck Bartowski (played by Zachary Levi) is just your average computer whiz – until he opens an encoded e-mail and all the government’s secret info (a neural supercomputer called the Intersect) is embedded into his brain. NBC’s action-comedy series “Chuck” hasn’t necessarily changed the image of the computer geek – the title character is the head of the Nerd Herd at an electronics retail chain, after all – but it does open up lots of inspiring tech career possibilities. Who wouldn’t want to use their IT know-how to become a smokin’ secret agent with a sexy theme song?

Dennis Crowley
Lest you think geeks are out of your league, consider the case of Dennis Crowley, co-founder and CEO of Foursquare, the super-successful location-based mobile platform. Back in his days at Syracuse University in the late ‘90s, the wunderkind couldn’t even get into a computer science course. He says he was bad at math, so he ended up teaching himself programming later on – out of a book. So even if you didn’t catch the computer science wave in college, it’s not too late to get started. For Crowley, all it took was a great idea and passion to persevere.

If you’re interested in a tech career, sign up for a few computer science courses to hone your skills. There’s a lot more to learn than just programming languages – you can take courses in computer graphics, artificial intelligence, and gaming, to name just a few. And with technology jobs growing at twice the rate of job growth overall, there’s never been a better time to get your geek on.

-Robyn Tellefsen

Sleaze in politics is nothing new. Anthony Weiner’s sexcapades are just the latest in a very long line of politicians’ indiscretions – think John Edwards, Eliot Spitzer, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, to name just a few of the more recent offenders. But there’s a lot to be learned from the scandals that dominate headlines. And yes, we can even apply the lessons learned to our careers.

Career lesson #1: Be careful when mixing business with pleasure.
For today’s savvy professionals, social media like Twitter and Facebook have become excellent platforms for self-promotion and career advancement. Still, you have to be careful about what you release into the black hole of cyberspace. Consider keeping separate accounts – one for your professional network, and one that’s just for friends. If that distinction is blurry, edit yourself. Anything you put in writing – even if it’s just a text – can find its way back to you. That goes quadruple for photos.

Career lesson #2: Learn the ins and outs of social media.
As Weiner learned, the stakes on Twitter are higher than on plain old e-mail. When you mistakenly send an e-mail to the wrong person, at least you’re messaging someone in your address book. But if you’re attempting to direct message someone on Twitter and you type “@” before the username instead of “D,” your message becomes visible to anyone with a Twitter account. Don’t become a victim of the DM fail. If you have private info to share, go with e-mail. Better yet, pick up the phone (but not at work!).

Career lesson #3: The higher you go, the farther you fall.
Sending lewd photos can get you fired no matter what your position. But the higher you go in your career, the more people pay attention to what you’re doing. Weiner is certainly not alone in his sexploits, but ordinary joes don’t make headlines for their wrongdoings. If you have your eye on a big promotion, keep your act clean. Don’t be deluded into thinking that a position of power makes you invincible – if anything, it makes you even more exposed (no pun intended).

Career lesson #4: Take responsibility for your actions.
It’s simple – if you mess up, ‘fess up. The truth has a way of coming to light, and your personal and professional prospects will look much, much better if you’re the one shining the light rather than getting caught in the glare. Weiner’s story would have had much less traction if he had told the truth right from the start, don’t you think? Adding lies to your indiscretions, whatever they are, will not endear you to your clients, your colleagues, or your boss.

Scandals have been around since the beginning of time, but social media has given us an all-access pass to every sordid detail and blurred the public-private distinction. If you want to succeed in your career, consider keeping your personal life to yourself… and put your camera away!

-Robyn Tellefsen

It sounds like an absurd proposition, doesn’t it? After all, conventional wisdom suggests that getting fired is one of the worst things that can happen in your career. But Jim Camp, negotiation coach and author of “No: The Only Negotiating System You Need for Work and Home,” says the opposite is true – getting fired can actually work to your advantage.

The secret is, well… don’t keep it a secret. Employers don’t want to hire someone who’s got something to hide. That’s not to say you should use the interview as an opportunity to air your dirty laundry, but you can maintain control of your own information and the process by which you reveal it.

Instead of trying to avoid the issue, says Camp, make sure you’re the one who puts it out there. Be assertive, and show that you’re not afraid of a challenge and that you can navigate your way through a potentially uncomfortable situation. “Be honest, direct, and authentic,” he advises.

To do this, you first have to deal with your own negative emotions. If you walk into an interview feeling incompetent, uncomfortable, or in any way “less than,” your interviewers will catch the vibe quick. All the confident buzzwords in the world will fall flat if your nonverbal communication reveals that you don’t believe them yourself. You’ve got to “be comfortable in your own skin,” says Camp.

There’s a scene in the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness” that I think illustrates the point perfectly. On the morning of his interview for a competitive internship at Dean Witter, Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith) is in jail for unpaid parking tickets. He makes it to the interview in time, but he’s still dressed in the undershirt and paint-splattered jeans he was wearing when he got arrested the night before. He has no chance to get cleaned up, but he manages to take control of the situation in his interview:

I’ve been sitting out there for the last half hour trying to come up with a story that would explain my being here dressed like this. And I wanted to come up with a story that would demonstrate qualities that I’m sure you all admire here, like earnestness or diligence or team-playing, something. And I couldn’t think of anything. So the truth is I was arrested for failure to pay parking tickets… and I ran all the way here from the police station.

With his can-do attitude and direct approach, Gardner helps the interviewers get past his ridiculous appearance, and he gets the job. What could have been a deal breaker became an opportunity to shine in spite of obstacles.

In your next job interview, the way you handle a prior termination (or any obstacle) will speak volumes about your ability to communicate effectively and to turn a negative into a positive – skills that every organization needs.

-Robyn Tellefsen

When it comes to choosing a college commencement speaker, some notables are a shoo-in: President Obama and the First Lady, of course. Former President Bill Clinton is a popular keynoter, too, as is Bill Cosby. But beyond the traditional lineup of politicians, actors, and even musicians, a newer trend is emerging – one of inviting innovators in the IT realm to dispense wisdom to newly minted college grads.

Check out College Commencement 2011’s tech guru picks for some all-around career and life inspiration.

The Goddess of Google
Google VP Marissa Mayer, the corporation’s first female engineer, delivered the keynote address at Harvey Mudd College this spring. Though she’s an alumna of a different prestigious California school (Stanford), I doubt there were any complaints about her being chosen to speak. Mayer illustrated the importance of being open to change by sharing stories of her own journey: though she originally intended to become a doctor, she took an intro computer science course at Stanford and ended up hooked on IT instead. I wonder how many grads wished they had heard her speech when they were freshmen.

A Bite out of the College Apple
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak graced the stage at Michigan State University this year, delivering an inspiring (if not cautionary) commencement speech. He talked about his own college experiences – yes, he went back to school to earn a degree even after he made it big! – and urged grads to do what they love, not just what will make them rich or famous. The Woz also warned that computers are doing more and more of our work for us, making human beings less and less relevant. Hmm… sounds like someone’s having second thoughts about his own creation.

Three Cheers for Foursquare
The success of one of the coolest new social networking platforms scored Dennis Crowley an invite to speak at the iSchool convocation ceremony at his alma mater, Syracuse University. And, get this: The Foursquare co-founder and CEO claims he couldn’t get into computer science courses when he was a student at Syracuse because he was so bad at math! He learned how to program out of a book in his spare time later on. If that’s not an encouraging word to those who are unsure if they fit the “typical” IT career mold, I don’t know what is. (Incidentally, Crowley had a stint at Google, too.)

Much Ado About Twitter
Biz Stone has always been an innovator, from starting a lacrosse team in high school to designing book covers after dropping out of college. In his commencement speech at Babson College, the Twitter co-founder and creative director shared four succinct (though longer than 140-character) stories that illustrate his view of business, happiness, and success. He also encouraged grads to develop a strong sense of empathy and to recognize value before profit. And yes, even as he was speaking, the crowd was tweeting about what a great speech it was.

More Face Time for Facebook
The women of Barnard College got a two-time tech star when they welcomed Sheryl Sandberg to speak at their graduation ceremony. Currently the chief operating officer of Facebook, Sandberg was once a Google VP. (Does it ever seem like all IT roads go through Google?) In her honest, inspiring address, Sandberg encouraged women to ask themselves, “What would I do if I weren’t afraid?” and then to go do it. Before women can close the achievement gap, she said, we must first close the ambition gap. And then we’ve got to “own our own success.” Sign me up for one of her motivational speeches any day.

I wonder… do you think the wave of tech speakers at commencement is signaling a new kind of celebrity?

-Robyn Tellefsen