I know 24 is a young age to retire but you heard it here first I’ve #retired

Retiring at 24 seems hasty to me. Bynes, whose roles include Nickelodeon’s “All That” and the feature film “What a Girl Wants,” might stick to her word and stay out of the film industry for the rest of her life. After all, at her age and with her (presumed) wealth, she has the chance to pursue many other opportunities. Still, if you’re in your 30s, think about the decisions you made in your 20s. Chances are they weren’t always wise decisions. After all, Bynes did announce her retirement under the Twitter handle Chicky, which sounds like a name she might rethink when she’s older.

Time will tell if Bynes can resist the lure of the industry forever.

If she decides to backtrack on her plans, she’ll be in good company

*Update* She’s back!

Many celebrities have announced their retirement only to revive their careers shortly after. You can’t blame someone for realizing that life isn’t as exciting when they’re not doing the thing they love the most. However, celebrity retirements and unretirements are interesting to compare to the professional exits of your regular, everyday worker. Many people worry that they won’t have enough money to retire. Others push off retirement for several reasons. Perhaps they don’t want to spend their days on hobbies and want to stay in the field, so they switch to part-time or contractor status. Many employers ask their would-be retirees to stay on at the company until the new batch of workers has the knowledge and skill to replace them. And many retirees who like their quiet time at home don’t want their spouses ruining their golden years, so they don’t allow them to completely retire.

Here is a list of notable retirements that didn’t last very long.

Muhammad Ali
After an unprecedented boxing career, Muhammad Ali retired in 1979. The man had beaten virtually every boxer in the world at that point, so it made sense to go out on a high note. However, the next year he decided to fight Larry Holmes and another year later to take on Trevor Berbick before finally retiring for good.

Lily Allen
File this retirement under TBD. Last year Lily Allen wrote in a blog post that she wouldn’t record another album. She also decided to give up social media, which meant pausing her MySpace page and Twitter account. Then she came back to  Twitter earlier this year and has composed new music for other projects since, in addition to appearing at awards shows. She says she still won’t be writing and recording music for albums that she plans to release herself, so this might be the promise of a pseudo-retirement that she keeps.

Garth Brooks
In the 1990s, Garth Brooks managed to make country music palatable for an audience that often dismissed it as a lesser genre. He sold records and concert tickets at historic rates and then decided to retire in 2000. He decided to walk away from touring and releasing new albums until his youngest daughter was 18. Aside from performing a few charity shows and releasing box sets of older material, Brooks kept his promise. Last year he announced his return to live shows by doing a residency in Las Vegas. He’s neither touring nor making a new album, so he’s only somewhat out of retirement. For now.

Brett Favre
In March 2008, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre announced his retirement after 17 years in football. During that summer, Favre gave interviews suggesting he would be returning to football the following season, and, after some turbulent discussions, he was traded to the New York Jets. Following a short stint with the team, he moved to the Minnesota Vikings. Talk of retirement surfaced again earlier this year, so his future remains to be seen.

Jay-Z
When one of the most famous rappers of all time announced his retirement with the release of 2003’s The Black Album, people scoffed. Sure, Jay-Z would be going out on top with a career spanning eight albums and hits, not to mention critical praise and millions of fans. Plus, a year later he was named president of Def Jam Records. So Jay-Z didn’t need to work, but in late 2006 he released a new album and has only gained popularity since. In fairness to Jay-Z, he told Entertainment Weekly, “It was the worst retirement, maybe, in history.”

Michael Jordan
Few athletes have the iconic status of former Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan. For that reason, Jordan’s retirement on October 6, 1993 was watched by everyone. Unsurprisingly, his return to the Bulls was watched just as closely less than two years later. After deciding to retire one more time from the game in 1999, Jordan said he was 99.9 percent sure he wouldn’t play another NBA game. Of course, that pesky 0.1 percent pulled him from retirement in 2001 when he decided to join the Washington Wizards. He retired once again in 2003, so this one might be the retirement that actually sticks.

Frank Sinatra
When Frank Sinatra announced his retirement in 1970, he was already a legend. With his Rat Pack days and a series of memorable songs behind him, he could’ve stepped out of the limelight and still be considered an icon today. However, in 1973, he decided three years of retirement was enough and returned to music with “Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back.” He continued to record for the next three decades. In 1980 he recorded a rendition of “Theme from New York, New York,” which went on to become a signature song and a staple of New York City’s soundtrack. Maybe coming out of retirement was good for him (and the Yankees) after all.

So, will your retirement be a done deal or do you think you’ll be tempted to return to work? Any other celebs whose unretirement we forgot to include?

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• Thanks for the (work)buzz kill, NYT.
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• Hmmm.
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Nevertheless, the news waits for no one.

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• Although this isn’t a shock, it’s still a bummer to read.
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Here are the news items that didn’t get quite as much attention:

• I don’t think we highlight veterans enough, and I think this is a story worth telling.
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• Can I also sue my high school teacher seeing as I’ve never once used the Pythagorean Theorem?
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  101-year-old Dallas-area lawyer Jack Borden honored as nation’s ‘Outstanding Oldest Worker’
• We like pop culture, and we like learning. Here’s what Paula Abdul (yes, Paula) can teach you. Though I don’t know if I agree with the conclusion.
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Here is your midweek newsbreak:

• Well, sure, much of the country’s unemployed and few people have jobs that allow them go away for a month. It’s probably a good idea that Congress did this.
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• I thought this was an interesting read…but does anyone remember when internships meant making copies, not making the front page of the New York Times?
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‘Til Thursday.

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Sorry for not giving you a Monday roundup. We were having some technical issues yesterday. To make up for it, today’s roundup will be the best ever. Or at least pretty good.

With the job numbers coming out on Thursday, we’ve had a steady stream of new figures coming in and experts weighing in. But you probably haven’t heard much about that in light of Michael Jackson’s death, Palin’s resignation and Obama’s visit to Russia. But that’s why we’re here, to sort through exciting job-seeker news for you. Here’s what we’ve been reading:

• Good news: Some employers want to keep morale up, so they’re giving employees little extras. Has your employer done anything like this?
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• An oft-reported but still staggering statistic is how much unemployment affects minority workers.
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There’s your job-seeker news briefing for the day. See you tomorrow!

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Therefore, we bring you some food for today’s thought:

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• A new survey says many people are delaying retirement, which lines up with what we said not too long ago, also. Looks like it’s a trend that’s not going away in the near future.
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Happy Friday!

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With some automakers facing some big obstacles, there’s a chance pensions could also be a thing of the past. For many workers, the promise of a pension is a big driving force to stick with their jobs, so the idea that they could end up with less than they expected is not welcome news. As this New York Times article points out, the paperwork alone for revamping the system can be a hassle of epic proportions.

Read the full article for details.

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Now people are talking about Favre and his change of heart about his career path. Many people were surprised when his team (the Green Bay Packers) did not welcome him back with open arms. This story continues to be filled with twists and turns, and it is unclear whether Favre will get his wish and play pro football again this season. (Updated to add: As we now know, Favre IS back in the NFL and playing for another team.)

Many of us have probably made the same kind of decision about moving on from a job. And at one time or another, we have also probably experienced the same kind of regret about leaving. The question is: once you leave, can you go home again?

Here are some things you may want to consider before you think about returning to a previous employer.

• Take off the rose-colored glasses. If you miss your old job, think about the reasons why you are feeling nostalgic. With time and distance, we may only remember the good things about a job, and overlook the reasons why we left in the first place. Take some time to really think about what your day was like. Better yet, go back for a visit. You are more likely to view your old workplace in an objective way.
• Ponder your career path. Think about your career, and where you would like to be in five years. Does your old job get you closer to that destination? If you dislike your current job, returning to your old workplace simply out of comfort is a bad idea. Make sure any return to a previous employer fits in with your overall career path.

In some cases, returning to an old job may be the right step. But doing so may take some considerable planning, as well as some explanation on your part.

The company will want you to answer two questions: Why did you leave? And why should we take you back? If the door to returning to an old job appears to be open, be prepared to answer those questions.

You should also be ready to present your former employer with a plan of action. You should outline the positive impact your return would have on the company. Management will want to know that your return is a long-term investment, not a stopgap measure until you get another job. Developing and sharing a long range plan would show them your commitment.

This may also be a good opportunity to make adjustments in your role with the company. If boredom was part of the reason you initially left, be frank about that in your discussion with them. Let them know you need new challenges or a change of pace.

If there were personality conflicts, you should also be honest and blunt about those as well. Those kinds of issues are unlikely to have gone away in your absence, but some companies may be flexible enough to accommodate changes you may need to make the second time around more successful.

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