Where's A Career Fairy When You Need One?

When Baby Boomers say to me, "Those kids today, they can be anything they want to be and yet none of them seem committed to being a professional," I secretly cringe, bite my tongue, and then choose my words carefully. I actually think the opportunity to be anything we want to be is, as the saying goes: a blessing and a curse. Yes, the younger generations have more opportunities than ever before, but, with that comes the added pressure to choose wisely, as well as a sense of obligation to explore lots of options. Picking a career today is like going to a super-sized grocery store and standing at the front with your hands tied behind your back, then being told to select just one food without reading the label, fully knowing you will be expected to eat it five days a week for at least the next year of your life. To me, it's no wonder why 'career,' no matter how you spell it, is an ugly, four-letter word to recent college grads.

The bad news is there's no such thing as a 'Career Fairy.' As much as we want to believe that eventually the perfect job will come along and lead us to the ideal career path – it doesn't. Yet, I also know there is a way to start narrow down the unlimited number of career choices, and it begins by identifying our Unique Gifts.

What's a Unique Gift? It is a skill a person possesses that is innate within them. It's something we are so adept at doing that others seek us out and ask for our help. Everyone has a Unique Gift. In fact, I find most of the people have several of them. The key is to identify your own Unique Gifts and then choose a career path that will allow you to leverage them on a daily basis. Sounds easy, right? There's a catch…

Most people have a very difficult time identifying their Unique Gifts. Why? Because they come so naturally to us, they don't feel special. We hear the term "unique" and assume that we must be good at something that is rare or different. Not true. The reality is that our Unique Gifts will be possessed by others as well. Yet, when we use them, we are so good at them, we naturally excel. We draw others in to us. We get respect. We get results.

So, how can we identify our Unique Gifts? We can start by answering several questions, soliciting the thoughts of their friends and family so that they can get help seeing what they can't always see in themselves. The questions are as follows:

1) What do friends and family members come to you for advice for most often and why?
2) What three personal accomplishments are you most proud of and why?
3) What are the three things you are most knowledgeable about and why?

The answers to these question will provide some interesting insight into your Unique Gifts. Look for patterns. And from there, start to research careers that would let you leverage your Unique Gifts. There is no simple way to finding a career you love. The best we can do is to continue to assess ourselves and become more aware of our professional strengths. This much I know: a job that lets you do what you do best, is a job that you'll enjoy most in the long run. Just ask Michael Jordan…

J.T. O'Donnell is a career consultant who specializes in helping new professionals find greater satisfaction on-the-job. She provides free career information and resources just for Millennial at http://www.jtodonnell.com/spark/spark_land.html.