In a recent interview, I was asked to share the best career advice I’ve ever received. It was a tricky question. Over the years, I’ve had conversations with some incredible leaders, each offering their valuable guidance. But the advice I chose to share came from a seminar during my first year of employment, when I was still fresh out of graduate school.
The advice was simple: always learn and contribute so much that you should be able to update your résumé every six months. That means you’re growing your skills and making meaningful contributions on a regular basis—work that is résumé-worthy. It was great advice, and it has served me well.
The challenge, however, was that it focused only on the act of contributing, not on what I was contributing. It never prompted me to pause and consider the unique value I might bring to the work.
The best advice I never received? Look inward. Pay attention to what makes you different—what you bring that no one else does. For too long, we’ve been trained to search for the missing skill, as if closing that gap was the key to getting noticed, promoted, or recognized. And too often, that’s exactly how it worked. But what was missing was an acknowledgment of our distinct talents—our special touch—that makes our work stand out.
No one ever asked me what made me unique. No one helped me cultivate my innate strengths or encouraged me to refine them. No one told me that my ability to share thoughtful reflections in a room was valuable—that it could make a meaningful difference to the company.
But just because I didn’t receive that guidance doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. So here it is:
Look within. Pay attention to what delights you. Notice the work that doesn’t feel like work—the things that come so naturally, you might dismiss them as insignificant. That’s where the magic is. Those are the areas where your contributions move from ordinary to extraordinary.
You may not recognize those strengths as special, but others probably do. I’ve known a colleague whose business writing I experience as art. I’m not sure she sees it that way, but I do. Her writing is different—her word choices, sentence flow, and the feeling behind her message. It stops me in my tracks. I’ve read great writers before, but her work is singular. And just like her writing talent, you have a talent that is yours alone.
Use it—first because it feels good, then because you are most yourself when you’re operating in that space. And that’s when you’ll deliver your best work. We deserve to know what we can do when we lead with our GENIUS.
Some of you might be unsure about what your talents are. That’s okay. Just naming that uncertainty is a sign that you know there’s something there. And that’s a powerful start. From there, the discovery process can begin. Think of it like a treasure hunt where you already hold the clues. You have to tease them out, give them space to breathe and take shape.
Remember those science experiments where we talked to plants to see if kind words would help them grow? And they did. The same is true of your emerging talents. Speak kindly to them. Invite them out. Nurture them with care. You might find they become the defining variable in your career and life.
I wasn’t encouraged to live in my talent. That was the advice that was missing. Not anymore. Now, it’s the advice we all need to heed.
It’s the best career advice you now have.