"Your college degree...

...gets you into the circus, but doesn't guarantee you a seat."

I love this statement from a client I recently coached. His career path was all over the map, quite literally. He lived in 5 states, worked all kinds of jobs from a winery to a chemical company, and still felt totally lost.

We talked about his degree, and why he had originally picked the major he chose. As is common, it was somewhat arbitrary, based on a gut feel and his parent's influence.

He was feeling a bit of remorse that he didn't end up in a career path that aligned with his studies, but his statement above is the key: your degree simply adds credibility, and sometimes nothing more.

And guess what? That's ok.

Ideally, your college major would prepare you for a long and happy life as a X in X industry. Then again, most of us are choosing our majors when we have no clue what to choose or how to even go about making that decision.

If you're like my client, or like a friend I coached years ago who got his MBA "for nothing," fear not -- the degree is valuable in that it gets you into the door.

What matters once you're "in the circus?" Your talents. Talents that will take you from here to there.

People hire people who are specialists -- highly-skilled in specific areas. If you want to guarantee yourself a good seat, get clear about what you do best and do more of that.

Where should you start to figure this out? Finish these statements, then look for the common themes about what you do best:

• A recent time when I was at my best was . . .
• What I enjoy doing the most is . . .
• My most fulfilling experience was . . .
• The best job or project I ever had was . . .
• The things I like best about myself are . . .
• In all of my schooling, the subjects I thrived the most in were . . .