If you have this one trait on your résumé, I’m already more interested in hiring you.

We went to a Career Fair last night at the high school. Have you seen “The Walking Dead”?

Loads of kids. Even more parents.

Most of the kids (mine would be first in line) seemed like they would rather be somewhere else. Many would have rather been ANYwhere else.

Hey, they’re teenagers. I’m pretty sure I’ve read in the anatomy books that they’re brains aren’t fully developed or that the part of their brains that make good decisions aren’t there yet or maybe it was that they don’t have any brains at all yet. I can’t remember (that’s a little brain humor there in case you missed it).

Let’s have a quick glimpse into their résumés and see who’s for hire:

1. Math wiz
2. Language genius
3. Good with people
4. Photographic memory
5. Smooth seller
6. Competent engineer
7. Prolific writer

That’s a nice collection of traits for kids. But there’s one no one is going to specifically write down on their résumé, but you can read in between the lines to find it.

Usually, it’s obvious, but sometimes you have to dig a little. A conversation with the student usually gives it away very quickly as they do things like:

1. Ask questions,
2. Want to ask even more questions after their initial questions were answered,
3. Inquire about things others haven’t even thought about (and if they thought about it, were maybe too shy to ask),
4. Aren’t afraid to say, “I don’t know.” or “I didn’t know that.” or the best one, “I didn’t yet know that.”
5. Look you in the eyes.
6. Might not leave your information table for a while.

These kids have one thing that most others do not. They almost all had it when they were younger, but it tends to get brushed off in the early teenage years. Sometimes it’s so strong it will be around their entire lives.

Those are the ones who are the gems. Hold onto them.

They possess something that is most probably engrained in their blood but it can also be built and learned and improved.

When you have it yourself, you can also spot it more easily because you recognize it.

Often, they’ll recognize that you recognize it in them and then the rest of the students in line? They might want to just get out of the line and go to the presentation on What Not to Eat for Lunch before Your First Job Interview.

That thing they have? The coveted trait I cherish and hold in such high regard? It seems so simple, yet it’s one of those things you either have, don’t really have, or want to have (and you can have it), but it’s all down to:

Curiosity