Ten Ways School Prepares You for the Work World
The first day you pack a briefcase and head off to a professional job interview may seem far away, but the time to build strong skills and valuable habits is now. School is full of opportunities to develop the qualities most important to employers.

Writing Skills
If you dread essays and other writing assignments, consider this: in a recent survey of employers, communication topped the list of skills they look for most. By doing your best on every research paper and lab report you write, you're preparing yourself for a career.
Health professionals keep patient charts, researchers and artists depend on the money they collect by writing grant applications, software engineers write technical specifications, and nearly everyone writes email to people inside and outside their organization. And before you even get the chance to interview, you'll need to represent yourself in cover letters and resumes.

Speaking Skills
Next time you're assigned a class presentation, think twice before dismissing it as an unimportant part of your education. Employers look for speaking skills in job hopefuls and it's never too soon to practice good eye contact and other public speaking techniques.

Teamwork Skills
How many times a week does your class count off and break into small groups to tackle a challenge? You practice voicing your opinions, listening and responding to others, and reaching compromises. By the time you leave high school, you can be an expert in teamwork, an increasingly important skill in today's workplace.

Problem Solving Skills
Problem solving goes far beyond your algebra textbook. Every school assignment is an opportunity to weigh all possible solutions carefully and select the one you think best. As a working professional, you'll keep solving problems, whether computer programming bugs or budget shortfalls.

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