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How can I start building skills now that will help prepare me for the career I’m interested in?
I am a high school student who is starting to think about future careers. I’m still exploring different options and want to know what skills I should focus on building now, both in school and outside of school. I’m especially interested in improving my communication, life, and interview skills so I can be better prepared in the future. Any advice would be helpful.
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12 answers
Updated
Mark’s Answer
Hi Karina,
The most important is mindset, always open mind to learn anything, what you learn during your education could help you to enhance your knowledge, but you will encounter much more that you never learn from your education.
I have some recommendation for the skills you would like to improve:
Communication: depends on what the topic is and what person you communicate to. For example: if you communicate to a tough person, try to understand his point of view, and show you understand his/ her point, then tell him/her your request and why you seek his/ her support, what the benefit to him/ her if you have this information. If you are discussing issues to one person or a team, focus on the resolution instead of blaming anyone, especially for team discussion, emphasize we are a team, no one intend to cause any issue, what we need to do is to resolve the issue. There are tons of communication skills based on the situation, above is just example for your reference.
Interview skills: like to tell a good story, describe what your strength is, what your background and experience help you advance in the job, why you think you are a good candidate to the job, what you can contribute to the company and team, you can refer to STAR, provide a real example to the interviewer, if you have any failed experience, you can also tell the interviewer why you failed and wat you learned from the experience, always be positive and passionate. You can seek your family or friends help you rehearsal.
Hope this is helpful
Mark
The most important is mindset, always open mind to learn anything, what you learn during your education could help you to enhance your knowledge, but you will encounter much more that you never learn from your education.
I have some recommendation for the skills you would like to improve:
Communication: depends on what the topic is and what person you communicate to. For example: if you communicate to a tough person, try to understand his point of view, and show you understand his/ her point, then tell him/her your request and why you seek his/ her support, what the benefit to him/ her if you have this information. If you are discussing issues to one person or a team, focus on the resolution instead of blaming anyone, especially for team discussion, emphasize we are a team, no one intend to cause any issue, what we need to do is to resolve the issue. There are tons of communication skills based on the situation, above is just example for your reference.
Interview skills: like to tell a good story, describe what your strength is, what your background and experience help you advance in the job, why you think you are a good candidate to the job, what you can contribute to the company and team, you can refer to STAR, provide a real example to the interviewer, if you have any failed experience, you can also tell the interviewer why you failed and wat you learned from the experience, always be positive and passionate. You can seek your family or friends help you rehearsal.
Hope this is helpful
Mark
Updated
Mike’s Answer
Hi Karina,
I am very happy to hear that you are interested in improving your communication and interviewing skills. These skills will help you no matter what career path you choose.
Communication Skills
Communications is a large area that includes in-person communication, phone skills, and written communication, to name a few. These are skills that continue to improve as you work on them. I still work to improve my communication skills.
Below, I have included a link to some articles from Master Class related to communication skills. (The articles are free to read, and they can give you some ideas related to improving in-person communications.)
Life Skills
When you mention life skills, I think about soft skills. These are skills such as empathy, curiosity, and persistence. Employers value these skills. These are also skills that you develop over time. I continue to strive to improve my own soft skills.
I have included a link to an article from Forbes related to developing soft skills. I hope the article can give you some ideas to help you get started developing your soft skills. (I hope I am not misunderstanding your question.)
Interviewing Skills
A big part of interviewing skills is doing your homework to learn more about the company you are interviewing with and also the position that you are interviewing for. Practice makes perfect. You can try to guess what questions you may be asked based on the job description.
Some people use tools like ChatGPT to create a list of interview questions based on the job description.
You can record yourself answering the questions and replay the recording to review your responses. If you can have a friend pose as the interviewer, that can be helpful too.
Of course, you will always get questions that you did not expect in an interview. Having some ideas about how to handle the unexpected is important.
I have included an article from Indeed related to improving interview skills. I hope it will give you some additional ideas about preparing for interviews.
Your Progress
All of this may seem to be overwhelming. My advice is to work at your best speed on one thing at a time. I think you will be pleased with your progress.
I am pleased to hear that communication skills are one of your top concerns. These skills (especially in-person communication) will serve you well.
I believe that with focus and perseverance, you will have a wonderful career.
I wish you good luck in all of your work.
- Mike
.
Here is a link to some articles from Master Class on communication skills https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-improve-your-communication-skills
Here is a interesting article about soft skills https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/soft-skills-examples/
Here is an article from Indeed related to improving your interview skills https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/improve-your-interviewing-skills
Here is a good website for Career Exploration https://www.careeronestop.org/ExploreCareers/explore-careers.aspx
I am very happy to hear that you are interested in improving your communication and interviewing skills. These skills will help you no matter what career path you choose.
Communication Skills
Communications is a large area that includes in-person communication, phone skills, and written communication, to name a few. These are skills that continue to improve as you work on them. I still work to improve my communication skills.
Below, I have included a link to some articles from Master Class related to communication skills. (The articles are free to read, and they can give you some ideas related to improving in-person communications.)
Life Skills
When you mention life skills, I think about soft skills. These are skills such as empathy, curiosity, and persistence. Employers value these skills. These are also skills that you develop over time. I continue to strive to improve my own soft skills.
I have included a link to an article from Forbes related to developing soft skills. I hope the article can give you some ideas to help you get started developing your soft skills. (I hope I am not misunderstanding your question.)
Interviewing Skills
A big part of interviewing skills is doing your homework to learn more about the company you are interviewing with and also the position that you are interviewing for. Practice makes perfect. You can try to guess what questions you may be asked based on the job description.
Some people use tools like ChatGPT to create a list of interview questions based on the job description.
You can record yourself answering the questions and replay the recording to review your responses. If you can have a friend pose as the interviewer, that can be helpful too.
Of course, you will always get questions that you did not expect in an interview. Having some ideas about how to handle the unexpected is important.
I have included an article from Indeed related to improving interview skills. I hope it will give you some additional ideas about preparing for interviews.
Your Progress
All of this may seem to be overwhelming. My advice is to work at your best speed on one thing at a time. I think you will be pleased with your progress.
I am pleased to hear that communication skills are one of your top concerns. These skills (especially in-person communication) will serve you well.
I believe that with focus and perseverance, you will have a wonderful career.
I wish you good luck in all of your work.
- Mike
.
Mike recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Gennifer’s Answer
There is some good advice here about how to prepare. One thing to keep in mind is to pay attention to job market trends
The job market changes quickly, especially as technology like AI continues to reshape roles. Careers that were once in high demand can shift or evolve over time, so it’s important to stay informed before committing to a specific path of study. Looking at market trends and growth projections can help you make smarter, more future-proof decisions.
One helpful resource is LinkedIn Workforce Reports (search “LinkedIn Workforce Report”), which provide monthly insights into hiring demand, emerging roles, and the skills employers are actively looking for based on real job market data.
It’s easy to be interested in a field that’s currently “hot,” but by the time you finish building the skills and education required, that field may already be on its way out of high demand. That’s why it’s important to look beyond trends and consider how roles are evolving over time — even within a career. Adding a specialization or focusing on transferable skills can help you stay adaptable as the market changes.
The job market changes quickly, especially as technology like AI continues to reshape roles. Careers that were once in high demand can shift or evolve over time, so it’s important to stay informed before committing to a specific path of study. Looking at market trends and growth projections can help you make smarter, more future-proof decisions.
One helpful resource is LinkedIn Workforce Reports (search “LinkedIn Workforce Report”), which provide monthly insights into hiring demand, emerging roles, and the skills employers are actively looking for based on real job market data.
It’s easy to be interested in a field that’s currently “hot,” but by the time you finish building the skills and education required, that field may already be on its way out of high demand. That’s why it’s important to look beyond trends and consider how roles are evolving over time — even within a career. Adding a specialization or focusing on transferable skills can help you stay adaptable as the market changes.
Updated
Joe’s Answer
Great question. Start thinking about what you want to do. That can change as well so be ready and be ok with that. There are quite a few people with careers that are different than what they studied.
Start learning leadership, servant leadership skills. Look it up, watch videos on it as well. Servant leadership starts with giving, doing for others ahead of yourself. By doing so, you are teaching others to do the same. Communication is paramount! Listen first, really listen to what others are telling you or saying in general. Absorb, put that specific data into scenarios you've been involved in which will help you help others determine the outcome they're looking to achieve.
Be a high achiever. In all you do! High achievers don't hang out with mediocre people and mediocre people don't hang out with high achievers.
Stay humble! Make sure that character and integrity are top priorities and people will begin to notice.
Start learning leadership, servant leadership skills. Look it up, watch videos on it as well. Servant leadership starts with giving, doing for others ahead of yourself. By doing so, you are teaching others to do the same. Communication is paramount! Listen first, really listen to what others are telling you or saying in general. Absorb, put that specific data into scenarios you've been involved in which will help you help others determine the outcome they're looking to achieve.
Be a high achiever. In all you do! High achievers don't hang out with mediocre people and mediocre people don't hang out with high achievers.
Stay humble! Make sure that character and integrity are top priorities and people will begin to notice.
Updated
Francie’s Answer
All tye above answers have very comprehensive advice Karina.
My additional advice is to find people who are willing to mentor you in high school ( teachers, guidance counselor, community), college (teachers, advisors) and at your job. I would not have attained my CEO position without the mentors in my career who helped me gain confidence in my abilities and take on jobs with increasing responsibilities.
Identity two possible mentors
My additional advice is to find people who are willing to mentor you in high school ( teachers, guidance counselor, community), college (teachers, advisors) and at your job. I would not have attained my CEO position without the mentors in my career who helped me gain confidence in my abilities and take on jobs with increasing responsibilities.
Francie recommends the following next steps:
Sagarika Priyadarshini
Senior Advisor, Product Management - IT
15
Answers
Updated
Sagarika’s Answer
Hello Karina,
Hope you are doin well. If you are exploring future careers, here are some simple steps to build useful skills now:
1, Communication: practice speaking and writing clearly, pay attention in conversations—communication is two-way.
2. Life Skills: Manage time with planners, volunteer for group projects(team work) , and try problem-solving activities.
3. Interview Skills: Do mock interviews, practice introductions, and research careers.
4. Outside School: Take online courses, join internships, and read/watch personal development content.
Starting small and being consistent will make a big difference over time. Wish you all the best :)
Hope you are doin well. If you are exploring future careers, here are some simple steps to build useful skills now:
1, Communication: practice speaking and writing clearly, pay attention in conversations—communication is two-way.
2. Life Skills: Manage time with planners, volunteer for group projects(team work) , and try problem-solving activities.
3. Interview Skills: Do mock interviews, practice introductions, and research careers.
4. Outside School: Take online courses, join internships, and read/watch personal development content.
Starting small and being consistent will make a big difference over time. Wish you all the best :)
Updated
Rob’s Answer
I strongly recommend reading, and completing the recommended assessments, in Becoming You by Suzy Welch. I wish I had it as a resource when I was coming out of college. It would have changed my life.
She helps you discover your values, aptitudes and economically viable interests. Without these, you may find yourself building the wrong skills. Kind of like climbing a mountain, getting to the top, and realizing you climbed the wrong mountain.
She helps you discover your values, aptitudes and economically viable interests. Without these, you may find yourself building the wrong skills. Kind of like climbing a mountain, getting to the top, and realizing you climbed the wrong mountain.
Updated
Siva’s Answer
Hello Karina,
You’re already asking the right question — which means you’re thinking ahead, not just reacting. I like Mike's answer that provide enough materials for you to learn. I would like to address this in an another angle that I want you to understand early:
Skills like communication, life skills (Street Smart), and confidence are not learned by reading — they’re learned by experience.
You don’t become good at communication by just studying it. You become good by putting yourself in situations outside of your comfort zone where communication matters.
Here are three actionable things you can start doing now:
1. Put yourself in situations where you have to speak, lead, or decide. Join clubs, teams, or community groups — but don’t just attend. Volunteer to lead a discussion, organize an event, present an idea, or coordinate people. Real communication skills are built when things don’t go as planned and you have to adapt.
2. Take ownership of something end-to-end. This could be a school project, a club event, a fundraiser, a community initiative, or even helping run something at home or in your neighborhood. Planning, executing, handling conflict, and adjusting under pressure is how life skills are formed.
3. Reflect after every experience. After any presentation, interview, or group activity, ask yourself: What went well? What was uncomfortable? What would I do differently next time? Reflection turns experience into growth.
You don’t need to know your exact career yet. Focus on building confidence, clarity, and responsibility — these skills transfer to every career.
Put yourself in the game early. That’s where learning actually happens.
Good luck!
– Siva
You’re already asking the right question — which means you’re thinking ahead, not just reacting. I like Mike's answer that provide enough materials for you to learn. I would like to address this in an another angle that I want you to understand early:
Skills like communication, life skills (Street Smart), and confidence are not learned by reading — they’re learned by experience.
You don’t become good at communication by just studying it. You become good by putting yourself in situations outside of your comfort zone where communication matters.
Here are three actionable things you can start doing now:
1. Put yourself in situations where you have to speak, lead, or decide. Join clubs, teams, or community groups — but don’t just attend. Volunteer to lead a discussion, organize an event, present an idea, or coordinate people. Real communication skills are built when things don’t go as planned and you have to adapt.
2. Take ownership of something end-to-end. This could be a school project, a club event, a fundraiser, a community initiative, or even helping run something at home or in your neighborhood. Planning, executing, handling conflict, and adjusting under pressure is how life skills are formed.
3. Reflect after every experience. After any presentation, interview, or group activity, ask yourself: What went well? What was uncomfortable? What would I do differently next time? Reflection turns experience into growth.
You don’t need to know your exact career yet. Focus on building confidence, clarity, and responsibility — these skills transfer to every career.
Put yourself in the game early. That’s where learning actually happens.
Good luck!
– Siva
Updated
Krystal’s Answer
Hi Karina,
I’m glad you are thinking about your future and want to further your education.
What are your goals? Your interest, what type of majors have you been looking into?
We can talk more about what colleges and pathways you wish to take to further your education.
I’m glad you are thinking about your future and want to further your education.
What are your goals? Your interest, what type of majors have you been looking into?
We can talk more about what colleges and pathways you wish to take to further your education.
Steward "Tony" Pacheco
Minister, USMC Vet, John C. Maxwell Cert. Coach, Trainer, Speaker, Teacher, Straight Shooter
193
Answers
Updated
Steward "Tony"’s Answer
Pretty Simple!
Personal Development, Leadership Training, Speaker Training (staying away from political anything)
Business Success Books, Videos & AudioAs Well As Biographies Of Rags To Riches Authors.
Since You Have Stated That You Are Still Figuring Out What Direction You Need To Go, For A Successful Career Or Ownership, You Can Enhance Your Marketability With Tried & True Personal Development.
Find Mentors at your local chamber, join Community TV/Cable and volunteer, Food Banks Use Volunteers. VA or Military Veterans Groups.
Thes will solidify your foundation and resume. also the references you'll have will be ten fold.
That's what makes you a Mover & Shaker, Plus the exposure will introduce you to a number of industries, people you meet will share with you.
Personal Development, Leadership Training, Speaker Training (staying away from political anything)
Business Success Books, Videos & AudioAs Well As Biographies Of Rags To Riches Authors.
Since You Have Stated That You Are Still Figuring Out What Direction You Need To Go, For A Successful Career Or Ownership, You Can Enhance Your Marketability With Tried & True Personal Development.
Find Mentors at your local chamber, join Community TV/Cable and volunteer, Food Banks Use Volunteers. VA or Military Veterans Groups.
Thes will solidify your foundation and resume. also the references you'll have will be ten fold.
That's what makes you a Mover & Shaker, Plus the exposure will introduce you to a number of industries, people you meet will share with you.
Updated
Sophie’s Answer
Hi Karina!
It’s great that you’re thinking about this early—building skills now, even before you choose a specific career, will give you a strong foundation no matter what path you take.
In school, focus on developing core skills that apply to almost every career. Communication is a big one, so take classes that involve writing, presentations, and group work. When you have the chance to speak in class or work on team projects, treat those moments as practice for the real world. Courses like English, history, debate, or even science classes with presentations all help strengthen these skills.
Outside of school, look for opportunities to practice life skills such as time management, responsibility, and teamwork. Part-time jobs, sports, clubs, volunteering, or student leadership roles are all great ways to build these skills. Showing up consistently, meeting deadlines, and working with different types of people are experiences employers value highly.
For interview skills, start small and early. Practice talking about yourself—your interests, strengths, and what you’re learning with friends, family, or teachers. Try doing mock interviews or even recording yourself answering common questions like “Tell me about yourself” or “What are your strengths?” This helps build confidence and self-awareness over time.
As you explore careers, remember that it’s okay not to have everything figured out yet. Use this time to experiment, reflect on what you enjoy, and learn from each experience. The goal right now isn’t perfection, it’s progress. Every skill you build now will make future opportunities easier to navigate and more exciting.
Join a club, team, or activity that involves teamwork and communication, and challenge yourself to take on a small leadership or speaking role
Practice a few common interview questions and get feedback from a teacher, counselor, or family member
It’s great that you’re thinking about this early—building skills now, even before you choose a specific career, will give you a strong foundation no matter what path you take.
In school, focus on developing core skills that apply to almost every career. Communication is a big one, so take classes that involve writing, presentations, and group work. When you have the chance to speak in class or work on team projects, treat those moments as practice for the real world. Courses like English, history, debate, or even science classes with presentations all help strengthen these skills.
Outside of school, look for opportunities to practice life skills such as time management, responsibility, and teamwork. Part-time jobs, sports, clubs, volunteering, or student leadership roles are all great ways to build these skills. Showing up consistently, meeting deadlines, and working with different types of people are experiences employers value highly.
For interview skills, start small and early. Practice talking about yourself—your interests, strengths, and what you’re learning with friends, family, or teachers. Try doing mock interviews or even recording yourself answering common questions like “Tell me about yourself” or “What are your strengths?” This helps build confidence and self-awareness over time.
As you explore careers, remember that it’s okay not to have everything figured out yet. Use this time to experiment, reflect on what you enjoy, and learn from each experience. The goal right now isn’t perfection, it’s progress. Every skill you build now will make future opportunities easier to navigate and more exciting.
Sophie recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for your question.
Below are some skills that are essential any time. You can consider to learn and practice:
1. Communication both verbal and written
2. Public speaking
3. Time management
4. Stakeholder Management
5. Conflict Management
Hope this helps! Good luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
Below are some skills that are essential any time. You can consider to learn and practice:
1. Communication both verbal and written
2. Public speaking
3. Time management
4. Stakeholder Management
5. Conflict Management
Hope this helps! Good luck!
May Almighty God bless you!