Life Skills and Career Opportunities provides an essential component of leadership education for today’s high school students. This course it is designed to prepare students for life after high school in the high-tech, globally oriented, and diverse workplace of the 21st century. Students will learn how to become a more confident financial planner and to save, invest, and spend money wisely, as well as how to avoid the credit trap. They will learn about real-life issues such as understanding contracts, leases, warranties, legal notices, personal bills, practical and money-saving strategies for grocery shopping, apartment selection, and life with roommates. The Holland Interest Inventory and other self-assessments will help them to reveal their attitudes, aptitudes, and personal skills. This self-understanding will allow them to explore career paths and understand requirements that they will need to be successful at work and in life.

To help students increase their potential for success through education, they will learn how to select a school that is right for them; how to apply for admission to a vocational or technical school, community college, or college/university; and how to succeed in these learning environments. Information is provided on how to conduct the job search for students who wish to enter the workforce right after high school or after additional education and training. They will learn how to prepare a winning résumé, and how to develop effective interviewing skills.

Students will become more skilled at using the Internet for career research and learn how to network safely using social media. The text also provides information on working for the federal government to include careers in the military, aerospace industry, and public service. Finally, students will consider the most important elements of life skills for all Americans: civic responsibilities, such as volunteering, registering to vote, jury duty, and draft registration.

The course outcomes are:

1. Analyze the elements of successful financial management skills.
2. Create a plan to safeguard personal resources.
3. Analyze the different ways of pursuing a career path.
4. Analyze the requirements for applying to a college or university.
5. Analyze positive and negative impact of college life in meeting career goals.
6. Evaluate the essential process for successfully pursuing desired career or job.
7. Evaluate the benefits of working for the Federal Government.
8. Create a plan for successful career development.