10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College: The Know-How You Need to Succeed » (First Edition)

BILL COPLIN is the director and a professor of the public affairs program at Syracuse University. He is the author of numerous books on politics and public policy, and is also the author of How You Can Help.

A college diploma can open many doors, but it's just an expensive piece of paper if you don't have what employers seek. Long-time professor and student adviser Bill Coplin surveyed the nation's top companies and identified the essential skills recent grads need to survive and succeed in the job market. In 10 THINGS EMPLOYERS WANT YOU TO LEARN IN COLLEGE, Coplin teaches you to solve complex problems, influence people, and detect BS-real-world know-how your textbooks don't teach you. Coplin's practical approach will help you develop a personal plan for boosting those marketable skills during your college years so you can impress potential employers, land a higher-paying job, and start on the road to career security and satisfaction as soon as you graduate.

Kevin Beach - VOYA

This straightforward career development guide is designed to help bewildered high school graduates get the most out of the college experience. The author identifies the traits and skills that employers rate as most significant when seeking candidates. Through individual chapters, he discusses the importance of each "KHS" (know-how skill), what college courses can provide experience in an area, and where one can go to read more about it. Many categories are obvious: work ethics, communication, and problem solving. The author explains, however, how both in-class and non-course activities can enrich the learning of each skill. Volunteer work, personal budgeting, daily writing, and community involvement are all suggested activities that enhance character traits and round out a résumé. Each chapter is supplemented by students' stories of how the acquired know-how has since been beneficial at work or in other classes. The second part looks specifically at college selection, program and course selection, and creating connections for employment. Internships, foreign exchange programs, and making the most of even recreational activities are examined as "boosters" to the basic skills discussed earlier. Part 3 examines the transition from school to career: What will you do with your degree? Do you want happiness, fame, wealth? This chapter explains how to narrow career aspirations, itemize the skills learned above, and plug them into a dynamic resume. This outstanding resource provides an overview of what the optimal college experience is about. All college-bound students should be required to read this book. VOYA CODES: 5Q 3P S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Will appeal withpushing; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Ten Speed Press, 272p.; Index. Source Notes. Further Reading., Trade pb. Ages 15 to 18.