5 Things They Should’ve Taught in School to Prepare Us for Work

Remember when you were in high school, getting pummeled by dodge balls while you were rocking in the fetal position and asking your higher power of choice when you would ever need this skill in real life?

Well, the truth is, you don’t need that skill in real life. There is no possible way being good at dodge ball could help your career. (And no, not even if you’re a gym teacher. Because then you get to inflict the pain, not be on the receiving end.)

And, actually, there are a lot of things you learned in high school that aren’t actually useful. I’m not knocking high school (although I try not to think about high school too much. I still get Vietnam-like flashbacks. *shudder*). It’s important to be a well-rounded person and all that.

Little Timmy is ready to be CEO…of cuteness.

But would it have killed them, in between teaching the three Rs, to teach students some skills to survive in the business world?

I recently read an article on msn.com that offers some skill sets that they feel should have been taught in school, such as communication skills and personal development.

Agreed. Those are some very important skills that would have been nice to develop at an earlier age.

Here are some other things that should have been taught in school to prepare us all for the business world.

What High School Should Have Taught to Prepare Students for the Business World

Money Management 101: This is always important, and of course, in this economy, even more so. Kids need to be taught how to save, how to avoid going into debt, the penalties of missing payments on credit cards, and the importance of investing money into a company’s 401k program if they offer it. After all, how many of us would have appreciated knowing to look for a credit card with the lowest interest rates as opposed to the one that offered the coolest free t-shirt with sign up?

Basic Shmoozing: It’s not always about the job you do, but the people you meet. Some jobs require people to go out and lunch with clients, or to attend conferences, or to lead training sessions. That is why it’s important to master the art of small talk.

Advanced Networking: (Should be taken in conjunction with Shmoozing.) Networking is not only how you meet new people in your industry, it can actually be the key to finding you a new job. Course should cover why it’s always important to carry your business card with you, how to hold on to a glass of wine while shaking hands with people, and the best way to remember someone’s name five seconds after he tells it to you. 

21st Century Office Politics: When should you kiss your boss’s rear, and when should you keep quiet? Why is it so important to make friends with the administrative assistant? Why should you never say anything bad about a coworker in an e-mail? This knowledge is crucial to career success.

Golfing for Dummies: Many deals don’t take place anywhere near the office. So if the clients, or the CEOs, are going golfing, you need to get out your ugly plaid pants and beanie hat and tee off right along with them. (And golfing would have been a far less traumatic gym experience than volleyball. Trust me on that one.)

So, what do you wish they taught in school?