Written by Siena Sydenham, GWI Marketing Intern

Becoming proficient at these five skills will ensure you are the most confident and well prepared you can be when walking into your first job.

1. Negotiation

More than just a tool for salary adjustment, negotiation skills are integral to communicating your value, asking thoughtful questions, and finding creative solutions through exploring compromise. Successful negotiating means learning to advocate for yourself.

The ability to express a belief and support it in the face of some opposition is invaluable in the workforce, in business related careers and beyond.

Negotiation isn't about being demanding, it's about being prepared and confident.

So, What Is Negotiating?

Negotiation is a strategic discussion aimed at resolving differences between parties.

To be successful in a negotiation it is extremely important that you are persistent and maintain your values, but, even more so, that you listen actively and shift your approach along with the conversation. The most vital aspects of a negotiation are the steps of collaborative problem solving and respective compromise. By recognizing what each party is looking for, you can control the conversation—putting forth a suggestion appealing to others while still accounting for your initial interests.

Everyday Ways Teens Use and Develop Negotiation Skills

Coordinating and splitting responsibilities on a team project
Asking for leadership opportunities
Discussing a project’s appropriate and feasible timeline

You can practice your negotiating technique in various formats from online classes and video tutorials to everyday conversations.

If you’re looking for formal programs to practice the art of negotiation, look no further than Girls With Impact’s high school SheLeads programs. By joining an existing chapter or establishing a new one, you unlock free access to lessons, activities, and resources all geared toward improving business skills, including negotiation.

2. Public Speaking

Public speaking, while often nerve wracking, is one of the most common experiences in a professional environment.

Every career path requires clear communication skills whether it be interviewing, presenting an idea, leading a meeting, etc., but becoming a confident public speaker does not require eliminating all nervousness; rather, it's the ability to recognize and conquer the nervousness.

But How Do You Conquer Your Nervousness?

While it is definitely easier said than done, the key to maintaining comprehensible and persuasive public speaking in the face of nervousness is to practice.

Being prepared and well versed in the topic is key because it will allow you to feel confident in your thinking. If you want others to listen to and believe you, it is crucial that you convince yourself of those things first.

Rehearsing to yourself or close friends and family is a great way to build confidence in advance of a planned speech.

One way to develop general public speaking skills is to record yourself talking for a given time frame (1 minute, 5 minutes, etc.,) about a randomly selected topic on the spot. By taking a video of this practice, you can rewatch it and identify where you struggled—whether it be posture, eye contact, filler words, topic fluency etc,.

Everyday Ways for Teens to Practice Public Speaking

Presenting in class
Participating in clubs
Recording short videos
Pitching ideas to peers or mentors

Being able to develop, articulate, and defend an idea is a priceless skill. Girls With Impact’s Innovation Academy recognizes this fact, and, as a result, immerses students in supportive entrepreneurial experiences where they learn to identify and present ideas with confidence and purpose.

By the end of the five week program, not only do participants earn a micro-credential (proof of skill development), but they will also have built a business from the ground up, and have experience pitching it to peers and mentors along the way.

3. Financial Literacy

Before a first job—and with it a first paycheck—it’s important to have a handle on key, basic financial concepts.

Especially in business, when you are not just monitoring your own finances, but your company or organization’s standing as well.

Essential Financial Topics Every Teen Should Understand

Budgeting:

Tracking income and expenses
Creating spending plans

Saving:

Building healthy financial habits early
Understanding emergency funds and future goals

Investing:

Familiarizing with concepts including compound growth
Understanding long-term wealth building

Credit:

Understanding how credit and interest work
Identifying why responsible financial decisions matter
Figuring out how to build a strong credit score early (and maintain it!)

Real-World Impact

Financial literacy will help you make informed decisions throughout life, from college planning to entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship education will organically introduce you to financial decision-making. Girls With Impact programs, including the Innovation Academy, help students explore budgeting, revenue, pricing, and business planning, exposing them to financial concepts that traditional classrooms do not cover.

4. Networking

With just one life, how do you figure out what to do?

You talk. You talk to peers. You talk to mentors.

You talk to teachers, neighbors, family, friends’ family, and the list goes on, because for every single person you talk to you gain insight into another life experience (and potential professional pursuit).
Networking shows you paths and opens doors you never knew existed.

Reframing Networking for Teens

Instead of asking:

“What can this person do for me?”

Ask:

“What can I learn from this person?”

Ways Teens Can Start Networking Now

Reaching out to mentors in and out of the school environment
Attending local events and asking thoughtful questions of participants
Joining student organizations
Reaching out to professionals for informational interviews (coffee chats)
Engaging intentionally on LinkedIn

Benefits of Building Relationships

Career exploration and exposure
Access to advice and mentorship
Discovering internship and job opportunities
Increased confidence and communication skills (callback to skill #2)

When looking for people to reach out to, one of the best forms of connection will be alumni of a school or extracurricular you are involved in. A shared experience or interest is an excellent foundation for a relationship and presents a strong reason to connect in the first place.

That’s why Girls With Impact keeps an active alumni network available to anyone in a GWI program. Plus, all programs have mentors throughout the course which serve as an initial point of entry to the vast GWI business community.

Networking is not simply collecting contacts or reaching 500+ connections on LinkedIn; rather, it’s building genuine relationships and learning from others’ experiences.

5. Self-Starting and Initiative:

Employers consistently look for people who can identify opportunities, solve problems, and take action without waiting to be told what to do.

What Could Initiative Look Like for a Teen?

Volunteering for new responsibilities without being asked to take them on
Crafting a passion project from scratch
Solving a problem independently
Seeking out different learning opportunities
Following through on commitments
Being decisive and responsive
Asking for feedback or new challenges

Why is it Important for Teens?

Initiative demonstrates leadership potential and is a testament to hard work.

Entrepreneurship is an incredible exercise in initiative. Building something from the ground up independently takes immense commitment and self-motivation. In said fashion, Girls With Impact programs like the Innovation Academy encourage students to take action on their ideas.

Identifying problems, developing solutions, and bringing ideas to life, Girls With Impact helps students build the mindset and confidence to become leaders.

All in All: Build the Skills Before You Need Them

Bringing these five things to your first job will allow you to hit the ground running:

Negotiation skills
Public speaking confidence
Financial literacy
Strong networks
Initiative and self-motivation

These skills aren't reserved for adults.

They can be developed right now through everyday experiences, leadership opportunities, and lessons in entrepreneurship at Girls With Impact.

Start Now:

Enroll in the Girls With Impact Innovation Academy Summer Program today and begin sharpening these invaluable skills now.

Register at: https://www.girlswithimpact.org/register

5 Business Skills Every Teen Should Learn Before Their First Job