This guide, which is intended for middle and high school students, explains how job skills are the key to success in the work force and provides a strategy for developing the various types of skills needed for work in the 21st century. The following topics are discussed in the guide's five chapters: role of skills as the keys to success (the challenge of getting a good job, the different types of skills required for high-paying jobs, the special importance of foundation skills, and special skills for different clusters of occupations); foundation skills (basic skills, thinking skills, people skills, personal qualities); special skills and career planning (choosing a career direction, identifying motivated skills, overcoming stereotypes and life challenges); learning new skills (reaching dreams, using proven strategies to learn new skills, learning skills after high school); and the portfolio as a vehicle for presenting skills. Numerous checklists and forms for students to use in assessing their skills are included throughout the guide. (MN)