Using Technology to Help Students Develop College and Career Skills

College and career readiness is a critical issue for schools as students plan to navigate life once they graduate. Today, that concern is even more intense due to the presence of artificial intelligence and its power to cause layoffs at companies.

In general, college and career readiness ensures that students are prepared to succeed in postsecondary education and the workforce. Beyond earning a diploma, this process empowers students to make informed choices, develop skills that will help them adapt to the demands of the workplace, and pursue meaningful postsecondary pathways. When educators, families, and communities prioritize readiness, they help close opportunity gaps and strengthen students’ economic mobility.

Some states have adopted higher, more focused standards in order to prepare students for college, technical schools, the military, and careers. Some states, like Georgia and Florida, have even designed educational pathways so that students will graduate with either college technical education credits or dual enrollment in a community college or two-year university.

It’s a common misconception that college and career readiness should focus on just the academics (or “hard skills”) needed to be successful in the workplace; communication and collaborative skills (or “soft skills”) are just as important. I think that identifying hard skills and soft skills creates a division between the two skill sets when both are needed in order to be successful once a student graduates from the K–12 system.

Personally, I’m an advocate of eliminating the terminology “hard skills” and “soft skills” and using the term “practical skills” instead. Technology can help students gain insight into how they can use practical skills while they’re still in school and when they enter the next stage of their lives.

Here are some ways to get started.

Inform Students About What College and Career Readiness Means

An understanding of what college and career readiness truly means is essential for helping students make informed decisions about their futures. Far too often, readiness is reduced to test scores or graduation requirements. That gives no information about the skills, habits, and experiences that they’ll need beyond high school in order to be successful.

Teaching students explicitly about the importance of academic knowledge, career exploration, employability skills, and postsecondary planning connected to real-world opportunities can give them purpose and direction. Clear communication about what college and career readiness means empowers students to set realistic goals, explore multiple pathways, and take ownership of their learning.

Instruct Students on Using Résumé- and Portfolio-Building Tools

Even from the age of middle school, it’s important for students to learn how to showcase their accomplishments. This is typically done with a résumé or portfolio, but for students who are new to exploring the workforce, they may not know where to begin. Platforms like Canva and Google Sites are budget-friendly ways for students to create portfolios of their academic accomplishments and achievements outside of school, such as being on the honor roll, any competition wins, any volunteer work, or any leadership positions (such as class president or head cheerleader).

Older students around the age of 17 and 18 may want to consider creating a LinkedIn profile to showcase their achievements and build their digital footprint. As a suggestion, alongside their education, I typically tell students to think of their top five achievements—inside and outside of school—that relate to what they may want to do when they get older, and expand on those as they create their résumé or their portfolio. For example, if a student wants to be a professional pianist, highlighting that they won a regional music competition would be good to add to their portfolio.

Use Technology to Prepare for Interviews

Many mock interview questions available on the internet, and large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini, can help generate potential interview questions for students. This can be instrumental in helping students practice before and during the interview process, whether it’s for a volunteer opportunity, an internship, or a paid job. Additionally, there are many online feedback tools available for students about public speaking and body language (one of my favorite apps to assist students with public speaking is Speaker Coach within Microsoft PowerPoint).

Here’s a brief personal story: A friend of mine is an animal conservationist, and his son wants to become an aeronautical engineer. He’s very supportive of his son’s goals, but because he’s from a completely different industry, he struggled to help his son prepare for an interview with a local engineer. He came to me for help on what to do, and with the support of an LLM, we were able to compose this query—“I am interested in becoming an aeronautical engineer. What are five questions that I might be able to ask someone who already has that job?”—to help kick-start the conversation and help him guide the interview.

Highlight Time-Management and Productivity Apps

Students can use digital calendars, reminders, and project management tools to help manage their time and build discipline, especially since they will need to be able to do this successfully when they are older. I like to use Google Calendar to keep track of my tasks and important events and color-code them based on level of importance. Apps like this can be extremely helpful for students who struggle with executive function—they can reference their calendars, reminders, and additional information to stay on task.

Reinforce the Importance of Digital Communication Skills

Something that comes up frequently when I speak with educators is that although digital communication has definitely come a long way, communicating effectively over technology is still a learned skill, and it doesn’t come easily to students. With guidance from teachers, technology tools can be used sparingly to support students as they learn professional email etiquette, assess their grammar and punctuation, check email and other communications for tone, and fine-tune documents.

When schools intentionally align instruction, experiences, and supports, they can ensure that students graduate feeling confident, capable, and prepared for college and careers.