FOCUS on College and Career Success

BUILD ESSENTIAL CAREER SKILLS that are vital to obtaining a job, such as interviewing, resume writing, and creating a job plan. The text helps students narrow their major to align with their interests.

EXPLORE UNIQUE ISSUES that career and technical college students face both inside and outside of the classroom, including juggling family, school, and work, and living/studying at home.

CHALLENGE CASES highlight students experiencing real-world challenges and opportunities, giving students the opportunity to relate to the chapter topics.

"ONLINE TECHKNOW" highlights important skills that students should be aware of in a completely online or hybrid course. Special circumstances of the online learning environment are discussed in an easy-to-read, bulleted format, applying chapter-level skills to the online learning environment (e.g., navigating an online discussion board, creating meaningful relationships with instructors and peers, and online test-taking tips).

"SHARPEN YOUR FOCUS" features examine the most common reasons why college students lose focus. A short exercise in each chapter provides a solution for students to use in the real world to avoid those focus pitfalls.

THOROUGH COVERAGE OF STUDY SKILLS is provided, with chapters covering time and money management, listening, note-taking, reading, studying, and test taking.

NEW - Emphasis on Developing Soft Skills. Employers are increasingly concerned that some students are graduating from college without having learned important "soft skills" such as teamwork, leadership, professionalism, and vital communication abilities such as writing and presentation skills. This area is addressed powerfully and effectively with a chapter-by-chapter feature entitled "Soft Skills Are hard."

NEW - Increased Content in Three Areas: financial literacy, alternative e-tools for presentations, and career planning.

NEW - Up-to-date technology: Staley's own engagement in the latest technologies comes through in her message to students. FOCUS now contains more infographics to capture students' attention and aid comprehension.

NEW - Life Hacks: Life hacks are brief pointers, often technology-based, to save readers time and help them increase productivity. These short tips are placed in the margins for quick discovery.

NEW - Revised Reality Checks: FOCUS prompts students to discover personal meaning in what they're learning by completing "Readiness Checks" at the beginning of chapters and revised "Reality Checks" at the end.