Life is a constant stream of encounters with other people, and we get only one shot at making a favorable first impression.

So, a young man – or woman – would be ahead of the game if they possessed good verbal and written communication skills. And, as someone else mentioned, they need to know how to dress well, and appropriately for a given situation.

It’s an accepted fact that the outcome of a job interview is often decided in the first few minutes of the interview. Why? Because the interviewer is making immediate judgments based on appearance and presentation (communication). The all-powerful first impression at work.

I’ve passed on many otherwise well-qualified job applicants because their résumés were poorly written, riddled with misspelled words, or because their shoes looked like they’d just hiked 50 miles in them, or their shirt looked like they slept in it.

I think reading is a crucial skill and interest. Not just the ability to read, but a real desire to read. A first class, well-rounded education can be acquired by simply reading – fiction, non-fiction, and periodicals. I’m confident that the vast majority of people successful in life – personal relationships, careers, financial achievements, recreational pursuits etc. – are “readers.”

As a guy who was in the banking industry for 35 years, I’ll loudly second Groo’s recommendation that young folks need to have at least a basic knowledge of things financial – before they discover credit cards, car loans and mortgages. This is so important, and so overlooked. A little knowledge goes a long way and could make the difference between a happy life and a not-so-happy life.

Like Groo also said, tell ‘em “Plan for your retirement and start early saving for it.” It’s hard for most young adults to think of retirement as anything but an abstract concept (Hey, I’m young, it’s time to have fun!). But I guarantee, later in life, many will wish their parents had shared this concept: “Son (daughter), if you start saving $200 a month at age 25, and keep it up until you’re 60, you’ll have nearly $300,000 saved, and you’ve invested only $84,000. But if you wait until you’re 50, you’ll have to save $1800 a month – $216,000 invested – to accumulate the same $300,000.” I’ve seen way too many elderly folks in disastrous financial circumstances to not feel passionate about this (and young ones too for that matter). It ain’t a pretty sight.