The Life Starter
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Define the job, skill, or credential target

About 30 minutes
Work at your own pace. Optional videos take extra time.
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Before you begin

The idea in everyday life

Turn a broad interest into a target outcome and a set of must-have requirements.

The idea

Training is a means; the target outcome determines which evidence and tradeoffs matter.

Try it

One step at a time.

Use the sample or information you have permission to use. Keep your work as you go. You can pause between steps.

  1. 1

    Collect several current role or advancement descriptions and highlight repeated duties, tools, credentials, and experience.

  2. 2

    Separate must-have requirements from preferred language and skills that can be demonstrated another way.

  3. 3

    Write the target outcome, constraints, and the evidence that would show a program is relevant.

Example

See how it works.

Rae learns that the target role requires a state license and documented hours, so she adds both to the comparison criteria.

Check your work

Did you cover these?

  • Your work includes a target-outcome brief with must-have requirements, constraints, and comparison criteria.
  • Check this common mistake: Choosing a familiar school or course before knowing what it must help you do.
  • A program can be judged against a written outcome and not just its title or reputation.
Your work

What to finish

A target-outcome brief with must-have requirements, constraints, and comparison criteria.

Common mistake

Watch for this

Choosing a familiar school or course before knowing what it must help you do.

How can I tell I understand it?

A program can be judged against a written outcome and not just its title or reputation.

Try 3 questions

Quick knowledge check

Answer all 3 questions. Get at least 2 right and the lesson completes automatically.

Not yet passed

You’ll get an explanation for each answer. Signed in? Your results save to your account.

1Which step is part of “Define the job, skill, or credential target”?
2What should you have made by the end of this lesson?
3Which mistake should you watch for in this lesson?
0 of 3 answeredApply the lesson to a short question, then review the explanation.
1
Finish this lesson

Pass the check. We’ll save the progress.

Answer all 3 questions above and get at least 2 right. You can review the explanations and try again.

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Optional course overview video
Minnesota Goes to CollegeTypes of CollegesYouTube
Optional course overview

Types of Colleges

From Minnesota Goes to College. Watch here or open it on YouTube .

Watch for an idea you can use in the practice below. You can pause or skip this optional overview.
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Sources and further reading

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