Cross-sector competencies are employability knowledge, skills, and dispositions that--along with academic and career-specific skills--make up a career-ready graduate. As schools work to prepare students for success in a rapidly changing economy, they need to have clear and measurable definitions of what students should know and be able to do in 21st-century careers and life. "Getting Real about Career-Readiness: A Focus on Cross-Sector Competencies" is the first in a series of multi-media white papers on promising education practices for preparing students for the changing world of work. It reflects both the learning and questions that emerged in planning for and participating in the Global Learning Network 2017 convening and America Achieves' ongoing interaction with the schools, expert participants, and our partners in related projects. While this is not an exhaustive review, it provides a lens on the changing world of work and some important first steps K-12 education can take to better prepare students for it--notably developing a profile of a career-ready graduate and building consensus and planning strategically around that vision. [This paper was published by the America Achieves Educator Networks.]