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[strainer]

I extended an embark profile to include just one item of most interesting things so I can increase or remove them from the shopping list depending on what is available. I include things like a selection of light woods, petrified wood as the lightest stone, gabbro for light magma proof stone, cheap alright-sounding leathers like badger and yak, threads and bags of the cheaper silk.

With skill points I keep craft skills low except for one +4 miner, and try to invest more in social skills, which are very much harder to train. Whoever makes the best leader in particular can use as much persuasion, intimidation etc as possible to ward off loyality conflicts later. All the trader needs is 1 point on appraisal and judge intent.

I also use my plugin to examine the groups personalities and to redistribute their skill points just after arrival, I used to get stuck for ages trying figure them out from the descriptions available in embark screen.

[Montieth]

With regards to a soldier at embarkation, I like to have the seed for my military in one dwarf. Training levels in axe, shield, fighting and teaching and that dwarf gets designated as the wood cutter for a time. He builds strength while cuting wood. Once he's strong and i get an migration wave with a dwarf to set as the wood cutter he then gets set to training as the new militia leader.

[Sutremaine]

You get a chunk of Appraiser skill when the dwarven caravan arrives, assuming your depot has wagon access. The dwarf who gets the XP is the one trading when you open the trade screen for the first time, and they need to be your broker for the prices to display. If you don't get wagons, you'll get some Appraisal XP from the pack animals, but maybe not the full 500 for Novice.

Turkeys also provide bones and a skull, which you can use for trade goods. Dwarf 6 in the OP is listed as having Carpentry 5 and being responsible for providing trade goods, but unless you want to churn out cages specifically then Carpentry isn't that useful (side note: bringing one of each kind of milk nets you one barrel per milk type). Turkey bones also appear right in the butchery and are hauled in a stack of 8 or 9, instead of having to be brought from here and there one at a time.

I've gone back and forth on bringing a pick. On the one hand, they're expensive compared to a copper bar or copper ore. On the other, having one allows for instant cavern searching and stone generation for those temporary surface workshops. So at the moment I like bringing a pick.

My military profile was three dwarves with [military skill] 5, Teacher 2, Student 2, and Organiser 1, but since hearing about the Fighter skill requirement for sparring I think I'll make it [military skill] 5, Fighter 3, Teacher 1, and Student 1.

[strainer]

I'd wondered about appraisal skill training so fast - its the trading with humans mod resulting in twice as much wagons, come to think of it... it gets to be a chore.

Im tempted not spend any points on military because one year of training does more than can be added at the start anyway. Conversationalist, judge of intent, consoler, comedian, flatterer seem precious for the long run. Most of the other skills come along nicely just from keeping everyone focused.

[Sanctume]

My military profile was three dwarves with [military skill] 5, Teacher 2, Student 2, and Organiser 1, but since hearing about the Fighter skill requirement for sparring I think I'll make it [military skill] 5, Fighter 3, Teacher 1, and Student 1.

 

It seems like Student skill in the initial embark is a good investment. 
I will have to play with the combo some more.

My latest embark combo are
3 dwarfs with Tactician+5, Leather+5. These will be my dwarf captains for raiding. 
and 4 teachers.

1 dwarf Teacher+5, Fighter+5. 
In about a season, the 3 captains are around Fighter+2 and Discipline+1.

Then I have 3 other teachers as the "base" melee.
1 dwarf Teacher+5, Axe+5. 
1 dwarf Teacher+5, Hammer+5. 
1 dwarf Teacher+5, Spear+5. 

To help focus in the early days, I embarked with 1 copper axe.
Lots of 120 units of booze and 70 units of food about 4 of each type. 
The rest are junk for hospital: plaster, thread, cloth silk+wool;
and moodable junk: fire clay, sand, green glass

Interestingly enough, setting a noble manager lets me set workshop profiles and work orders even when I do not have an manager's office yet. 

Instead of ordering 1x 7 beds. I order 7x 1 bed = Organizer skill gain!  Easy macro too.