Upskilling: What It Means and How It Can Help Your Career

Key takeaways

When you upskill, you learn new and enhanced skills that relate to your current role and can help you make progress toward your career goals.

• Upskilling can help you remain competitive in the job market, qualify for a promotion, secure a new job, earn a higher salary, and support self-improvement.

• Upskilling involves sharpening your current skills, whereas reskilling involves learning new, cross-functional skills that may widen the scope of your current role. 

• You can pursue your professional development goals by upskilling through courses, certifications, projects, or mentorship programs. 

Learn what upskilling means and how you can work toward higher-level skills that align with your career path. Afterward, if you'd like to upskill, consider enrolling in IBM’s People & Soft Skills: Essential for Professional Success Specialization. In as little as four weeks, you’ll have the opportunity to create and deliver impactful presentations and build communication and active listening skills. 

What is upskilling?

Upskilling means learning new and enhanced skills that relate to your current role. Think about it as “leveling up” your skills.

Often, you’ll deepen your knowledge about your role and industry as you gain more experience. Upskilling is typically a more intentional learning process in which you’ll gain exposure to deeper knowledge sooner through skills development courses, certifications, or mentorship programs.

Depending on your role, you may find it beneficial to elevate your workplace skills, technical skills, or both. Explore the difference between workplace versus technical skills. 

What does upskilling mean? Upskilling and reskilling

Upskilling and reskilling are two terms that tend to go hand in hand. Whereas upskilling involves elevating your current skill set, reskilling involves learning new cross-functional skills. With reskilling, you may be able to move into a new role or widen the scope of your current role.

Benefits of upskilling

Often, the benefits of upskilling are listed from a company's perspective. Namely, companies that invest in upskilling their employees tend to see better employee engagement and a greater retention rate. In the long run, this can save money by reducing recruitment costs.

However, upskilling is beneficial for individuals as well. Through upskilling, you could:

• Progress toward goals

• Remain competitive in the job market

• Qualify for a promotion

• Secure a new job

• Earn a higher salary

• Continue self-improvement

How do you upskill yourself?

The process of upskilling is closely related to the process of working toward your career goals. In fact, you’ll likely want to consider your goals and desired career path as you determine the areas in which you want to upskill.

To build an upskilled professional toolkit, compare your current skill set to the skills you’ll need in order to achieve your long-term career goals. Some skills you may already have, while others may be skills you need to develop. Depending on your goals, you can address any skill gaps you see by upskilling or reskilling.

Tip: To organize your path forward, it may help to write your career development plan. In this document, you can outline your professional development goals, skills, and resources, and track your progress over time. Find a template here.

How to upskill your employees or yourself

There are many ways that employers can address skills gaps in their workforce, including online courses and continuous learning programs. Some ways you or your current employees can start upskilling (and reskilling) today include:

• Learn about your available resources: Some companies sponsor access to career development programs or upskilling platforms, such as Coursera, for their employees. Ask your people operations or human resources representative about any offerings available to you.

• Seek out relevant courses: No matter what you’re trying to learn, there is no shortage of courses you can take to upskill. You can likely find relevant courses on online platforms or at your local community college, whether you want to learn about well-being, global financial markets, or negotiation skills. Browse popular courses on Coursera.

• Earn a certificate: For an enhanced credential, consider enrolling in a certificate program. Typically more labor-intensive than an individual course, a certificate can demonstrate additional expertise in a particular area.

• Work on a project: If you learn best with hands-on practice, try taking on a project that enables you to practice the skills you’re trying to build. You may be able to join a project at work, or you can start your own endeavor outside of work. Over time, your projects can become a cohesive portfolio.

• Find a mentor: As you figure out the areas you’ll most benefit from upskilling, it can help to talk to someone who has already achieved the type of goals you’re working toward. A mentor can offer personalized guidance as you move toward progress. Learn more about how to find a mentor.

Read more: Are Online Certificates Worth It?

Reliable guidance when you need it most

If you’re interested in tips to help you navigate decision-making when it comes to career advancement, subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can also explore free resources to guide you in career-related decisions.

• Upskill for growth: How to Upskill for Professional Growth

• Explore learning paths: AI Learning Roadmap: From Beginner to Expert

• Take a quiz: Career Test: What Career is Right for Me Quiz?

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