If you want a promotion or career change, do this

If you’ve applied for a job lately, you might have noticed the growing list of expectations that many companies require of their applicants. As we’ve seen over the last year, in-demand skills are rapidly evolving faster than ever before. So how do you set yourself apart from the hundreds of other faceless resumes and cover letters?

You need relevant experience that makes companies want to fight for you and pay you what you’re worth. You need to keep up with changing trends to make sure your qualifications match the most desirable skills. You need expertise that transcends your competition and makes you the only choice worth considering.

If you’re interested in changing careers, applying for promotions, or exploring things you’ve never tried before, your best option is upskilling and reskilling.

According to the World Economic Forum, global reskilling will impact more than one billion people by 2030. And by 2022, forty-two percent of the core skills required to perform existing jobs are expected to change in some way.

If you’ve ever considered pursuing an advanced degree, certification, or course, now is your chance to take the leap. There’s never been a better time to start something new.

Upskilling and reskilling: what’s the difference?

Upskilling involves learning new skills so you can grow in your current role, while reskilling means learning new skills to help you do a different job. Think of the two in terms of expansion versus transformation.

When you’re upskilling, you’re expanding your current abilities and skillset. In the long run, this helps you qualify for more senior roles in your field or take on new responsibilities at work. Often, upskilling involves taking additional training. This might mean a leadership course to boost your soft skills, a program that helps increase your productivity, or a special certification in a type of software you’re already using.

Reskilling means that you want to transform your career into something entirely new. The cool thing about reskilling is that it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re changing companies. Sometimes, your company might be interested in helping you reskill so that you’re more versatile and adaptable. For example, a marketing copywriter pursuing a software development degree is reskilling.

The short and long-term benefits of both

The great thing about upskilling and reskilling is that it benefits both you and your employer. When your company invests in you, they’re creating a well-rounded employee with the exact skills they need and want. Upskilling is a great way to ensure job security, while reskilling offers an opportunity to move into a new role — and pick up some new skills in the process.

When it comes to raises and bonuses, companies love to see their employees taking the initiative. If your company doesn’t currently offer opportunities for continued education, ask! If you show an interest in learning new skills, it won't go unnoticed. Even if you don’t end up getting a raise or promotion right away, you’ll still be in a great position to look for new roles now that you've expanded your skillset.

That’s another reason why upskilling and reskilling is essential: it sets you up for success in the future. According to a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a multinational professional services network of firms, fifty-four percent of CEOs say they plan to increase their headcount in the next twelve months.

These CEOs are also focused on finding and hiring employees with the right skills. Ninety-one percent of CEOs say they need to strengthen soft skills alongside digital skills, while sixty-nine percent are concerned about the digital skills of their leadership team.

Upskilling and reskilling set you apart from other applicants and make you more desirable to companies looking to promote people both upwardly and outwardly. For many companies, finding people to fill a role is easy — but finding the right person can be challenging, time-consuming, and costly.

In a 2019 exploratory study on the skills gap, eighty-three percent of HR professionals say they have difficulty recruiting suitable job candidates, while seventy-five percent report that there are skills gaps in job candidates.

Employers are desperate to find people to fill these upcoming open roles. With the right qualifications and skills, you can easily qualify. However, to get there, it’s essential to make sure you choose the program, course, or certification that’s right for you.

How to explore your educational options to find the right fit

First, it’s a good idea to think about your goals. Look at where you are right now versus where you want to be: in two weeks, two months, and two years. Compare your current circumstances to your expectations and start to brainstorm different ways to fill in the gaps.

If you’re unsure about how to begin, exploring your interests and even imagining your dream job can be a great place to start.

Courses are a great way to start exploring a topic without committing to a full-time degree or certificate. They’re great for very specific interests or goals, although many of them don’t include certifications or degrees at the end. They’re also less comprehensive than a certification or degree program might be.

A certification is an excellent middle ground between degrees and courses. It offers a tangible measure of completion when you finish, which looks great on a resume. Courses can also provide a more wallet-friendly option as opposed to a more expensive degree program. Courses also take less time and offer the same rigor you’d experience in a degree program without the long-term commitment of a degree.

To qualify for upper management roles, new experiences, and raises, an advanced or supplementary degree is a great way to set yourself apart. It shows drive and follow-through and tells your employer that you were passionate enough about a subject to commit to learning everything you can about it. Degree programs can be costly, but most schools offer some type of financial aid to qualified applicants. Some degree programs also have prerequisites, so it’s essential to make sure you qualify for what interests you.

Key takeaways

With so much focus on growth and change, it’s never been a better time to upskill or reskill. As companies start to reorganize and rebuild their organizations post-pandemic, they’ll look at learners and professionals taking the same steps to reorganize and rebuild their careers.

According to LinkedIn’s fifth annual Workplace Learning Report, employees stay almost two times longer on average at companies with high internal mobility. Companies with low internal mobility typically see employees leave after 2.9 years, while those with high internal mobility keep employees 5.4 years.

LinkedIn’s report also polled learning and development pros, who ranked upskilling and reskilling as the top area of focus for 2021. Sixty-six percent of these pros agree that their focus this year is on rebuilding or reshaping their organization.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or how far along you are in your career. Every single person can benefit from upskilling and reskilling.

Life isn’t linear, and learning doesn’t have to be either.