How to upskill for the job you want

Are you clear about the skills you have and which ones you want to develop? Discover how you can gain the skills you need for jobs you’re interested in

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on National Careers Service

Types of skills

Employers look for a mix of:

• hard skills, or job-specific skills. You may get these from formal training or experience; 
• soft skills, which include transferable skills like teamwork, communication and problem-solving

Identify your skills

To learn what soft skills and hard skills you’ll need for jobs you’re interested in you can:

• check the job description;
• take a look at our job profiles;
• talk to people you know about their jobs.

To identify your skills – and decide what skills to develop – you could:

• think about what you do in your current job;
• reflect on your past education and work experiences;
• think about the skills you’ve gained in daily life;
• talk to people who know you well outside of work; they’ll be able to give you a different perspective;
• write down a list of strengths and areas you’d like to improve;
• take our skills health check to see what strengths you have.

Improve your skills

Improving the right skills can make you a better candidate for the job you want – new skills may even take you in a completely different career direction. 

Work on your skills gaps

You could work on improving your:

• digital skills;
• people skills – for example, through volunteering;

• skills which may now need updating – for example, because of a gap in employment;
• communication and/or number skills;
• interview skills.

Courses and training

You could gain new skills by doing a course, an apprenticeship, or learning on the job. 

For help deciding your next steps, and whether further training is for you, you can speak to an adviser. You could also contact your local:

• colleges;
• library;
• training providers;
• Jobcentre plus;
• jobseeker support programmes.

Taking a course does not have to be a full-time commitment – there are flexible ways to learn, such as:

• online learning;
• short courses;
• evening classes.

How do you find an online course?

Use the Skills Toolkit to access free, high quality, courses to help you build up your skills.

Explore free online courses

Volunteering and work experience

Volunteering can help you to develop new skills and get useful work experience; it’s also a good way to support your community and help others. You can find out more about volunteering from:

• NHS Volunteers;
• Do IT;
• Volunteering Matters;
• find local volunteer centres through the National Council of Volunteer Organisations (NCVO) and organisations like Citizens Advice.

Teach yourself

You can learn new skills and build your knowledge on your own. You could:

• use ‘teach yourself’ style books and CDs;
• listen to podcasts from professional organisations;
• watch videos online;
• join online communities for specific skills, like cookery or motor vehicle maintenance;
• watch educational TV and radio programmes;
• download skills apps on your mobile or tablet.

Make a career plan

Set yourself some ‘SMART’ goals when deciding your next steps. These should be:

• specific;
• measurable;
• achievable;
• relevant;
• time-bound.

With these in mind, you can create a plan of action. Think about the time you can give to your goals, taking into account your:

• personal circumstances;
• work and personal commitments.

Concentrate on a job or qualification which is achievable for you and your skill level.

Be flexible with your career plan

Develop your plan with a long term aim and short term goals so you can break up your time. You should think about all the different routes you could take to get to your career aim.

Update your CV with new skills

Keep your CV up-to-date by adding any new skills and how you gained them; this can help you to tailor your CV to the job you want.