What is Upskilling and Reskilling? (2024)

What is upskilling?

Upskilling, as defined by LinkedIn, refers to the practice of acquiring new skills or enhancing existing skills to stay competitive in the job market. Upskilling is specifically focused on obtaining knowledge, expertise, or capabilities related to your current field or industry in order to advance your career or adapt to changes in the job market. You can initiate the process of upskilling yourself, or you might find that your organization encourages you to improve your skills, so you stay up-to-date and can add additional responsibility to your role.

There are many ways for you to begin upskilling. We recommend that you start by considering your goals, time and budget. Get your toes wet by choosing one of the options below:

Learning and development opportunities - The quickest and most accessible way to begin upskilling is to enroll in an online course or webinar that interests you, then work your way through the material, reflecting on your key learnings and takeaways before moving on to your next course. You could choose online or in-person courses, workshops, conferences, or any other learning format. Depending on your time and budget, you could choose anything from a short 1-2 course to pursuing a master’s degree over several years
Peer coaching or mentoring - Your organization may have a formal mentoring or coaching program, but if not, you can build your own using your network. to regularly meet with leaders you respect. This can be a great way to expand your network and receive personal advice and recommendations.
Join an industry organization or professional association - Attending meetings and conferences is a great way to make connections with others in your industry and stay tuned to the latest news and trends. Many organizations offer educational materials and resources available to members and offer a network of people with commonalities. Make a point of regularly reading and consuming quality content to stay up-to-date and bring ideas into your organization.
Seek out stretch opportunities or assignments - This tactic is a great way to challenge yourself by taking on a project or task that is currently beyond your knowledge or skill level. Start by having a conversation with your manager about being involved in projects you’re interested in or working with new teams whose focus is something you want to learn more about. Learning from experts within your own organization is a great way to form new relationships and can be a nice way to determine what you’re passionate about learning.

Stanford Online Upskilling Opportunities

If you’re like many of our learners, you are interested in developing expertise in the areas of management, leadership, and strategy. Stanford Online can be a valuable resource. Through our courses, you will learn practical frameworks, tools and methods for performing better in your role or moving from an individual contributor to a manager or director in courses. such as:

Upskilling Examples

If you're looking for more ideas and inspiration in other topic areas, you might be inspired by some of our learners who have been successful at upskilling by taking courses and programs from Stanford Online. Here’s some examples of courses that are great for upskilling, as well as comments from our learners.

Data Mining and Applications Graduate Certificate

"I am now focused on how the advanced techniques I learned can be used to inform better decision-making at my company." - Michael M

Management Science and Engineering Graduate Certificate

"I have started doing more competitive analysis in the mobile industry, giving more presentations and demos to customers, and doing strategic analysis for the company's products." - Juan W

Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate

“Within the past year, I have been able to apply the knowledge I gained from the courses to my current work projects…” - Shawn M.

Product Management Program

“I believe in constant learning, staying relevant… when I found the Product Management Program I could relate to it in my current role and where I want to see myself in the near future.” - Kratika G.

What is reskilling?

Reskilling refers to the acquisition of entirely new skills. Reskilling is often pursued to pivot to a different career or industry due to changes in job demand or personal career goals. It can also be initiated by an organization to shift an employee's responsibilities to help meet their changing goals.

If you’re ready for a career change, you’ll need to invest some time to determine which career is right for you. Start by making a list of your top qualities and skills and match those with other professionals to see where you’d best fit. Consider which of your hobbies and interests make your happiest, and think about how you could build a career around these passions. Once you’ve determined your field of interest you can build a plan for reskilling through activities like these:

Learning and skill development opportunities - Pursuing a certificate or degree provides a formal way to show your new education and skills. Begin by searching for educational programs on the topic or skill you’re looking to acquire and evaluate your options. Choose programs from institutions that are reputable, accredited, and can offer testimonials from previous students who have enrolled.
Job shadowing - Your current employer might provide the opportunity to follow and closely observe another employee performing a role that interests you. If not, you can talk to your manager, human resources departments or appropriate team or department to seek out willing participants who work in the type of role you’re seeking. You may uncover some interesting insights and information by job shadowing that help further your sense of what that career could hold for you.
Programs offered by your employer - Some companies make rotation or training programs available to employees. These types of opportunities allow you to gain new skills and experiences first-hand. In some instances, you can join other teams for an extended period of time. Check whether your organization has official training and resource centers that enable you to gain the knowledge you need for a new role.

Stanford Online Reskilling Opportunities

If you're considering a career transition, you will need in-depth, rigorous content that will help you master new knowledge and skill sets. If you’re like many of our learners, you might be interested in more comprehensive and applied knowledge through technical and engineering courses.

We offer both graduate and professional level courses and programs in areas such as:

Artificial Intelligence
Engineering
Product Management
And more!

These programs offer the rigor and depth required to move into a new field and provide the flexibility to complete the programs at your own pace.

Reskilling Examples

Curious about how our learners have reskilled in other topic areas? Here are some examples of learners who have been successful at reskilling by taking courses & programs from Stanford Online.

Epidemiology and Clinical Research Graduate Certificate

“So I wanted to find a career that combined these two interests: medical work that helped patient treatment with some quantitative research and reasoning elements. Clinical research was the perfect mix for me.” - Bryan B.

Electrical Engineering Masters Degree & Management Science and Engineering Master’s Degree

“The highlight of my time pursuing a masters through SCPD was a course called Global Project Coordination… Taking that one class set me on a path to creating my own VC firm so that I could fund resources and investment to these kinds of entrepreneurs remotely in the US and increasingly around the world” - Trevor L.

Digital Transformation Program

“I received a chance to start as a DevOps engineer. When the challenge progressed, I accompanied it with a continuous learning path to improve my credibility” - Rafael C.

Medical Statistics Program

“I don’t think I would have had the confidence and the additional skill set necessary to land this job without the med stats program.” - Kevin B.

Ultimately, should you choose to upskill or reskill?

This can depend on whether these options are coming from your employer or are self-initiated. You will need to determine whether you want to stay in your current industry or organization, moving up or shifting roles within it or you want a change, a new challenge, or a new career opportunity. Once you know what you want, you’re bound to find the education you need at Stanford Online. We offer a wide range of courses that cater to both upskilling and reskilling goals and that can help you enhance your skills, stay competitive, and pursue new career opportunities.

Want personalized advice? Get in touch with a member of our team for help determining the best course or program to pursue.