By Annemarie Allain, ’00

It’s not new, but the truth is, the jobs we work today may not make it to tomorrow. It goes that way for every generation, but these days it’s happening faster than ever as entire industries evolve.

How do you stay competitive within constantly changing career dynamics? The secret lies in upskilling and reskilling.

In their 2025 Future of Jobs Report, the World Economic Forum reports that 59 out of 100 workers will need reskilling or upskilling by 2030, with 63% of employers citing skills gaps as the single biggest barrier to business transformation.

From reinforcing expertise in your current industry to transitioning into something entirely new, leveling up your knowledge keeps you in control of your professional future.

Upskilling vs. reskilling: What is the difference?

Although these two terms are often used interchangeably, they actually have unique meanings in workforce development.

Upskilling: Pushing existing skills to a new level, becoming more advanced or effective in a current role. This means building on existing knowledge within the same field. It can be as general as a manager taking leadership training or as specific as a mechanic learning to fix electric vehicles.

Reskilling: Learning an entirely new function to cross over into a different career or industry. Rather than just expanding existing know-how, this is a bigger change requiring the development of a new knowledge base. For example, a teacher might move into corporate training or a nurse into medical sales.

Change is happening; are you ready for it?

According to LinkedIn’s 2025 Work Change Report, 70% of the skills used in most jobs will change by 2030, driven in part by the rise of artificial intelligence and other technological advancements. So, when should you upskill or reskill? It’s always best to regularly take inventory of your skills and sign up for additional learning before it becomes a necessity.

It can be helpful to ask yourself: "Are my job expectations changing?” or “Are significant shifts happening within my industry?" Your answers might include some of the following.

Signs it's time to upskill:

• Struggling to keep up with new systems or technology being introduced at work.
• Colleagues at your level have capabilities you don't.
• Performance reviews flag areas for development.
  

Signs it's time to reskill:

• Layoffs or outsourcing are becoming frequent.
• The core of your job could be automated.
• Burnout or a loss of passion for your industry.
  

Pro tip: Don’t ignore soft skills. They are equally important whether you’re upping your current game or trying to play a new one. Treat upskilling and reskilling as ongoing career maintenance.

How to identify the right skills to learn

Perhaps the hardest part is being honest enough with yourself about which of those signs feel familiar and what is holding you back.

Speaking at the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) Talent Conference in 2023, Raymond Lee, founder and president at Careerminds, shared, "What is the one thing you would like to change about your job? That answer is the one thing you're going to try to take hold of. That could be your upskilling, reskilling, cross-skilling approach."

Once you have answers in hand, sift through job postings to see what skills are required in the positions you want. You may also consider setting up informational interviews with people who already have that job to ask what skills they use every day. This will help determine whether you need training in hard skills (technical knowledge or credentials) or soft skills (communication or the ability to build professional relationships).

Most people need both, just at different career stages. Early in your career, hard skills are critical to proving you can do the work, but as you progress, soft skills become the differentiator. Those who go the furthest are the ones who never stop developing both.

Where to build new skills

Finding ways to upskill or reskill has never been easier. Full-time certificate programs and degrees offer structured learning and professional credentials. Conversely, workshops, microcredentials and digital badges are a faster, more focused path to building specific skills.

For those who do best with hands-on learning, some of the most valuable career development comes from on-the-job learning, taking on a part-time role or volunteering for projects outside your comfort zone. It all depends on your goals, timeline and learning style.

Oregon State offers several resources to help you get started, including professional and continuing education courses (bonus: OSUAA members receive 15% off select courses!), auditing academic coursework and reaching out to alumni to set up informational interviews through OSU Connections.

Career development is in your hands

During a 2026 episode of the SHRM Honest HR podcast, Emily Dickens, chief administrative officer for SHRM, said, "You have a responsibility to make sure that you reskill and upskill. For individuals — the technical things are secondary. What matters first are the general capabilities you need to have. Once you get in the spot, then you layer in the technical things you need."