Whether you’re starting out in your career, returning to work, or thinking of changing jobs, learning new skills can help boost your potential, increase your employability and give you the edge when finding your dream job.
Where to start
With so many opportunities out there to learn new skills or update existing ones, you might be thinking “where do I start?”
Offering free and personalised support, the National Careers Service is on hand to help you navigate through potential options so you can make an informed choice and achieve your goals no matter what stage you’re at in your job search.
Review and identify your skills
Our expert careers advisers can guide you to identify the skills you have already, what you want to develop, and work out what skills you’ll need for the types of jobs you’re interested in, as well as any skills gaps.
These could be hard skills or soft skills. You can develop hard skills, or job specific skills, from formal training and work experience. Soft skills include communication, teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability, those that you’ll need for almost any job.
Explore your options
You can explore different jobs by looking at job profiles. These will give you information on what skills and qualifications you’d need, the day-to-day aspects of the job and what kind of environment you’d be working in.
If you’re in a job already and looking for that next step, the ‘career path and progression’ section within that job profile gives ideas on how to develop.
Or for further inspiration, take the ‘Discover your skills and careers skills assessment’ to find out what motivates you, and what you can do with the skills you already have.
Develop your skills
Once you’ve figured out your next steps, the National Careers Service can help you decide how to build the skillset you need to get to where you want to be.
You might consider:
- completing a training course or online learning related to your goal
- working on your IT and digital skills
- getting related work experience or volunteering
- doing an apprenticeship or traineeship
Got the skills? Now for the job: CVs, applications and interviews
Check out the ‘Getting a job section’ of the National Careers Service’s website for support on:
- creating stand out CVs and completing job applications
- preparing for different types of interviews, answering those trickier interview questions, and making the best impression on prospective employers
Careers advisers will support you to draw out your skills and experience and get a better understanding of what employers are looking for, to help you get ahead.
