The skills to learn are the ones that show up in the job adverts you want, sit close to what you already do, and can be shown to an employer with real work. Start from your target role, check which skills its adverts ask for most, pick one or two you can learn in weeks rather than years, and build proof as you go.
If you've just been laid off, learning something new can rebuild confidence as well as your CV. It works best alongside an active search, not instead of one. See our layoff checklist for the first steps.
What is the difference between upskilling and reskilling?
Upskilling means adding skills that make you better at your current kind of work, such as an accountant learning a new reporting tool. Reskilling means learning skills for a different kind of work, such as a retail manager training for an IT support role.
| Upskilling | Reskilling | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Stronger in your current field | Move into a new field |
| Typical time | Weeks to a few months | Months to years, depending on the field |
| Risk | Low; builds on your experience | Higher; you start with less proof |
| Best after a layoff when | Your field is still hiring | Your field is shrinking or you want out |
After a layoff, upskilling usually gets you back to work faster. If you're considering a bigger move, our guide to how to change careers explains how to test a field before committing.
What jobs are in demand?
For the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes official projections. Its Occupational Outlook Handbook lists the 20 fastest-growing occupations for 2025 to 2035 (checked 2 November 2026, page updated 27 August 2026). They include:
- Health care: nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapy assistants, medical and health services managers, home health and personal care aides.
- Data and technology: data scientists, information security analysts, computer and information research scientists.
- Energy and trades: solar photovoltaic installers, wind turbine service technicians, industrial machinery mechanics.
- Mental health and safety: substance abuse, behavioural disorder and mental health counsellors; occupational health and safety specialists and technicians.
The BLS list of occupations adding the most new jobs over the same period is different, because it counts jobs rather than growth rate. It includes home health and personal care aides, registered nurses, software developers, general and operations managers, management analysts, accountants and auditors, and electricians.
Two cautions. These are US projections, and demand varies by country and region. And fast growth in a small occupation can mean fewer openings than slower growth in a large one. Use these lists as a starting point, then check real adverts where you live.
Learning a new skill? Prove it on the real work
Practise on a job simulation for your target role, see where you lost marks, follow a learning pathway, and share your skills profile. Free to start, no card.
In-demand skills: what to learn by area
Rather than one universal list, pick the area closest to your experience. These are skill areas that appear across many roles; check them against adverts for your target job.
| Area | Skills worth learning | Who it suits | How to prove it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data | Spreadsheets to an advanced level, SQL, a BI tool, basic statistics | Analysts, finance, operations, marketing | A dashboard or analysis of a public dataset |
| Using AI tools at work | Writing clear prompts, checking AI output, automating routine tasks | Almost any office role | Before-and-after examples of a workflow you improved |
| Cybersecurity | Networking basics, security fundamentals, incident handling | IT support, sysadmins, analysts | Labs, a recognised entry certificate, a write-up |
| Software and cloud | A programming language, version control, a cloud platform | Developers, IT, technical career changers | Projects on GitHub, a deployed app |
| Project and operations | Planning, stakeholder management, process improvement | Coordinators, managers, team leads | A project plan or a process you improved, with results |
| Sales and customer | Discovery, CRM use, account management, handling objections | Retail, hospitality, service, account roles | Results from past roles; a mock call |
| Writing and communication | Clear business writing, documentation, presenting | Every role | Writing samples; a short presentation |
| Health care and trades | Field-specific certifications and licences | Career changers willing to train | The licence or certificate itself |
For role-specific skill lists, our career pages such as data engineer and cybersecurity analyst break down what each job involves.
How do you choose which skills to learn?
Use three filters.
- Demand where you'd work. Collect 15 to 20 adverts for your target role in your location (or remote). List every skill they mention and count how often each appears. The top five are your shortlist.
- Distance from what you already know. Prefer skills that build on your experience. A finance professional learning SQL is closer to a job offer than one starting from zero in a new field.
- Can you prove it? Choose skills you can show in a project, sample or recognised certificate. Employers hire on evidence.
If you're unsure which direction to go at all, the US Department of Labor's free My Next Move site has an interest profiler and lets you explore over 900 careers. Our guide to what career is right for me covers more free tools.
Where can you learn new skills for free?
We only list programmes we've checked on their own sites.
| Programme | Where | What it is | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| freeCodeCamp | Online, worldwide | Coding and data courses with projects; courses and certifications are free (a donor-funded charity) | Self-paced, so you need your own routine |
| OpenLearn | Online, worldwide | Free courses from The Open University; free digital badge or statement of participation on most courses | Not formal qualifications |
| SWAYAM | India, online | Government of India platform; courses free to learners | Proctored certification exams charge a fee |
| Skills Bootcamps | England | Free courses for adults aged 19+, up to 16 weeks, with a job interview offered on completion | Eligibility and local availability; find courses via the National Careers Service |
| Free courses for jobs | England | Free level 3 (and some level 2) qualifications for adults 19+ who earn below £25,750 or are unemployed (gov.uk, updated 29 July 2025) | Local rules vary; check with the provider |
| WIOA training via American Job Centers | US | The Dislocated Worker program provides career and training services through American Job Centers | Eligibility applies and services vary by state; ask your local centre |
In the US, the Department of Labor says WIOA services are designed to meet local needs and may vary from state to state, so speak to your local American Job Center about whether training can be funded for you.
How do you prove a new skill to employers?
A course completion line on your CV helps a little. Evidence of using the skill helps much more.
- Build one project that mirrors the job. For a data role, analyse a real public dataset and write up what you found. For a project role, plan a realistic project end to end.
- Write it up briefly: the problem, what you did, the result, what you'd do differently.
- Put it where employers look: your CV, LinkedIn, a portfolio link in applications.
- Test yourself on realistic work. You can practise on a job simulation of the real work in your target role, get a scored report showing where you lost marks, follow a learning pathway for the gaps, and share a skills profile with employers.
- Talk about it in interviews with the STAR method: what you set out to do, what you did, and what happened.
A 30-day plan to learn a skill and use it in your job search
| Week | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pick the skill from 15 to 20 real adverts; choose one free course | Shortlist of skills; course started |
| 2 | Learn the core; practise daily in short sessions | Notes and small exercises done |
| 3 | Build one project that mirrors the job | A finished, shareable piece of work |
| 4 | Add it to your CV and LinkedIn; mention it in applications | Updated CV; project in at least five applications |
Keep applying throughout. Learning is a strong addition to a job search, but it shouldn't pause it. Our job search strategy shows how to fit both into a week.
Which skills transfer between almost any jobs?
Communication, problem-solving, organisation, working with data, and managing people or customers carry across most roles. The trick is naming them in the language of the job you want. Our transferable skills entry and the hard skills vs soft skills guide help you describe them.
FAQs
What is the most in-demand skill in 2026?
There isn't one skill that suits everyone. Official US projections point to strong growth in health care, data, information security and some skilled trades. The best skill for you is the one that appears most in adverts for the job you want.
Is it worth learning to code after a layoff?
It can be, if you're moving toward a technical role and can commit months of practice. If you just want to work faster in your current field, spreadsheets, SQL or automating tasks with AI tools may get you hired sooner.
How long does it take to learn a new skill well enough to get hired?
It depends on the skill and your starting point. Upskilling in your own field can take weeks. Moving into a regulated field such as nursing means formal training and a licence, so check the requirements with the official body where you live.
Are free certificates worth putting on a CV?
Yes, if they're relevant to the job, but pair them with a project that shows you can use the skill.