The benefits of upgrading your skills include:

• Increased self-confidence: Learning a new skill can help you take on new tasks at work, as well as increase your ability to articulate to employers how you can make a difference in the workforce. Employers look for candidates who are knowledgeable, competent, and proactive. An employee who is confident in their skills and who can actively demonstrate these skills will be viewed as an asset to their company.
• Improved marketability and competitiveness: Upgrading your skills helps keep you up-to-date within your field and makes you a more competitive job applicant. When employers see that you have the skill set they need, you are more likely to get a call back on your application, as well as increase your chances of getting hired.
• Greater resourcefulness: New skills can give you the ability to offer solutions to problems that may occur on the job. Employers value employees who are self-directed and able to anticipate and resolve issues as they occur. These skills can be demonstrated on the job, as well as during behavioral-based interviews, where job applicants provide examples of a solution they developed to a challenge that arose.
• Better career opportunities: Upgrading your skills will open the door to new career opportunities that you may not have been able to consider before. For example, if you upgraded your Microsoft Excel skills, you may be able to apply for jobs that require you to analyze data, create spreadsheets, or even produce reports. As you gain new skill sets, you can consider job opportunities and roles that you once passed on.