Does upskilling even work?

"What McDonough was doing was upskilling-the practice of learning new skills or sharpening old ones to attain maximum desirability in the job market. While taking this web dev course, McDonough wasn't sure it would be worth the time and cost. But by the end, he had a "polished portfolio," he says, a filled-out GitHub and new skills added on LinkedIn."

"But he's not sure job seekers could replicate his experience today. The skillsets deemed desirable seem to be shifting faster than ever, and job seekers are reporting dismal experiences on the market. In the 2010s, "upskilling" may have just meant enrolling in a coding academy and hoping for the best. But fast, seismic changes like the rise of AI have quickly made a path to professional staying power much murkier."

Bob McDonough enrolled in a full-stack web development bootcamp in summer 2019 and used the certificate to build a polished portfolio, fill out GitHub, and add skills on LinkedIn. Within three months of completion, he secured a salaried design-studio job after a recruiter contacted him through his profile. Many job seekers today face faster-changing demand for skills and poorer market outcomes. Employers increasingly require more than short certificates as credential value erodes. Rapid technological shifts, especially AI, have complicated straightforward upskilling paths. Alternative strategies and clearer employer expectations are needed for sustained professional mobility.

Read at Fast Company