Skjærli, who started for Lillehammer Skiklubb , made his first international appearance at the 1998 Nordic Junior World Ski Championships in Pontresina . There he won the silver medal with the relay and finished 16th in the 10 km freestyle. In the 1998/99 season he ran his first race in the Continental Cup in Lillehammer , which he finished in 20th place over 5 km freestyle and in Oslo his first World Cup race , which he finished classically in 67th place over 50 km. In March 2001 he achieved his best individual placement in the World Cup in Oslo with 48th place over 50 km classic. In February 2005 he won his only classic win in the Continental Cup at the Scandinavian Cup in Sundsvall over 10 km and at the end of the season he finished seventh in the overall standings in this racing series. He completed his tenth and last individual World Cup race in March 2006 at the Wasalauf , which he finished in 78th place. In 2004 and 2005 he won Norwegian championships together with Espen Harald Bjerke and Tore Ruud Hofstad in the relay of Lillehammer Skiklubb and in 2002, 2003 and 2006 he achieved second place with the relay.