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Tips for Building an Effective “Skills Stack”
By Leslie Stevens-Huffman
As innovation changes the nature of work, more technology jobs now require a combination of skills. As a result, the trend toward skill-based hiring is growing. In fact, a recent study shows that the introduction of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) is forcing technology workers to deepen their existing skill sets or integrate new “soft skills” that define how they work and interact with others.
So how can you convince a prospective employer that you possess the right blend of skills and qualities to be successful in a position? The answer lies in building a highly effective skill or talent stack. “The idea of a talent stack is that you combine ordinary skills in a way that gives you an extraordinary advantage,” explained Mateusz Siniło, software engineer and product designer.
Here’s a look at some tips for assembling and leveraging a highly effective and impressive skill stack.
Stack With Intention
Building a talent stack is not about collecting random skills. The key is to “stack with intention, based upon what you’re trying to achieve,” advised Marc Menninger, information security officer for AstrumU. You don’t have to be great at everything, Menninger added, but your skills should fit together in a way that makes you unique. Figuring out your next career move allows you to add skills that work well together, resulting in a more robust, valuable skill set.
Take the cybersecurity field, for instance. If you want to continue working in penetration testing, learn how to use programming languages to write custom scripts that automate various tasks during a testing process—which could put you a notch above other pen testers. However, if you really want to stand out, consider acquiring advanced skills in niche areas such as web application security, cloud infrastructure penetration testing, ethical hacking in a remote environment or mobile app security.
Or you can pursue advanced certifications, especially if you want to move up the ranks to engineer. The idea is that there should be synergy or positive interaction between the various domains when combined. In addition to technical breadth and depth, adding soft skills like communication, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution or indirect leadership will make you a more attractive candidate to employers across various industries. Think of it like a puzzle: It’s how you combine and package your knowledge, skills and experience that makes you unique and distinguishes you as someone who can achieve better outcomes.
However, don’t try to be a Renaissance person or you’ll have a harder time distinguishing yourself in the market, Siniło warned. Adding skills that are closely related is more impactful than presenting a massive list of skills that are totally unrelated.
Focus on Complementary, High Value Skills
To maximize your time and efforts, start by listing the essential capabilities, knowledge and expertise you possess related to a specific field, industry or role. Then, analyze job descriptions and perform a skill gap analysis to identify the skills and experiences you need to acquire to be more valuable and effective in your current or next role. While you don’t need to add skills in a specific order, consider adding complementary, in-demand skills that will have the biggest impact first. Look at your natural strengths and talents to find things that you can build upon and leverage. For instance, Siniło had an interest in art, shapes and colors growing up, which led him to a career in graphic design. When he layered coding skills on top of his artistic abilities and his experience translating the needs and visions of clients into visual designs, he was able to land a role as a user interface designer. But he didn’t stop there. Siniło added software engineering and developer communication experience to his talent stack, ultimately landing a position as a lead product designer for a U.S.-based startup.
In fact, creating a personal branding statement that explains why you are unique, backed up by a well-organized stack of high-value skills, can help you market yourself as a one-of-a-kind hire.
Focus on skills that complement and enhance other skills. For example, stacking the ability to negotiate and compromise with stakeholders on top of visual communication and presentation skills can make you more effective as a business analyst. Leveraging the synergy between your diverse talents, rather than focusing solely on one area of expertise, will allow you to stand out from others and advance your career.
Did You Know…
- A comet’s tail always points away from the sun.
- If you get into the bottom of a well or a tall chimney and look up, you can see stars, even in the middle of the day.
- Everything weighs 1% less at the equator.
- In ancient times strangers shook hands to show that they were unarmed.
- Strawberries and cashews are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside.
- Mickey Mouse is known as “Topolino” in Italy.
It is never too late to be what you might have been.
George Eliot
Success can make you go one of two ways. It can make you a prima donna, or it can smooth the edges, take away the insecurities, let the nice things come out.
Barbara Walters
Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.
Emily Post
How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.
George Washington Carver