Unlocking the power of skill stacking

What is skill stacking?

Simply put, skill stacking is the ability to develop knowledge and know-how in multiple subjects, instead of specializing in one. It involves combining multiple areas of knowledge to form a base of expertise that complements your primary role and supports your ability to get ahead in your primary field while understanding how other aspects of your role work. This can help you become well-rounded in a particular field so you can handle the unexpected.

Benefits of skill stacking

If you’re currently searching on the job market, skill stacking can contribute positively to your viability as a candidate. Recruiters want to hire experts in their field but will also appreciate how much you’ve invested in your career by learning additional skills that can boost your potential.

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Skill stacking can cut down on the amount of time needed for training new hires while ensuring that collaborative groups understand each other’s roles and tasks. And with the ability to examine adjacent skills, you can learn how the additional skill sets you’ve identified intermingle with your existing roles—nobody works in a vacuum, after all.

It can also be fun! Learning different skills can keep things interesting in your work roles. If you’re too pigeonholed in your primary skill set, over time your day-to-day training and experiences can seem monotonous. By learning a complementary skill, you can mix things up and even explore new aspects of your primary role that you might not have previously considered.

Skill stacking examples for the workplace

If you’re a freelance writer who writes and edits primarily for online publications, familiarizing yourself with aspects of web design and content management systems can help you navigate how your work appears onscreen.

Graphic designers already juggle a lot in their day-to-day work, such as understanding color theory and the subtleties of typography. But if a graphic designer also dabbles in photography or animation, for example, they can become more self-sufficient while expanding their repertoire of creative work to encompass a wide range of visuals. These are not necessarily skills that are built into one’s primary role, but they’re adjacent skills that can give one’s work more credence.

A marketing expert who knows the foundations and principles of advertising, but also understands the nuances of social media and how to engage an audience, can make themselves valuable to potential employers. This type of skill stacking illustrates the ability to shift into new ways of social interaction, emerging advertising platforms, and a form of skill stacking that is focused on the future.

How to create your skill stack

Learn how to build your own skill stack by identifying what your role is and branching out to additional skills:

1. Identify your core skill. Begin by identifying your primary skill or area of expertise. Essentially, this is the category you will search for when looking for new roles.
2. Identify complementary skills. Look for skills that can enhance your ability to perform your primary role or open up new opportunities. Consider what other skills your colleagues may list in their resumes, or training and certification courses that are commonly offered in your industry.
3. Set learning goals. Create a plan to acquire these complementary skills. This may involve taking courses, attending workshops, or gaining hands-on experience. Having formal credentials in different skills can be a huge boost to your resume.
4. Practice and apply. Practice what you’ve learned and apply your new skills in your current role or in personal projects. You can demonstrate a willingness to learn by collaborating with experts in different skills. The more you hone your stacked skills, the more proficient you’ll become.
5. Iterate and evolve. The modern workplace is always evolving, and new platforms, technologies, and cultural changes may challenge your existing skills. Continue to refine and expand your skill stack and stay flexible and open to new opportunities.

Whether you’re looking to bring your skill set to a new role or aiming to get further in your existing one, skill stacking is a valuable way to grow, both personally and professionally. Empower your career with tips on how to pick the ideal job, set realistic goals, or organize your digital life.