Skill Stacking

A Smarter Strategy for Career Growth

Hello there. Molweni. Molweni😊.

Happy Monday!

One of the key ideas that The Career Roadmap (TCR) promotes is that careers aren’t linear. This means that no two career paths look the same; and that it’s completely valid to pivot, explore, and redefine your direction when needed. I wrote about my own career pivot in a previous post, and the encouraging engagement on it gave me hope that more people are beginning to embrace non-linear career journeys and take those brave leaps of faith.

Another important principle that TCR emphasizes is the difference between building a career and simply working a job. I think about this often and try to ensure that every career move I make aligns with a bigger picture, rather than just the role I’m currently in.

A common strategy for career growth is to pursue further education or additional qualifications; a solid approach, though not always feasible when time, finances, or access are limited. Another powerful (and often overlooked) strategy is skill stacking: the intentional practice of combining multiple, complementary skills to create a unique and more valuable professional profile.

To incorporate skill stacking effectively into your career strategy, you first need to evaluate where you are. This is where my post on self-awareness, The Compass Within, becomes especially relevant. Self-awareness is key to understanding your current position, it’s essentially a personal skills audit. Start by asking yourself questions such as:

• What skills is my current role helping me develop or refine?

• How can I use my current role to expand my skill set?

• What does my short-, medium-, and long-term career picture look like; and where are the gaps?

• What new skills do I need to learn to bridge those gaps?

As I often emphasize, don’t overlook soft skills during this process. In today’s digital age, access to information is easier than ever. Once you’ve identified the skills you need, take advantage of short-form learning resources such as YouTube tutorials, micro-courses, or online classes to build and sharpen those abilities.

To make your learning truly effective, focus on one or two skills at a time : build on them, practice them consistently, and gain confidence through real application. It’s far more valuable to learn a skill, apply it, and improve through experience than to simply complete a course and move on without using it. Finally, remember that you are responsible for creating opportunities to grow your skill set, no one else will do it for you.

Once you’ve identified and developed your key skills, the next step, and perhaps the trickiest part, is learning how to package them in a way that makes you stand out to new opportunities. This is something I’m still figuring out myself, and I’d love for this to be more of a shared reflection than a set of answers.

How do we communicate the value of a diverse skill set; especially when our career paths don’t follow the traditional linear route? How do we translate skills gained from different experiences, industries, or side projects into a story that makes sense to employers or clients?

I’ve found that it often comes down to framing. It’s not just what you’ve learned, but how those skills connect to the kind of value you can bring. For example, a mix of communication, project management, and data analysis might seem broad on paper, but together they position you as someone who can bridge strategy and execution; a valuable combination in almost any role.

I’m still exploring the best ways to articulate this balance between range and focus, so I’d love to hear from you: How do you highlight and communicate your unique mix of skills and how do you leverage on them?

Skill stacking is not a one-time project; it’s an ongoing journey of learning, unlearning, and connecting the dots between what you know and what you want to do next. The more intentional we are about developing and showcasing our unique mix of skills, the more we open ourselves up to opportunities that align with our goals and strengths. I’m learning that career growth isn’t always about taking giant leaps; sometimes it’s about quietly building the right layers...one skill, and one experience at a time.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts: How are you approaching your own skill stacking journey? What skills are you currently building or planning to add next?

If skill stacking is new to you, consider giving it some thought; it could be a game-changer for your career.

Have an intentional and blessed week.

Lots of love,

Zizo