Combine ordinary skills in a unique way to create an extraordinary skillset
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Getting hired is harder than ever.
ATS software rejects your resume in a millisecond.
Everyone is using AI to improve their resumes.
Recruiters overlook you.
Plus everyone is trying to figure out how to stand out in a crowd.
So how do you get picked for that job, that promotion, that title bump?
One powerful strategy for standing out is developing a competitive talent stack.
What is a talent stack and how do you get one?
This concept was popularized by Scott Adams in his book How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big. A talent stack is a combination of skills that, when put together, makes you uniquely valuable in your field. The beauty of this concept lies in its accessibility: you don’t need to be world-class in any single skill. Instead, you become exceptional through the synergy of your various abilities combined into a stack of talents.
In this post, we’ll explore the idea of talent stacks, provide examples, and guide you through creating your own.
The Power of Complementary Skills
Think of your skillset as a deck of cards.
While having an ace is great, having a full house (a combination of good skills) can be even more powerful in many situations.
This approach allows you to create a niche for yourself where you have little to no competition or your competition is missing unique skills that you’ve studied in or experienced throughout your career.
For example, let’s say you and your competition went to same school for a degree in accounting. You both went into Big Four (EY, KPMG, PWC, Deloitte) after graduation to work in audit. He went to PWC and you went to Deloitte. On the weekends and in your free time you started a podcast about accounting trends. You also started blogging about how accounting works. Your skills were average at podcasting and blogging, but you gained a reputation for communicating the concepts. You also heightened your understanding of how to communicate better than your competition. Slowly recruiters started to find you because of your unique talent stack — accountant, auditor, podcaster, and blogger. Whereas your competitor was just accountant with auditing skills. Four skills trumps two skills in a talent stack.
Examples of Effective Talent Stacks
Let’s look at some more examples to illustrate how talent stacks work in practice:
- The Tech-Savvy Marketer: Combine marketing knowledge with programming skills and data analysis. This person can not only create marketing strategies but also implement them technically and measure their effectiveness with precision.
- The Artistic Entrepreneur: Merge artistic talent with business acumen and social media expertise. This individual can create beautiful products, market them effectively, and build a strong online presence.
- The Empathetic Sales Professional: A sales person who is combining psychology knowledge with communication skills and sales techniques to create a formidable talent stack in high-end sales.
5 Steps To Build Your Own Talent Stack
Now that we understand the concept, let’s explore how you can develop your own competitive talent stack in 5 key steps:
1. Identify Your Core Strengths
Start by listing your existing skills and natural talents. These form the foundation of your talent stack. Don’t just focus on professional skills; consider personal attributes, education, side projects, and hobbies as well. Are you a good listener? Highly organized? Creative? These traits can be valuable components of your stack.
2. Analyze Your Industry
Research your industry or the field you want to enter. What skills are in high demand? What combinations of skills are rare? Look for gaps in the market that you could potentially fill with your unique combination of abilities.
3. Add Complementary Skills
Based on your analysis, identify skills that would complement your existing strengths and be valuable in your chosen field. For example, if you’re in marketing, learning data analysis could set you apart. If you’re in tech, developing strong writing skills could make you invaluable for documentation and communication.
4. Continuous Learning and Adaptation
The job market is constantly evolving, and so should your talent stack. Stay updated with industry trends and be willing to learn new skills or enhance existing ones. Online courses, workshops, and certifications can be great ways to expand your skillset.
5. Practical Application
Theory is important, but practical experience is invaluable. Look for opportunities to apply your developing talent stack. This could be through side projects, volunteering, or taking on new responsibilities at work.
4 Ways To Leverage Your Unique Experiences
Your unique experiences play a crucial role in shaping your talent stack.
For my own talent stack, I decided to combine my unique resume of corporate tax/accounting/finance experiences, plus communication skills from being on a Nonprofit board, combined with pivoting to a Customer Success role in software, adding in being persuasive enough finalize sales, and then drawing from my various work experiences to connect with my customers to create a unique talent stack that adds value for my employer.
I don’t think there are very many tax accountants understand sales, persuasion, customer success, plus have side projects writing about business and podcasting about leadership, add in having empathy from working with nonprofits, and the MBA I completed while working full time. That’s a unique commercial grade talent stack. It’s also hard to replicate.
Here are the four ways you can leverage your own unique experiences into your talent stack:
1. Reflect on Past Experiences
Think about your past jobs, education, and even personal experiences. What have you learned from each? How can these lessons be applied in your current or desired field?
2. Identify Transferable Skills
Many skills are transferable across industries. For example, project management skills developed in construction could be valuable in tech. Customer service experience can be an asset in almost any field.
3. Be A Storyteller
Learn to articulate how your diverse experiences contribute to your unique value proposition. Being able to tell your story effectively can be a powerful skill in itself.
4. Jack/Jane of All Trades
Some might worry that developing a diverse skill set makes them a “jack of all trades, master of none.” However, the talent stack approach isn’t about being mediocre at many things. It’s about being good enough in several complementary areas to create a unique and valuable combination.
Your Talent Stack is Your Competitive Edge
In a world where specialization is often emphasized, the talent stack approach offers a refreshing alternative. By combining your skills in a unique way, you create a value proposition that sets you apart from others who may excel in just one area.
Remember, your talent stack is a reflection of your journey, interests, and efforts. It’s not just about accumulating skills, but about thoughtfully curating a combination that makes you uniquely valuable. As you continue to grow and adapt your talent stack, you’ll find yourself becoming more versatile, resilient, and competitive in your chosen field.
Start today: assess your current skills, identify areas for growth, and begin building your unique talent stack. Your future self will thank you for the competitive edge you’re creating now.