The Best Investment You Can Make Today (It's not Bitcoin)
This is the Currency of the 21st Century.
Skill stacking.
Skill Stacking is combining different skills in a unique way.
Storytelling alone isn't enough to get you what you want.
You gotta combine it with other skills.
When I graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree and started job hunting, I was 1 among millions.
My resume didn't look like a regular ME degree (CAD + Automotive experience).
And I never got an internship during college; I only got on-campus jobs during the semester.
I needed to stand-out and get noticed because my resume wasn't enough.
Enter Skill Stacking:
You don’t have to be an expert.
Just proficient enough to do 90% of the work associated with the skill.
How to Skill Stack:
Building a Skill Stack For Your Tech Career (careerfair.io)
Start with the goal & work backward.
Instead of wanting to learn HTML& CSS, you want to learn how to build a website for your portfolio.
It's best to start with a specific goal in mind. So, you don't get discouraged.
Specificity is Clarity.
Clarity is Action.
Action leads to Success.
3 Huge Benefits of Skill Stacking:
Benefit 1: Infinite Job opportunities are available: You've learned an array of skills and have more skills in your tool kit to use in any job.
Benefit 2: Stand out from the Crowd. Skill stacking is about what you enjoy. No one will have the same skill stack.
Benefit 3: Boost in Self-Confidence: You should feel proud of yourself for learning so many skills.
3 Easy Areas to for Skill Stacking:
Area 1: For Career- Focus
Look at where you are now.
What are your daily skills?
What are your occasional skills?
For example, if you're a software engineer:
A daily skill is programming.
An occasional skill is presentation.
Skill stack by building your presentation skills, then go one step further,
Graphic Design + public speaking + networking, etc.
See how these build on top each other? You can do this over any span of time because the goal is to build proficiency not expertise.
Learn enough to get in the door and achieve a goal.
Then if you need to learn in-depth, you’re prepared.
Area 2: For Enjoyment
I learned how to juggle because I wanted to.
Didn't get me any money, but it did entertain a 2-year-old for 3 hours.
Next, I plan to learn the piano and hold a handstand.
Now that I think about it, juggle + piano + handstand = walking circus. That’d be interesting.
Area 3: For Personal Goals
Easiest way to Skill Stack is to have a goal.
A goal could be building a business or a blog.
Once you have the goal, you also have skills you need to learn along the way to achieve it.
5 Examples of Skill Stacks in Life:
Biology + Psychology + Sociology + Therapy = Addiction Expert, Speaker and Best-selling Author Dr. Gabor Maté
Stoicism + Marketing + Entrepreneurship = Ryan Holiday
Lawyer/Judge + World War II Veteran + National Guard = Felix Sparks
Psychology + Fitness + Entrepreneur + Writer = Tim Ferris
Writing + SEO + Marketing + Management = Ship30
What heights will you reach when you stack your skills?
Until next time!
Mohammad Khan