Should I become a specialist or a generalist?
If you're a graduate or assessing your long term career option, one question
you'll have to consider is whether to choose the path of a generalist or a
specialist.
It's not an easy question to answer because of the changing nature of roles
within large organisations and the increasing pressure put on all employees. You
need to decide which presents the most rewarding and the most secure employment
path for you.
Finding a niche
Specialists are often individuals who have chosen their career from an
early age, and have spent their education finding out everything they can about
a specific area of interest.
Anyone can be a specialist, and anything can be a specialism. If you want to be
the UK 's leading authority on left handed screwdrivers, there's nothing to stop
you. Just remember that the smaller your specialist area, the smaller your
career opportunities.
The rewards for excellence can be very high indeed. Create a name for yourself
as a cosmetic surgeon or a divorce lawyer, and you will be among the highest
paid of professionals.
As a specialist, the expectations on you will be extremely high. You need to
retain the highest levels of excellence and continually update your knowledge so
you stay ahead of the profession. The best specialists are thought-leaders,
writing blogs and contributing to industry publications on key developments.
If you're working as a specialist within a large organisation you'll want to
position yourself as one of the 'go-to-people' in your company. You'll be the
first to be called upon when a specific opportunities and problems arise.
The downside is that whilst you'll be working within highly defined areas of the
business, you may not be consulted, or your opinion valued, on other issues. To
counteract this, be flexible and learn about other functions within your
business and network outside of your group or organisation.
One of the crowd
If you're a not 100% sure of the career path you wish to take, or are
looking for a bit more variety in your work, then becoming a generalist may be
the best option.
In order to be successful, you'll need to build a good understanding of a range
of business disciplines from initial planning and budgeting through project
implementation and onto analysis.
This means you're not limited to applying for any one discipline or industry
sector and therefore, the job opportunities are greater. But remember, there
will also be greater competition for openings.
Your rewards and progress through the corporate structure will be dependant upon
your aptitude to learn and prove yourself within the defined industry sector you
are working in. As you have no core specialisation to fall back on, your key
attribute will be your experience gained within that industry sector.
Choosing a generalist career path doesn't mean you lack knowledge, or that
people will not consult you, but that your knowledge ranges across a broader
range of disciplines within a specific industry. It's also worth remembering
that the higher up the corporate ladder you go, the more of a generalist you'll
have to be, whether you started out in a particular discipline or not.
Mixing it up
Whichever route you choose, there is strong evidence to show that a
strong interdisciplinary knowledge is one of the ways of making yourself
indispensible.
Being a specialist is an option in any environment, but don't limit your career
options by being labeled a ‘one trick pony'. General business acumen and
cross-discipline experience are vital for a long and successful career.
The benefits of becoming a specialist, with generalist skills will also help you
develop a stronger rapport with other disciplines. This deeper understanding of
other areas of business helps you build a rapport with the rest of your Team,
leading to a happier working environment.
