Why you can not afford to be universal

Note from the translator: in the article you will not find any practical advice on how to choose your specialty or become an excellent expert in a particular field. I publish this article because it became a necessary bucket of cold water, which helped me to recover in my “grasping for everything” period. And I hope she helps someone else.

If you consider yourself a generalist, we have good news for you: a good job in the future will require universal skills, especially if you work independently or in a small team.

More people today are working independently. 40% of American workers will become freelancers by 2020 (and, according to data from the Freelancer's Union, 33% are already), and the freelancer, if he wants to succeed, must be a generalist. For this you need to know a little bit about everything.

Company founders must also be generalists. Business management requires the fulfillment of so many responsibilities! But here lies the problem: You can not afford to be just a generalist. People are hired to work in a specialty or on a small set of deep knowledge and skills. Products are purchased for specific tasks. Enterprises are built on specific knowledge and experience.
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If you proudly wear the title of wagon, you complicate your life. I know this because I used to diligently put together my resume in such a way as to put myself on a jack of all trades. First I decided to position myself as a software developer, then as a project manager, and then as a guy with Traffic, after I left for free bread, that is, when things went well and everything became possible.

When does a wagon get hired through job ads? Where is the “universals required” section on Craigslist? How can a founder with only superficial skills manage to get his first prototype off the ground?
The motivation to become a universal is clear. Learning new is great. It is interesting to know a little about everything. Throwing in the unknown depths of new knowledge is a technique that you can always count on.

But it is still an escape from reality. The learning process is most simple in the first 20 hours. You can learn many new things while the information is fresh and interesting. But is it possible to acquire a skill that can then be sold in 20 hours?

Universals are people like us who are really interested in new things, and we can’t do anything with ourselves until we learn everything that is possible ... until we become bored and we don’t switch to a new subject.

Being a specialist implies discipline, and this kind of discipline is difficult for generalists. But if you want to get top ratings, get the desired job or create another super popular product, you need to become an expert in one or several industries.

Gary Vaynerchuk recently published an excellent article: Stop asking me about how to market yourself, and finally start working . Universals have a rational grain: you need to know a lot of things in order to succeed in this world. But for this it is necessary to work, and such work requires the combination of a specialist and a station wagon in one person.
Otherwise it is a face trade and lack of skills. Knowledge of depth in inch and mile wide.

However, striving to make yourself exclusively an expert is also not the most sensible decision. Narrow professionals have too often to rely on other people and take too much risk that can change the market.

At the intersection of these two areas, magic happens. If you become both a specialist and a universal, who dares to stand in your way?

And here is the irony: as soon as you become an expert in any field, the value of your skills as a generalist becomes higher than ever. The knowledge and experience of a specialist opens the door for you. They make you a valuable employee and give you opportunities. As soon as you grab a chance by the tail, you can use your wagon skills with full dedication.

The thing is to choose in what area to become a specialist, and how to train yourself to discipline to cope with such a task.

You have to ask yourself two questions. Instead of the question: “What would I learn this next?” Ask yourself: “Which specialty is interesting and valuable enough for me to make me the best in it?”. Then ask yourself where to find enough motivation, and develop habits that will help you get things done.