A Master of None
As the saying goes, “a jack of all trades is a master of none...”. This is the adage as we all know it, but many have forgotten what comes next. This phrase is often cut short and has a negative connotation, implying that if one doesn’t settle down into a field, then they will never master a discipline. However, this phrase was originally used to describe a playwright who, in addition to writing plays, often tried his hand at setting up the stage, helped out with costumes, and directed theatres. This jack of all trades was William Shakespeare¹. In fact, the original saying goes “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one”.
I felt challenged by the distinction between generalists and specialists while at university. It’s easy to feel behind your peers when they know exactly what major they want to be in, know what industries are most prestigious, and find extracurriculars that synergize with their goals. These are the same kids that are jumpstarted after college into high-paying jobs at highly sought after companies.
However, it is perfectly okay to be a late bloomer. You don’t need to be the first-mover. You don’t always need to know exactly what you want to do. In fact, later specializers make up for a delayed start by “finding work that better fit their skills and personalities”². What’s important is to build your skills, find your passion, intensify, and stay determined.
In my experience, I’ve found that taking a mundane skill or perspective from one discipline, and bringing it to another area, is a powerful career strategy. You don’t even need to be the best at what you do, but by applying it to a new field, you spark creativity. That is what makes you special and unique.
To anyone who feels vague and unfocused, perhaps you’re still finding your interests. For those who feel late in their careers, this is my encouragement to you that you’re not. It’s all part of the build up as you become something greater.
To those who feel like they know exactly what they want to do, my advice is don’t be too tunnel-visioned. Don’t keep working with your head down for too long, but remember to look around and enjoy every moment. Keep your eyes and ears open to opportunities for growth and learning in new directions.
Being a master none is not always bad. Being a generalist means you’re versatile. You’re curious, flexible, and adept at many things. You understand your strengths and weaknesses, you’re able to leverage different viewpoints, and people look to you to mix and match different ideas. Generalists, or people who have a variety of experience and expertise, can connect dots where others don’t see a link³.
You may ask, why is this a great advantage? Just remember, every innovation is a recombination or reimagination of things that already exist³.
This piece is simply a culmination of thoughts, opinions, and excerpts from others; A place to gather and chronicle ideas.
Further reading: In his blog post⁴, The Case For Generalists, David Epstein outlines a few examples of talented athletes, artists, musicians, mathematicians, etc. who’s path to stardom do not begin with early specialization. If you are interested in diving deeper, David Epstein explores this subject more thoroughly in his book Range³.
[2] https://davidepstein.com/the-range/
[3] https://hbr.org/2018/07/when-generalists-are-better-than-specialists-and-vice-versa
[4] https://marker.medium.com/the-case-for-generalists-29f9af19c8da
