I have observed something interesting in my career: the emergence of the “general specialist.” A general specialist is someone with deep expertise in a core field but also a general awareness across many areas. This person may be a lawyer but can easily hold a conversation with a politician, economist, philosopher, etc.
The workplace has become so complex that to thrive, you need a fair grasp of the key concepts across the major disciplines, including psychology, finance, economics, law, politics, engineering, biology, chemistry, entrepreneurship, strategic planning, marketing, etc.
A good strategy is to pursue a specialized course after your first degree, like a CFA, CPA, or PhD. This gives you sufficient specialization in your field. Then, you add something generic like an MBA, which provides some general knowledge across many disciplines. Now, you embark on a personal education journey to understand the key concepts across disciplines. You do this by reading books and biographies, listening to podcasts and audiobooks, etc. You can also look out for career opportunities that stretch you beyond your core area of specialization.
There are several advantages to being a general specialist. One is that you can thrive in many environments and workplaces. This provides a competitive edge, especially when jobs are scarce. You can also easily move up the career ladder. Most business leaders tend to be generalists. Being too technical tends to limit upward career growth. Even if you are a hardcore engineer, you still need to understand business strategy, people management, and marketing before anyone risks promoting you.
As a general specialist, you can easily combine concepts from different disciplines to quickly solve problems or identify opportunities where a specialist may struggle. A specialist tends to see only one side of an issue, whereas a generalist uses different lenses to find the most appropriate solution.
A general specialist also benefits from deep expertise in their field and a broad knowledge base across disciplines. They are not constrained by the norms and practices of their field and can enjoy richer intellectual stimulation compared to their peers who may be stuck in one field.
In conclusion, the role of the general specialist is increasingly important in our interconnected and multifaceted world. By combining deep knowledge in one field with a broad understanding of many, these professionals enjoy greater job security, career progression, and opportunities to innovate. For those looking to advance in their careers, investing in both depth and breadth of knowledge is more crucial than ever. Embrace the journey of becoming a general specialist—it’s a path to a richer, more dynamic professional life.
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