There are many advantages to being a generalist versus being a specialist in the job market. Although many companies search for specialists, especially high tech people for certain positions, a generalist can bring cross-functional and transferable skills to the table. As the article states, generalists are more likely to become a leader, take on diverse and challenging roles, and adapt to the organization’s shifting needs in the future. For example, I have worked with many job seekers that come from a retail environment. In some cases, their first communication to me is “I’m JUST in retail” and not giving themselves credit for all they have accomplished. However, people in a retail management position DO EVERYTHING from staff supervision and training, optimizing operations, project management, strategic planning, inventory, merchandising, brand management, sales, and so forth. Once they understand that, I can feel their confidence growing and thinking …maybe I am bringing more to the table than I am giving myself credit for. The bottom line is generalists have lots of options on how to prioritize their points of marketability and target their robust skill-set to their new job target.
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