You’re entering the IT market, looking for a secure job that pays well and won’t bore you to tears. Should you be a hyperspecialist and market your niche skills? Or should you go the polymath route and convince employers that you have it all: business savvy, schmooze techniques, people skills, and technology know-how.
It’s a toss-up, say many experts.
Being a hyperspecialist may make you more desirable for companies that don’t have the time or resources to train employees in new technologies. And many IT staffing firms say the economy favors a specialist job market where IT professionals with coveted niche specialties nab the best jobs.
But what happens when the hot programming language or development tool changes? And what about the possibility that many specialties will be automated over time or sent overseas? Obviously, being a hyperspecialist would become a liability.
Generalists, on the other hand, may be able to survive shifts in technologies and leverage their other skills in business, science, and communications to remain employable.
Either way, experts agree that staying flexible is critical for all workers. Both specialists and generalists need to stay ahead of the curve, learning the up and coming technologies, buzzwords, and trends to land and keep the most desirable jobs.