![]() ![]() Layoffs not withstanding, change is usually compelling to me - so I often just let it happen. Which brings me to my first observation, which is that being a generalist is about liking change, or at least being good at adapting to it when it comes.Ĭhange is not everyone’s thing, and I should also point out that not all change is welcome - there’s a Dilbert cartoon making fun of that tired “Change is Good” aphorism in a strip about a worker throwing that expression back at a boss who used it a lot, but was now going through the change of getting laid off. ![]() These transitions were sometimes of my own making, but more often than not, the result of some external sequence of events that either opened a door for me, or necessitated change. Back to programming of totally different software after that (GUI design) for another five, and so forth. I moved to developing software after that, and spent five years writing software, followed by five years of managing software engineers. For instance, I spent the first five years of my career designing chips, but switched for the next five, and designed systems and printed circuit boards. But for whatever reason, I rarely spent longer than five years on a project or job role, before moving to something completely different. I cannot claim that I planned it that way. I would assume it is probably how my brain works overall, but certainly when it comes to work, this is how it turned out for me over the past 35 years. The other thing I’ll say is, I am very much a generalist. I can tell you how it worked for me so far though, and we can compare notes. I wanted to share some thoughts about whether it is better for your tech career to find some problem space or domain and become the recognized expert in it, or whether the best thing is to gain a broader set of diverse skills, but spend less time learning and working in a specific area.Īnd I’ll start by spoiling the ending, and say that there is no right answer here.
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