Niching down: to do or not to.

Hey you!

How are you feeling today? Excited, sad or anxious? I took some time off work to rest and declutter my mind and I feel a bit lighter. So if you are yet to take some time off this year, take this as your sign. Trust me, your body would thank you for it.

I found it hard writing today’s topic because while I find it to be an interesting career conversation, I do not know that there is a right or wrong answer to it. Niching down- to do or not to. When is the right time to?

When you start your career, chances are you have an idea of the future you want, but you are unsure of the direction that would lead there. So what you do is try your hands at multiple projects that you find interesting and challenging. In doing that, you become a generalist, acquiring a varied skill set and broad spectrum of knowledge which could be applicable across multiple industries. On the other hand, you may have started your career very assured of the end goal and the direction that would lead you there. So, while there may be a number of open projects at your workplace, you are very selective of projects you join because you have an end goal in mind and are aware of specific skill sets needed to get you there. So from the jump, you are niching down, building yourself as an expert and specialist in a particular sector.

I spent time having conversations with some friends and colleagues about this and the answers are different. Some believe it is better to start as a generalist, exploring multiple topics or sectors before determining your niche. While others believe that niching down from the get go makes you the “IT” person. You earn a reputation in your organization and externally as the expert, and the person to be turned to when certain projects are brought in. On the other hand, being a generalist may make it difficult to place you. While project managers would argue that you are a good staff and hard worker, they may ultimately be unable to place your specific skill sets which may make it more difficult in the long run.

The truth is there is often a bias towards expertise, but I don’t think that takes away from the need to have a broad spectrum of knowledge. So the question is, which is the right direction for you? Please feel free to share your thoughts on niching down versus being a generalist.

Love & Light

Ujunwa