Why I push for being a generalist?

“Find what you’re good at, and stick to it.” But what if that industry goes away? What if the kid figures out 10 years after graduation that they hate what they do? With no other skills in the armory, we trap ourselves in the golden cage of specialization. We can only move up and down on a single trajectory.

Paul Genberg - The Value Of Being A Generalist

Nothing I've read in a long time has convinced me so much that I'm on the right track.

As Genberg puts it, I am proud to be 'someone with broad knowledge across many topics and expertise in a few'. I don't have a single interest. I learn more when trying to ensure that every phase and every document produced in a project have the best quality. I connect what I've learned, and make as much use of the 'experts' I work with as possible.

While asking the right questions to identify and frame the problem, I also have the chance to take a broader view of what the solution could be and how it could be done. And that's what makes a generalist like me 'strong' and 'crucial'.

Now let's see how I became a generalist.

1.?Say “yes” to new opportunities.

In 2015, I made a decision that many other people would think I was going 'backward' in my career, and I started working as an Executive Assistant at Do?u? Yay?n Grubu and Vogue Turkey . Having started to specialize in communication in the cultural sector, I suddenly found myself learning new things in the publishing and fashion sectors, and especially in the 'management' perspective. In 2016, my path crossed with AT?LYE and during my time at AT?LYE, I gained many competencies in areas such as programming, project management, and strategic design (including digital design, brand design, service design, learning design etc.) despite my previous experience. How can we recognize what else we are saying 'yes' to when we say 'yes' to one thing??

2. Learn the language.

Due to my job, I always had to learn new concepts and terms. I did more research to examine the concepts I encountered in depth, I realized that using the terms correctly would make things easier for both me and the person I work with, and I realized the importance of 'language' in my learning journey. If I do not speak their language when working with a software developer, can I give them the correct instructions and revisions? Obviously not.

3. Dabble in different things.

My exposure to the creative industries while studying cultural management helped me develop multiple interests. (Special thanks to Dr. (habil.) Gokce Dervisoglu Okandan ) This led me to develop a multidisciplinary (and even later transdisciplinary) approach with no boundaries, wide coverage, rather than being limited to a single sector or discipline. Afterwards, throughout my business life, in addition to my full-time work, I wrote articles, worked as an editor, gave consultancy, did some volunteer-work and found myself producing and learning in different fields. What's the point of learning so much if we're going to be limited to one area?

4. Never stop improving.

As someone who sees even the smallest details and cares that all details are aligned and harmonious, I always think there is room for 'editing' and 'taking it forward'. I think that nothing I know is sufficient as I know it now, and I always look for new and/or different ways to learn more. As the Turkish saying means, I always strive to wear a new gold bracelet on my wrist. How can we understand how the director's cut differs from the original and what influences this difference?

5. Mind your gaps.

I discover different ways to learn by believing in the power of learning. Because I believe that 'learning by doing' is the best, I prefer to take part in projects and programs where I will learn new things and try new methods. I also make space to browse different sources, do a lot of reading (as videos and podcasts aren't quite my thing), took courses and trainings, and research case studies to learn from experience. Mind the gap. How can we find out what awaits us in that gap?

6. Start a side hustle.?

While working at ?KSV , I was a consultant to ?stanbul Modern , and I also served as the editor at Size magazine. I founded kültür.limited while I was working at Do?u? Yay?n Grubu . I took on different roles for Design Calendar , CreativeMornings and GQ Magazine while working at AT?LYE . All of these experiences and side hustles have also helped my 'full-time' job and growth of my organization. They become more prosperous and grow and develop in other ways. This is how I realized the value of transferring my learnings to each other. How can we say that having only one 'job' is right, in a world where everyone has multiple competencies and interests?

After all this, I realized that I could not continue working in one organization with limited expertise and depth. It was the first step towards weighing the work I have done and wanted to do, recognizing my abilities and competencies, making more room for the things I wanted to learn, and finding my life balance—which I will double click more on that later.

Now as a 'generalist' I learn more from other generalists (special thanks to Generalist World ?? and Milly Tamati ) and serve different organizations and clients.

Curious about more? Get in touch with me.