SXSWi: Being a Generalist
There was a great session on Saturday that has had me thinking ever since: it was about how to build a career as a generalist. This is a tricky thing and one that I’ve already struggled with, because my approach to project management (even before I was willing to admit it) has always been a generalist’s approach.
Now, to be fair, it’s very, very easy to be a specialist in project management. These people are PMPs. They identify as project managers, from a career trajectory. They build PMOs. They are members of PMI.
This has never been me. Even at my most enthusiastic, this wasn’t me.
And at this point in my career, it’s even less me. I identify as a business woman, a strategist, a digital consultant, a manager (including a manager of projects), and even (though, less frequently than I used to) an artist, a writer and an entrepreneur. Mostly, I identify as being an ADD jack-of-all-trades with an addiction to small companies that let me bounce around like a kangaroo on caffeine.
I have to say, though, it was fascinating to be in room full of other people who also identify as generalists, and who struggle with everything from personal branding, to interviewing, to creating a cogent resume, to figuring out how to answer the often-dreaded, “So, what do you do?” question over cocktails.
An interesting question that came up was whether or not most generalists start off as specialists, and shift their focus/attention over time. This seemed to be the consensus in the room. I disagree, though, since I’ve always been a generalist, and so that assumption is contrary to my experience.
It’s a question that bares more thought, though, so I’m still mulling. I’m also mulling over some of the value of embracing my generalist tendencies, instead of fighting them. After all, one of the biggest problems I have continued to face in my career is that it’s been easier to brand myself as a project manager than anything else… but then that means I get stuck doing project management work. That’s a pickle, and it keeps getting me into trouble.
I don’t have a solution for this yet.
