VOA慢速英语--Which Is Better for Your Career: Specializing or Generalizing?

 

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

When trying to make a successful career, which is better: being a generalist or a specialist?

In other words, should you generalize and know a little about a lot of things? Or should you specialize and have a deep understanding of only one area?

Well, that depends.

“So, when we think about generalizing versus¹ specializing in our career, we’re really talking about can you do a broad number of tasks versus do you drill down and do one specific thing really well.”

That is Natasha Olinger. Olinger is a human resource expert in Washington, D.C. She talks about the benefits of both. However, the main reason for specializing is an important one: more money.

"So, generally speaking, the common wisdom out there is it’s always better to specialize and that you can demand a higher salary if you specialize.”

To explain her way of thinking, Olinger uses a fairly common situation – choosing a restaurant. Say you want to eat a favorite Japanese meal: sushi.

If you go to a restaurant that only serves sushi, you can expect high quality products, and you also should expect to pay more. If you go to a place that serves sushi, tacos and pizza, the quality of the sushi may not be so great, but the prices will probably be lower. Olinger says the world of work is not all that different.

However, she adds that all is not perfect in the world of the specialist. If there is a drop in economic activity or possibly a recession, a generalist may get more job offers.

“Though it’s generally considered better to be a specialist, the recession of 2008 really showed us that there are times when being a generalist translates to job security even though in boom times being a specialist often leads to a higher salary.”

Size matters

So, are some fields best for generalists and others for specialists? Olinger says the size of the organization can be more important than a sector², or industry.

“I would say the biggest difference -- in terms of, is it better to be a generalist or specialist -- is more the size of the organization, oftentimes, than the sector. So, smaller organizations tend to need more generalists. And larger companies tend to need more specialists. And this is oftentimes regardless of industry.”

So Olinger suggests thinking about the size and type of business you would like to do it for. Small businesses often need people who can do many things. Also, companies that are just getting started often need people who are able to perform many different tasks.

For example, your job description may be that of a graphic³ designer, but you may also have to do some writing. A person who can do many different things is often called a Jack-of-all-trades and is able to wear many hats.

“I would say, think about the type of organization in which you want to work. If you want to work for a smaller organization or possibly a start-up where, you know, you’re going to have to kind of wear all different kinds of hats...then you would want to focus more on generalizing and learning kind of a broad set of skills.”

Larger companies can be just the opposite. They often need specialists -- experts in a given field. In fact, they may require that you stay in your lane, meaning you do your job and nothing else.

“If you really want to go into a much larger corporation you probably want to specialize. They’re going to be looking for someone who can solve a very specific type of problem that they have. And there probably isn’t going to be as much room or really need to wear all those different hats and kind of pinch hit where needed.”

Know yourself

When planning your career path, the best advice might be to “know yourself.”

Some people like to know a little about a lot of things. They might lose interest in working on the same thing day after day. These people might be happier in a career that lets them perform different duties.

But what if you really love learning everything there is to know about just one subject? You like the idea of being an expert. In that case, it is probably a good idea for you to specialize. However, if you are preparing to specialize in something, you had better make sure that you really like it.

A mix of both may be best

But oerhaps the best solution is a mix of generalization⁴ and specialization.

Some career planners call this a “T-shaped” career. The top of the T would be the generalized part. The upright stem of the T would be the deeper understanding of a person’s general knowledge – their expertise⁵.

Olinger agrees. She suggests that combining the two may be the best answer.

“I think, ideally, the most successful candidates -- in terms of balancing the ability to demand a higher salary and having their jobs be quote-un-quote ‘recession-proof’ -- tend to balance specialized⁶ skills with general skills.”

She notes, that a lot depends on where you are in your career. It may be easier to be a generalist when you are younger and then slowly specialize as you get older.

However, experts advise workers to keep their skills up-to-date and be willing to make changes, when needed -- no matter what industry you work in or how old you are.

And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report.

I’m Anna Matteo.

Words in This Story

versus – prep. in contrast to or as the alternative of

broad – adj. including or involving many things or people : wide in range or amount

drill down – phrasal verb : to look at or examine something in depth

restaurant – n. a business establishment where meals or refreshments⁷ may be purchased

boom time – n. a period in which there is a surge of prosperity for a person, place, or industry

sector – n. an area of an economy : a part of an economy that includes certain kinds of jobs

to wear many hats – idiomatic⁸ expression : to have many jobs or roles

Jack-(or Jill)-of-all trades – idiomatic expression : a person who can do passable work at various tasks : a handy versatile⁹ person

stay in your lane – idiomatic expression : In the workplace, this expression means to do only what you are responsible for doing.

pinch hit – phrasal verb : to act or serve in place of another

expertise – n. special skill or knowledge : the skill or knowledge an expert has

1 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

2 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

3 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

4 generalization   

n.普遍性，一般性，概括

参考例句：

• This sweeping generalization is the law of conservation of energy.这一透彻的概括就是能量守恒定律。
• The evaluation of conduct involves some amount of generalization.对操行的评价会含有一些泛泛之论。

5 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

6 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

7 refreshments   

n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待

参考例句：

• We have to make a small charge for refreshments. 我们得收取少量茶点费。
• Light refreshments will be served during the break. 中间休息时有点心供应。

8 idiomatic   

adj.成语的，符合语言习惯的

参考例句：

• In our reading we should always be alert for idiomatic expressions.我们在阅读过程中应经常注意惯用法。
• In his lecture,he bore down on the importance of idiomatic usage in a language.他在演讲中着重强调了语言中习惯用法的重要性。

9 versatile   

adj.通用的，万用的；多才多艺的，多方面的

参考例句：

• A versatile person is often good at a number of different things.多才多艺的人通常擅长许多种不同的事情。
• He had been one of the game's most versatile athletes.他是这项运动中技术最全面的运动员之一。