3 answers
Andreas
Student
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Questions
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What are the pros and cons of being a generalist in a certain career versus a specialist?
I am asking this question because I have started seeing myself as a generalist in many topics.
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3 answers
Rachael Allert
Occupational therapy assistant
1
Answer
Hanceville, Alabama
Updated
Rachael’s Answer
I am an occupational therapy (OT) assistant in Alabama. OT practitioners are considered generalists which I found beneficial because I have the freedom of changing settings and the population I work with. Sometimes it takes awhile to discover your specific preferences and even then those may change over time. As a generalist I still have the freedom to discover who I am as a therapist while being certified to practice in many different settings with people across the entire life span in either mental or physical conditions. I can still direct my career into a specialization, as most of us do!
For me, I don’t see a downside to this. I will say that going through school you are given ALOT of information that covers all practice areas and populations and you have to be proficient in all of it to pass board exams. That makes it harder maybe, but again, I don’t see it at a “con”.
Maybe consider of you have a very specific interest or ability or if you you are still exploring.
For me, I don’t see a downside to this. I will say that going through school you are given ALOT of information that covers all practice areas and populations and you have to be proficient in all of it to pass board exams. That makes it harder maybe, but again, I don’t see it at a “con”.
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Ryan Ninal
Pharmacy Intern
5
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Ryan’s Answer
Good question.
Like the name implies, generalists have a wider scope to cover, so they may not be as familiar with certain things as a specialist will. However, a specialist will usually be an expert at that one thing and not as familiar with the general topic.
Typically, generalist type of jobs (I'll use pediatrician here as an example) will have more job openings, as there will be a higher need for them and they cover a wider array of areas. Specialists (such as a pediatric oncologist for example) on the other hand, will be more in demand due to the nature of their job so their pay may be higher and they may have more input in their department as they are specialists.
Keep in mind that a lot of specialists have to know the general topic at first before specializing in it (and generalists can also choose to specialize later), so it's not all black and white in the end.
Like the name implies, generalists have a wider scope to cover, so they may not be as familiar with certain things as a specialist will. However, a specialist will usually be an expert at that one thing and not as familiar with the general topic.
Typically, generalist type of jobs (I'll use pediatrician here as an example) will have more job openings, as there will be a higher need for them and they cover a wider array of areas. Specialists (such as a pediatric oncologist for example) on the other hand, will be more in demand due to the nature of their job so their pay may be higher and they may have more input in their department as they are specialists.
Keep in mind that a lot of specialists have to know the general topic at first before specializing in it (and generalists can also choose to specialize later), so it's not all black and white in the end.
I appreciate this, thank you for the advice.
Andreas
Rachelle De Los Reyes
Human Resources
1
Answer
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Rachelle’s Answer
I'm a Human Resources professional and have been doing this for 20 years now. I'm a generalist but can be a specialist as well depending on what interests me. Being a generalist provides you a good visibility and exposure to a lot of different topics, hence broadening your knowledge and experience. Once you become an expert in a certain area, you have the ability to specialize in that area and be a subject matter expert. It will really depend on what you are looking for and where your interest lies. Either one would be a good choice and I'm sure you will be successful. Most importantly, you should choose whatever will make you happier in the long run.