A Jack of All Trades Is a Master of None??

[LevelUP]

"A Jack of All Trades Is a Master of None" is generally used as an insult.

The phrase was originally used to describe a playwright who was always hanging around the theatres. He would help with the stage, the set and the costumes. He would remember lines and try directing. This so-called jack of all trades was in fact William Shakespeare. 

The full phrase is “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” It was a compliment.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jodiecook/2...1af5b11c45

I'm of a manager/entrepreneurial mindset so I tend to favor learning complementary skills.  A couple of examples might be if you were going to be a teacher, learning psychology would be helpful.  Learning to code, full-stack development is good to know.

So my question to you is that do you believe it's better to focus on learning a narrow set of skills or a broad set of skills?  Are there advantages and drawbacks?

[ROYISAGIRL]

I think skills that compliment each other. I highly agree if a person wanted to be a teacher, social worker, victims advocate etc., that learning psychology would be a great compliment to that.
But I'm also the type that likes to learn a lil bit about everything and focus later or the little bits I liked more.

[Alpha]

I have a strong preference for learning abroad set of skills.  If you begin with this mindset, by the time you reach your prime earning years you will be able to specialize in something that you really like and are good at.  Also, if you ever decide to change career paths, you will have a more diverse background to draw upon.

[eriehiker]

When I was a kid, one of my favorite baseball players was Tom Brookens. He was normally a third basemen for the Detroit Tigers, but also played SS, 2nd base and - memorably - catcher when all three actual catchers on the team were pinch hit in a 15 inning game. The Tigers ended up winning that game after five innings with Brookens as catcher.

I have prided myself on being a utility infielder as a teacher. I have taught and created curriculum for 50+ different classes at my small rural district. I have also run the school radio station, written almost $150K in grants, called play by play on the radio for school sports events, chased a loose llama down the street, broadcast a Covid/parking lot graduation, caught a kid who had a seizure in the doorway and on and on.

During most of that time, we were a base-funded district in Michigan and I provided value because I could do lots and lots of things. One time I even kind of sort of conducted the band during a football game when the actual director couldn't make it.

[sanantone]

Also called polymath, Renaissance man/woman, or expert generalist.

https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/elo...field.html

[Alpha]

When I was a kid, one of my favorite baseball players was Tom Brookens.  He was normally a third basemen for the Detroit Tigers, but also played SS, 2nd base and - memorably - catcher when all three actual catchers on the team were pinch hit in a 15 inning game.  The Tigers ended up winning that game after five innings with Brookens as catcher.

I have prided myself on being a utility infielder as a teacher.  I have taught and created curriculum for 50+ different classes at my small rural district.  I have also run the school radio station, written almost $150K in grants, called play by play on the radio for school sports events, chased a loose llama down the street, broadcast a Covid/parking lot graduation, caught a kid who had a seizure in the doorway and on and on.

During most of that time, we were a base-funded district in Michigan and I provided value because I could do lots and lots of things.  One time I even kind of sort of conducted the band during a football game when the actual director couldn't make it.

One of my heroes was a guy named Karl Jaspers.  He was sometimes called "The last man who knew everything."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Jaspers

[ReyMysterioso]

Broad set of knowledge for sure. I have gotten myself (and sometimes my team) out of countless jams by being a generalist. Contrasted with teammates with much more focused skills who had trouble thinking outside of the box when the situation called for it.

[vintage_jacket]

Broad set of knowledge for sure. I have gotten myself (and sometimes my team) out of countless jams by being a generalist. Contrasted with teammates with much more focused skills who had trouble thinking outside of the box when the situation called for it.

I concur.  Having a broad range of skills has helped me not only problem solve but also to communicate well with others at various departments. It really helps when someone for X department knows you speak their lingo, or at least understand the basics. It's like knowing a second language; the doors to a new world opens.

[Pats20]

How bout a jack of all trades and a master of one. Goldilocks says “this one is just right “.

[vetvso]

I have always been a generalist and have a broad range of information. My skills and abilities might be considered liberal arts-based at times. However if one were to look deep enough they would find my focus to be international at heart—business, history, political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and various technology. My employer HR may prefer someone with a masters in a specific field but they always come to me when it doesn't work out.

So a broad set of skills has always been my focus. The downside to this for me;  is I can be easily distracted for months and even years. But being an expert generalist is how I make my money, and fix problems. Troubleshooting situations and people is more complex than technology. So having this broad base of information helps me make decisions.