Specialize or Generalize?

By: Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, Ph.D.
Submitted: 2008-03-19 14:59:52
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Many people in fields like human resources wonder if they should specialize or generalize.  

As with all career choices, there is no one correct course of action. But, the good news is there's no incorrect decision either.

Consider the feedback I heard consistently when interviewing successful HR executives for the book I co-wrote called Shaping Your Hr Role: Succeeding in Today’s Organization (Elsevier, 2005). They were equally split about the generalist/specialist decision. Those who expressed regret at not specializing felt that it may have limited their career marketability when they sought new opportunities. On the other hand, those who did concentrate in one area felt that they might have made more informed career decisions if they had been exposed to a wider variety of HR functions earlier in their career.

Keep in mind that the lines are often blurred between specializing and generalizing. All positions require you to cross into a variety of functions. For example, if you are in recruitment you may be working closely with comp and benefits people as you design strategies to attract the best and the brightest. If you are generalist in a medium sized company you may have to become a performance management expert as you lead a team of HR staff, line managers and consultants to design a new system for your organization.

So what to do? Look at the skills and competencies of those at the next level. By observing these leaders in action and talking to them one on one, you can discover how their background compares with yours. What competency and skill gaps do you need to fill?

To follow up on the recruitment example, get to know the recruitment professionals in your company.  Consider visiting with colleagues in other companies. Shadow them for a day or a few hours to see what they actually do and try to picture yourself in that role. How does the job synch up with your personality and interests? Don't try to force fit a career direction because you think it is the next best thing. Continue your fact checking by exploring websites to get a good idea of what the key qualifications are for specialist positions.

Seize opportunities to work on projects that give you exposure to areas like talent selection and hiring practices. You can determine whether you want to dive deeper and if you decide to stay a generalist for awhile you will be building up your knowledge and value by strengthening your specialist skill set. You are ramping up your present and future marketability. The bottom line, you cant go wrong either way!

© 2008 Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.

Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, Ph.D. is a speaker, author and career coach who specializes in helping leaders to strengthen people skills. Find additional resources for HR professionals and check out her new teleseminar series on Career Success Skills for Introverted Professionals at AboutYOU,Inc.

Article source: Expert Articles

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