“Specialization can be a scary word. When the initial discussions began in the 1990s about moving software development offshore, I was thinking about what role, if any, the software developer in the United States would have. I thought specializing made it easier to eliminate me from my current position. I thought if I had a specialization in something that the organization no longer needed, I would be removed. I thought remaining a generalist with many skills would be more beneficial in my quest to remain employed.

“What I’ve learned from years of being on the other side of the fence is that, although there are times when a specialist has to be removed due to a lack of work, there are an equal number of times when having a specialty has proven an invaluable trait for an employee. A person who possesses a specialty can be the right resource to keep: since they’re capable and willing to learn one specialty, they may be willing to learn a new specialty - one that hasn’t yet been identified as a need. Because of this, sometimes people with specific skills are more valuable than a generalist.” [Read more…]