Specialise or Generalise

**AtW** · 11 March 2021, 21:16

Hi Gricer

**Whorty** · 11 March 2021, 21:29

Originally posted by Chronos000 View Post

I'm starting to spend more time on personal projects to boost my skills. I'm not a contractor yet, but hope to make the move in a couple of years.

My question is, should I spend most of my time getting better at a single tech stack like java/spring boot, (90% of my software knowledge), or branch out to other tech like python etc?

If you're new, and have the time to plan/train for the future, then pick something that is harder to offshore / be picked up by cheap consultancy body shops.

**northernladuk** · 11 March 2021, 23:18

For a contractor then speciliality is normally the key to end to end gigs. If the client wants something specific and you specilise in it you are one step ahead of the general competion already. Makes me cringe when I see someone describe themselves as a PM/PMO/Change Manager/Business Change. They must be pretty average at all four. Someone who is a dyed in the wool PM or PMO etc will trump them.

That said I don't know about coding and I thought a specialist coder was good at all the main ones. All the really good coders I've seen tend to be really good at them all even though they are only delivering one on that piece of work. But I'm not a coder so maybe someone else will comment.

**Great Parks** · 11 March 2021, 23:23

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

That said I don't know about coding and I thought a specialist coder was good at all the main ones. All the really good coders I've seen tend to be really good at them all even though they are only delivering one on that piece of work. But I'm not a coder so maybe someone else will comment.

I disagree with that.

You see few full stack developers that are much cop at the front end technologies in my experience. Javascript is often very much a secondary skillset.

**vetran** · 12 March 2021, 00:04

The money is in explaining & solving the problem, technology is just the tool. Specialise in solutions.

In the last year I have written code in VB,VBA,VB,net, C#, Powershell, DOT, batch, DAX, R , Python, SQL and others. Why? because that was what solved the problem.

**OwlHoot** · 12 March 2021, 00:25

Originally posted by vetran View Post

The money is in explaining & solving the problem, technology is just the tool. Specialise in solutions.

In the last year I have written code in VB,VBA,VB,net, C#, Powershell, DOT, batch, DAX, R , Python, SQL and others. Why? because that was what solved the problem.

That may be so, but most agents and clients only take note of what specific tachnologies one has recently used, unless these are ridiculously specialised.

You could be the most ingenious, or even genius, problem solver ever; but if you haven't used intensively say C# or python, or whatever they are seeking, in the last year or two then recruiters will toss your CV aside regardless!

**jayn200** · 12 March 2021, 00:31

Specialise for sure for contract market. Typically contractors get hired for specific projects or problems. They are usually fairly narrow in scope in what they require.

I am a bit of a data generalist with 2 masters degrees and close to 15 years experience and I lose out on roles all the time to people with less experience than me but more specialised. There are roles out there for generalists and I've never been out of work for more than a couple weeks but if I was specialising I'd probably be earning 100-200 more a day.

If I was doing it all over again I would specialise in one tech stack... chances are you'll get some exposure to other languages along the way and you can just learn as you go but I wouldn't put any specific effort in your own time in building them up.

**vetran** · 12 March 2021, 00:59

Originally posted by OwlHoot View Post

That may be so, but most agents and clients only take note of what recent specific tachnologies one has recently used, unless these are ridiculously specialised.

You could be the most ingenious, or even genius, problem solver ever; but if you haven't used intensively say C# or python, or whatever they are seeking, in the last year or two then recruiters will toss your CV aside regardless!

That would be a problem, to solve it make sure the skill you have will solve a significant business problem that they probably have.

The reality is its not important how long or recently you poked the fire, its how hot it got! Ask NLyUK.

to whorty's post the bit that patently can't be offshored is the relationship, that is normally where it blows off. Know your business , know your culture.

**cojak** · 12 March 2021, 07:16

Mr C has been learning about C and he loves it (the last time he coded was in Fortran).

But vetran says, the time he's spent on most is looking for the right problem to solve with it.

Specialise or Generalise