Since starting out as an independent contractor, I’ve always felt a tension between being a generalist software engineer, yet having to market myself as a specialist. I’ve been wanting to write about it for years and even have kept some notes for that purpose. Recently I came across an article by Ben Collins-Sussman, which gave me the last bit of inspiration I needed, even though his article only indirectly touches on the topic.
The idiocy of recruiting. In my experience a lot of companies actually want jacks of all trades when they hire someone. But the job descriptions are always tailored to specialist roles. Me personally I also stopped trying to market myself as a generalist instead focusing on specific topics with deeper knowledge and this has helped so much.
The idiocy of recruiting. In my experience a lot of companies actually want jacks of all trades when they hire someone. But the job descriptions are always tailored to specialist roles. Me personally I also stopped trying to market myself as a generalist instead focusing on specific topics with deeper knowledge and this has helped so much.