According to Encyclopedia Britannica, becoming a Renaissance Man is embracing all knowledge and developing capabilities as much as possible. A niche is a specialized market.
I mention these definitions because I recently overheard a debate on which is best in the professional world: being a Jack of All Trades or being the Go-To Gal for one particular skill set.
On the surface, being great at a lot of things is a no-brainer. However, I wonder if you can be truly great at multiple things when attention is spread so thin among those interests. “Jack of all Trades, Master of None,” anyone? It seems that giving attention to one area of expertise would create a bigger bang, make a stronger impact.
Then there’s the indispensable factor: would an employer be more likely to keep and promote a person with a general knowledge of advertising, business development, office administration, and accounting or a person who could repeat the Sarbanes-Oxley auditing procedure by heart?
Perhaps the answer varies by industry. Or maybe it's dependent on the needs of an individual's personality.
I don’t know what’s best. But at this point in my career, I do know that I’m not ready to pick a niche. My list of things I’d like to learn more about runs at about 1,200 items. (That’s a guesstimate, folks. I couldn’t even begin to actually calculate!) I feel my time is best spent embracing all those interests, and perhaps I’ll find a niche by doing so. Therefore, Pro-Renaissance Man I must be…at least at this point in my career.
What about you? Do you think it’s best to be really great at one thing? Or to be good at several things?
Let the debate begin!
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