Is being multi-talented a boon or a bane for your career?

Growing up we were always encouraged to show our talent to the world. It would win us admiration from our parents, friends, and teachers. Truly multi-talented people in the world are much fewer and most of us mortals have to learn things and cannot simply survive on the qualities with which we were born.

In the past hundred years, because of the advancement in technology, the world has started to become more equal. There are still families where wealth is passed down but there are also many entrepreneurs who have successfully established their businesses and have turned into first-time wealth creators. Entrepreneurs are a good example of people who have either acquired different talents (in the business perspective) or some of them, quite frankly were born with innate and diverse talent.

However, in most cases, many entrepreneurs have heartbreaking stories of facing several rejections in life, and some of them quite early in their careers, and still possessing the courage and the confidence to go against the tide and creating something is remarkable.

While most entrepreneurs are successful in their venture, they actually failed at their jobs at some point in their life. I am sure many of these entrepreneurs would argue that it was their destiny that brought them to the doorsteps of success because it gave them the courage to step out of their comfort zone. An entrepreneur is a good profile to understand what a multi-talented person looks like. But let us talk about the multi-talented people who have chosen to climb the corporate ladder.

• Is being multi-talented really appreciated in the corporate world?
• Are the corporates able to discern that your multi-tasking ability is actually linked to you being multi-talented?
• Can you become multi-talented if so desired by your job, and should you do that?
• Are the problems that you face as a multi-talented individual different from other people who are more singularly focused?

The Negatives

You get confused and lose the sense of direction

If you have vastly different talents that translate into different career options, then you would have a hard time deciding which particular field of work to pursue. After all, most of us are trying to marry our talent+passion with work.

And while this is hard, some people are able to deal with the confusion that comes with being multi-talented with being very disciplined and working on their focus every day. And eventually, they figure out their true passion and leaning in the long run but it is too much of hard work.

Creating a balance among different projects is hard at times

At your job you are always trying to strike a line and say No to things because while there are so many projects that you would wish to be part of, there is limited time and energy. Also at times, you would not want your employer to know all things that you are good at, and keeping at least a few things as a surprise for much later. Will that help you in the long run? Knowing internally that you have held yourself back because you want to mature as an employee, gain trust, and then deliver. Or, do you think that your employer would appreciate that you are good at very different kinds of jobs, which other people would take time to learn?

Lack of exploration or depth

While you are multi-talented, dedicated, and with a good work ethic, you can still lack the depth and expertise that some of the jobs today require. For instance, the field of Digital Marketing requires an individual to be constantly updated with what new is happening in the world. And so do many other professions and fields.

Is your involvement and curiosity in many projects at work stopping you from gaining that depth and truly becoming an expert in your field? Considering today experts are so valued, and generalists are usually shunned, do you think that you and your employers, truly understand the disadvantages of keeping you involved in many short term projects, and not necessarily allowing you to gain expertise in just one? And if a choice was given to you what would you have done?

The Positives

You will derive happiness from your work and efforts

The opportunity to make use of your various talents will ensure that you feel fulfilled and that you will derive a lot of happiness while working. Plus you won't feel bored at work because you will be exploring and trying new things out and being busy while exploring new projects. And if you wish to explore your talent outside of work, you will be busy with weekend projects.

There will be an abundance of learning

Being involved in many different projects will ensure that you gain an overall understanding of the business, and will also learn a lot of different things. Plus, you also become better at managing your own time and energy.

Switching between projects would be easier

It would be easier for you to switch between different projects than other people and that will also ensure that you are more visible to the bosses at your workplace. You can also utilize your multi-talented ability to create an alternate stream of revenue for yourself.

Conclusion

Do you think that you are a multitalented individual? What has been your experience? Have you been able to realize your complete potential in different areas of interest, or did you have to narrow down your areas to stay focused?

Let us discuss this.