There comes a time in everyone’s career to determine if you should be a generalist or specialist freelancer. You could be an entry-level worker or several years into your career. You may not even know if you are a generalist or a specialist at this moment. Making that decision sooner than later will benefit the trajectory of your future career. Most people naturally are generalists, but there are some people who begin their careers as specialists.
If you are working for a small to medium-sized company or startup, being a generalist is more desirable. However, If you are looking at larger companies or FAANG companies (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google), being a specialist may be more beneficial. This is due to those types of companies needing more specific roles filled. In contrast, at a startup company, you may be the only designer on the team leading the entire product.
My background
A little background on myself, I am a user experience designer, freelancer, and agency owner who specializes in designing software for B2B companies.
I have been a designer for over ten years, and much of that time has been as a generalist. Two years ago I specialized in B2B software and it made me realize how much more marketable my skills are when I said ‘no’, and decided to work with a select few clients. Sales became easier. I was able to learn about industry-specific problems and implement this in multiple client jobs. Allowing me to charge for a premium without going into overdrive.
Some of my best app designs.
Where do you think you are now, and where would you like to see yourself in the future? Let’s dispel all the pros and cons that being a generalist or specialist has, and you can decide for yourself where you are best fit.
So… should I be a generalist or specialist freelancer?
You are at the start of your career or even in the middle of it, the question keeps banging in your head; Should I specialize or not? I am here to tell you that it is okay, and it is better than not trying to better your career at all.
There are a lot of satisfying things about being a generalist. Everything is so new and fresh, there may be some level of desperation but it is something we are willing to accept. Before you can even start to think about a specialization, identify some of the skills you have picked up along the way. Then use that to find a specialization. Before we jump too far, let’s look at some of the pros of being a generalist.
1. Pros of being a generalist
- Because of the number of skills you market yourself as you may be perceived as an expert in your field
- Generalists may be more flexible and open to working on different types of projects
- Generalists usually work on many different types of mediums. For example, some designers work on commercials, packaging, logos, and websites all at once
- Agencies and small to medium-sized businesses desire generalists more than specialists
Now that we explored some of the great things about being a generalist, let’s take a look at the dark side. Being that you are a generalist puts you at several disadvantages. The simplest one is that it is so hard to market yourself, due to a lack of identity. When you lack a clear and direct offer, you look like everyone else. You end up getting lost in the sea of millions of freelancers who are competing against you in the global marketplace with your same exact job title. So here is a list of some of the cons of being a generalist.
2. Cons of being a generalist
- Clients often look for freelancers to do a specific job
- On average paid less than a specialist
- Typically lack of deep knowledge or expertise in any specific area. This is because you are constantly wearing new hats.
- Harder to market yourself as a generalist because the market is saturated
- Your work may lack purpose or be a personal misalignment
When you finally find the right specialty, everything will fall into place. Everyone is happier! You work with better clients who pay you more to do what you love. There is no right path to take, as everyone’s path will be different. What I can tell you is that over the ten years that I have freelanced, the years while I was specialized were the most fruitful. Let’s not keep any secrets, here’s a list of reasons why you should specialize today.
3. Pros of being a specialist
- On average paid more than a specialist
- Easier to market yourself as a specialist because the market is unsaturated
- Clients find you, because they may search keywords that are associated with your specialty
- Profit margins are higher, opening the opportunity to outsource tasks
- Your work has a higher level of satisfaction, purpose, and gratification because it is perfectly aligned with your personal values
- Clients are easier, fun, and more lucrative to work with
- Easier to systemize a predictable workflow
- Easy to say ‘no’ to clients who aren’t a good fit
I will be completely honest with you, everything has a trade-off in life. So being a specialist is not the perfect solution to all your business problems. Before I specialized, I had a lot of doubts regarding if I was making the right decision or not. I can tell you now that many of those doubts are untrue and you are simply holding yourself back. Let’s now look at some of the potential cons when it comes to specializing.
4. Cons of being a specialist
- A specialist may feel or be perceived as closed off to working with work outside their specialization
- Could specialize too narrowly and not have enough customers
- Requires you to gain a deep understanding of your customer’s problems
- Risk of locking yourself into a specific industry
Conclusions
When it comes down to it you really only have two choices; do I become a generalist or specialist freelancer? And the answer is not simple. The answer has to come from within yourself. I did a lot of searching to discover the right path for me to take in life. Be patient and give yourself time to do the same. Best of luck on your freelance journey.
