“Find your niche!”

"Be professional!"

You've heard this advice more than once. And I can't say that this is bad advice. On the contrary, to do a good job, you need to be competent. And to do this, you just need to decide on a niche and improve in this direction.

Only now the world around us is changing. And your approach to work also needs to change. No, doing hackwork, not developing, not delving into the field in which you work - this is not necessary. On the contrary, you need to learn, develop and comprehend those areas that directly relate to your main specialization.

Because freelance services are mainly in demand among small and medium-sized businesses. And in turn, who do they need? That's right, a universal fighter who could do several jobs at the same time.

Because it's cheaper and more convenient.

And the result, you say? Will he be good?

It all depends on the specialist himself. I won’t tell you a secret if I say that narrow-profile specialists sometimes do this... And if there are several of them, and everyone is pulling in their own direction... It’s time to go crazy.

Narrow specialty - pros and cons

One of my good friends recently wrote on his blog about why a businessman needs to hire an expert in a specific specialty, and not a jack of all trades. And is he alone?

He's right - an expert always has a bunch of tricks in stock that a generalist may not know. That's why he's called an expert. And if you want to receive a high-quality service, you need to look for a specialist in a specific topic.

But there is one disadvantage in narrow specialization, which everyone is silent about.

It's getting boring. You can quickly reach the ceiling and burn out, the monotony gets boring. It gets boring about 10-20 minutes into the same project as everyone else. Working on a knurled track is not always a pleasure.

There are also disadvantages for the employer. The most important thing is that it is expensive. Think that everyone needs to hire a SEO specialist, a developer, a copywriter, a contextologist, an SMM specialist... And everyone needs to pay a considerable fee. Not every business can bear such expenses, not everyone. After all, a good specialist also takes good money.

And yet, the project is pulled like a blanket, everyone takes it upon themselves. The SEO specialist says that the main text should be like this, the contextologist should say like this, because advertising will not work. And this button should be here. The designer is against rearranging the button because the entire look of the site breaks. And the copywriter says that no one writes texts like that anymore...

That’s why such projects take a long time to develop, changes are made over the years, and there are many shortcomings and shortcomings.

I saw these projects and worked with them. The site owner simply does not know who to listen to, because the opinions of specialists rarely coincide. And being a copywriter there is generally a curse.

“...I can also use a cross...”

The point of view of Dmitry Rumyantsev is closer to me. at leisure.

I will quote the most interesting point:

It is more profitable to find a high-quality freelancer who has 5-7 clients and produces good content for them than to go to agencies with their flow and average quality of work. Yes, now there are so-called “boutique” agencies that profess the same approach, but in fact these are 5-6 competent freelancers who have united and work together.

It seems to me that it is in the interests of the market to ensure that there are people who have few clients, but work efficiently. And it is more profitable for customers to hire a freelancer “for themselves” than to contact some agency. Of course, agencies will have their own niche; large clients and giant corporations will go there, but for small and medium-sized businesses, which make up the majority of the economy, the best option is high-quality, competent freelancers.

For a freelancer, versatility is a constant development. And you are entirely responsible for the project and know perfectly well what works where and how. Working in this way with small businesses, small companies is ideal.

Let's say you are hired for such a turnkey project. You’ve made a website (you’ve hired your own developer and designer, acted as a project manager), you fill it with content (you buy it or write it yourself), and you do SEO promotion. You can also configure contextual advertising and lead groups on social networks. All this is quite possible for one person. If some task seems overwhelming, you can always delegate it to colleagues, hire an outside specialist and supervise the process.

But in order to work like this, you must first learn—comprehend those areas in which you have never worked before. And constantly develop, catch new chips.

This is good for the employer in all respects. You get an assistant who is responsible for representing your company on the Internet. He can understand the specifics of your business better than five different highly specialized specialists.

You are not in a stream of people like you, as is the case with agencies or already eminent specialists who run dozens, or even hundreds of businesses. Do they care about your problems? No, because there are a lot of problems and they have a lot of clients. And for a generalist freelancer, you are, at worst, one out of five.

But in this case, a freelancer often becomes a remote worker. I won't say it's bad. Haven't you dreamed of working from home and having a stable salary? At the same time, no one bothers you to carry out several more small projects (if you have time).

In general, a freelancer can easily manage 2-3 projects in parallel. Depends on the desire to work, on speed and experience.

Moreover, such versatility opens up new horizons for you. If you know the processes from the inside, you can grow to become a project manager or open an agency (if you want). And none of your employees will accuse you of incompetence - because you know about everything. Perhaps not “more and more about less and less”, but it is quite enough for the normal functioning of your project.

Therefore, I am more inclined to believe that it is useful for a freelancer to be universal. I work this way myself, and clients do not complain about the results. The project turns out to be holistic, and tailored specifically to a specific business.

People often ask me: I need to grow, but where to grow? Grow not in depth, but in breadth. Explore new areas and you will always be interested. And investments in knowledge will return a hundredfold. Especially when you start putting them into practice.

In almost any skilled activity there is a range of specialization: from narrow-profile tasks to broader ones. Which specialization is more profitable from a career point of view: broad or narrow?

Broad specialization

Advantages:

– it is easier to find a job, since the range of vacancies for which you can apply is wider;

– it’s easier to improve your qualifications or enter related fields professional areas. The broader your horizons, the easier it is to get comfortable in unfamiliar professional “territory”;

– a wide profile - insurance against professional burnout. Even if you love your job very much, but perform the same range of tasks year after year, there is a high probability that there will be less and less inspiration for work over time;

– focus on innovation. The wider the field of view, the easier it is to see the perspective. Generalists tend to see new opportunities before those opportunities even arise. Because people with a broad outlook live every day in the mode of searching and processing new information.

Main disadvantage broad specialization - lack of depth. The specialist is familiar with different areas, but in some places very superficially. Due to ignorance of details, the likelihood of errors is high.

Recommendation. If you are a generalist and it is not physically possible to delve into every detail (which is natural!), use the advice of specialist experts who will help you avoid sharp corners.

Narrow specialization

The main advantage of narrow specialization

As a possessor of rare knowledge and skills, you automatically fall into the category of valuable specialists: after all, what you know and can do, few know and can do.

Flaws:

– you have to wait until a suitable vacancy appears on the labor market. (By the way, this time can be used to broaden your horizons!);

– risk of getting stuck in a routine, professional burnout;

– what if the demand for specialists in your profile drops sharply? For example, they will invent new technology, or the industry will leave the market. You will have to urgently retrain, and adaptation will not be easy.

Recommendation. As a narrow specialist, try to develop universal qualities in yourself - those that can be useful in a wide variety of areas of activity. For example, foreign languages, communication skills, creativity. This increases your competitiveness. If you have a hobby, devote more time to it - perhaps someday it will help you out during a crisis in the labor market or become your job if you want to change your professional profile. Broaden your general horizons, communicate with people whose company you enjoy - this will add new impressions to your life and serve as a preventive measure for professional fatigue.

Broad profile or narrow specialization? was last modified: June 12th, 2017 by Elena Nabatchikova

We received a question from a subscriber:

Is it better to have broader knowledge or deeper knowledge?

We turned to our experts for clarification, and we present the answers received to your attention.

The world of digital production is now so diverse that it is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. Different specialists are suitable for different tasks. There are tasks in which a specialist needs to understand the operating principles of all system components, and here, naturally, a broad horizon of technologies is needed. There are tasks of high complexity that relate to a single technology, and in these cases a specialized specialist is needed. Moreover, we have tasks that require a generalist with in-depth knowledge of technology. In general, it is impossible to say for sure. For each task, we try to select the appropriate specialist with the appropriate level.

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The programmer must have good logic and algorithmization skills. Everything else - the features of a particular language or framework - can be learned in practice. Continuing the story of my experience of communicating with programmers, I can note that the two best developers in my practice (including a girl) graduated from the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Computer Science of Moscow State University, where they received fundamental knowledge.

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For me, deeper knowledge has a clear value. The higher the specialization, the better the product. But programmers with a wide pool of knowledge make excellent managers.

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I think that both types of specialists are needed. It all depends on the needs of a specific project and company. Professionals in their field are always in demand, but it will not be superfluous to have a broad technical outlook in related fields. For a programmer, the main thing is to constantly learn something new and develop. You need to follow your interests to make programming fun.

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It is better to have deep knowledge in one or two areas that are core to you and basic knowledge in several more. This is the so-called T-shaped knowledge. Deep knowledge will help you become a truly in-demand professional capable of solving complex tasks in a specific area. General knowledge of other disciplines will help you quickly understand and solve problems at the intersection of areas, and will help you find non-standard solutions to problems. They will also help with understanding other people and the overall meaning of the work. I would also like to note that in addition to technical knowledge, it is advisable to study: project management, emotional intelligence, negotiations, finance and public speaking. This knowledge helps, even if there is no desire to grow up the career ladder. If you have them, you begin to better understand what is happening and stop getting stuck on things not related to programming.

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Speaking of which is better, in data analysis the question is different. The breadth and depth of knowledge go hand in hand - if you understand one issue, many equally interesting related problems and methods immediately appear. It’s important not to overdo it, because it’s impossible to figure everything out. At some point, sufficient depth will be achieved, and then you will need to broaden your horizons and actively monitor what is happening in the industry. However, without this depth, it will be difficult to understand what is happening. The most important thing here is that you need to be able to quickly learn, relearn and master new methods and technologies. Nowadays progress is moving very quickly, and if you dig into the same topic for a long time, then when you come out, it may turn out that everyone has already forgotten about it.

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The set of knowledge a programmer needs depends on the area in which he works. Of course, if the task is to write programs for embedded systems and devices on microcontrollers, then it is necessary to have knowledge in the field of circuit design and the simplest physics of electrical circuits.

The word "profession" comes from the Latin "professio", which means "official occupation, occupation." Modern definition this term is more voluminous and sounds like this: “a profession is a historically emerged form labor activity, for which a person must have certain knowledge, skills, abilities, as well as professionally important qualities.”

Our list of professions is constantly updated and growing.

There is a special list of professions (where, unfortunately, no description can be found) approved by the Ministry of Labor of Russia - “All-Russian Classifier of Worker Professions, Employee Positions and tariff categories"(OKPDTR). As a rule, a rigid tariff schedule is actually used only in government and budgetary institutions. Private companies and commercial organizations are more accepting of the discrepancy between education, profession and position.

Consultation on career guidance from ProfGuide will help you in this important matter not only as information support, but will indicate the direction and set guidelines that correspond to your abilities. After all, to build a successful career and a decent life in the future, it is not enough to determine your inclination towards a particular profession. A psychologist will help you choose a profession that matches your talents, but different industries– the most developed in the present and promising in the future.

The world of professions is incredibly diverse and large. In order not to get lost in this diversity, professions were conventionally divided into groups: man-person, man-technology, man-nature, man-artistic image.

We do everything so that you understand your desires and acquire the necessary information.

ProfGuide will give you:

• momentum to move forward
• opportunity to learn new things
• get to know yourself from a new side, be surprised and rejoice at these discoveries.

Choosing a profession is a question that everyone faces. From early childhood, a person tries to understand what place he will occupy in adulthood. Some sincerely believed in a career as a firefighter, some wanted to become a ballet actor, and some dreamed of selling sweets to children. Unfortunately or fortunately, not all children's wishes come true. With age comes an understanding: an ideal profession is not only something you love, but also something that is in demand. Today's schoolchildren and applicants must anticipate changes in the labor market. In this regard, you should understand the list of in-demand professions in 2020-2025. It must be capacious and justified - then it will be possible to take advantage of freedom of choice.

What was relevant before

The first professions appeared even before the emergence of civilization. Then among the ancient people it had a clear, specific character. The man's task was to ensure the safety of the "home", women and children. He also had to provide the tribe with food. Women raised children and made sure that the fire in the family hearth always warmed the household. The redistribution of responsibilities appeared when humanity began to change its usual way of life. Nomadic tribes became sedentary, development began agriculture. A profession such as tillage appeared.

The hard physical labor with which people cultivated the land pushed society to invent more convenient devices. A craft appeared. Over time, the specialties of potters and blacksmiths arose - these were professions associated with the future. Dynasties of masters constantly improved their skills, which triggered progress. Ultimately, this led to what are now about forty thousand different professions.

The emergence of narrow specialization

Already in the twentieth century, an urgent need arose for the division of labor. If previously “jacks of all trades” were irreplaceable and in great demand, then in conditions of an overloaded labor market and a constant increase in demand for goods, narrow specialists were needed. The first to understand this was Henry Ford, who divided car production into conventional workshops. Each of them produced a separate part of the general mechanism. People worked where they were more successful. The result was an increase in the output of finished products several times. Ford's example was followed by others large manufacturers, and now every enterprise uses the conveyor method.

How was the progress

In industrial Russia throughout the twentieth century, traditional factory workers were popular; they received good salaries, and young people, wanting to be useful, gladly went to work for large enterprises. However, after the breakup Soviet Union many factories have lost their stability. Started new era in the labor market - the development of the service sector. Construction developed no less actively - large cities were built up with high-rise buildings. Thus, at the beginning of the 2000s, new promising professions became the professions of builder, mason, plasterer, as well as managers, waiters, specialists in the field of restaurant and tourism business and other service workers.

In 2007, society increasingly wondered what professions would be in demand in 10 years. The applicants understood that their entire subsequent life depended on their choice. Then the ratings of the professions of the future were full of sales managers, marketers, customer service specialists, IT engineers, lawyers, economists and some others. This suggests that at that time the service sector continued to develop and the demand for qualified specialists was constantly increasing. But even then, a development trend in the field of scientific research began.

Scientific development today

Now scientific research has a decisive place. The future development of the country and society depends entirely on the daily achievements of scientists. The peculiarities of scientific development are that there is a clear division of science into several independent disciplines. This allows you to decide in more detail current issues. Research and experiments at this stage of human development are aimed primarily at solving environmental problems. Thus, an expert in the field of alternative energy will be in great demand on the labor market in just a few years. The field of medicine is no less important, since prolonging life and improving its quality are paramount issues of our time.

Medical professions

The development of technology allows specialists to constantly improve. However, there is another side to this coin: workers need to improve their skills and undergo retraining programs. Undoubtedly, the results are worth all the effort - because they prolong human life.

The future is theirs

It is easier to present the list of in-demand professions in 2020-2025 as a list:

1. Surgeon. This specialist must keep up with the times. Thus, already in 2012, an operation was performed to implant a lower jaw implant, which was pre-printed on a 3D printer. Surgeries to implant artificial organs such as kidneys, liver and even heart are well known. The ability to use completely new technologies is the most important skill of a successful specialist of the future.
2. Healthcare Manager. A representative of this profession will have to select and coordinate a team of scientists, engineers, developers and researchers working together to achieve commercially promising goals.
3. Medical device architect. This is a symbiosis of the profession of engineer and medical worker. This specialist will develop the design of medical equipment, as well as ensure its normal functioning. This profession is also called "bioengineer". Where to study? In universities that have areas of "medical photonics", "biotechnical and medical devices and systems", " computer technology in medical physics."
4. Genetic consultant. This is a specialist in the field of genetics who identifies hereditary diseases, determines individual metabolic characteristics and studies diseases that cause viral and bacterial infections.
5. Molecular nutritionist. The responsibilities of a representative of this profession will include studying the molecular composition of food and developing an individual nutrition plan for each patient.

Industry

In order to understand the question of what professions will be in demand in 10 years, you should analyze economic development countries at present. The leading sector of the economy in Russia is industry. This is the most important factor influencing the development of the state. A specialist who has connected his life with this field will never be left without work.

Where to go?

Types of industry:

• Food.
• Easy.
• Chemical.
• Mining.
• Metallurgy (ferrous and non-ferrous).
• Mechanical engineering and metalworking.
• Fuel and electricity.
• Coal, oil and gas.
• Lesnaya.

Thus, industry provides society with everything that is necessary for its normal functioning. Food industry of the future, for example, is engaged in breeding new varieties of plants that humanity eats. The number of vacancies in industry is always higher than in other industries. In addition, there is a need to optimize production, so, in addition to representatives of blue-collar professions, the work of economists, biologists, and many other specialists will be useful here.

Indispensable in industry

So what are the most in-demand professions in 2020-2025? The list will look like this:

1. Design engineers, who will design new equipment and invent more modern technology.
2. Nanotechnologies, whose area of ​​work is cutting-edge nanotechnology.
3. Chemists, biotechnologists, petrochemists, employed in all branches of the chemical industry: from household chemicals to complex chemicals used in production.
4. Seamstresses, textile workers, cutters, whose work will always be in demand in
5. Lumberjacks, mechanics, sawyers, ensuring the correct distribution of forest resources.

Professions in demand in 2020-2025: list for men

Many traditionally male professions have been mastered by women over time. So, now ladies can be not only drivers and bosses, but also politicians, police officers, and installers. But, despite the widespread prevalence of such professions among the fairer sex, some areas are much more suitable for men. These include the professions of a sailor, pilot, miner, lumberjack, plumber, bodyguard, security specialist, firefighter, military man, as well as a builder or scientist. The most promising areas for men are:

• Programming.
• Design.
• Engineering.
• Cyberprosthetics.
• City farming (organization of production of farm products in a metropolis).
• Space industry - spacecraft piloting, cosmogeology and galactic architecture.

It just so happens that more men than women are endowed with a technical mindset. This plays into the hands of the stronger sex: the rapid development of science and industry requires not only an increase in the number of workers, but also the involvement of technical minds. Designing, drawing, planning, organizing and optimizing production require a strong and strong-willed person at the head of the table. Often such positions are occupied by men.

Professions in demand in 2020: list for girls

Representatives of the fair half of humanity are not inferior to the male part of the population. Hard work, punctuality, clarity of action and a non-standard approach distinguish female specialists from the vast majority of male colleagues. Nowadays, the ability to overcome difficulties at work with dignity is also inherent in women. Thus, the areas of work for women are very diverse: from creative professions, in which girls are traditionally considered professionals, to complex technical sciences. This may include the work of a teacher, a marketing, tourism or advertising manager, a realtor, a designer of all kinds, as well as a psychologist and even a security specialist.

The most popular “female” professions in ten years will be the following professions:

• Journalist.
• Editor.
• Nanomedica.
• Space tourism manager.
• Game teacher (specialist in teaching children through games).
• Mind fitness trainer (brain training).

Women will not be left without work. A stable life position, activity, and enterprise, which can easily coexist with tenderness and complaisance, will always be useful in the labor market. Not a single direction is complete without the participation of a woman’s hand. In addition, among the students at the country's leading universities, the vast majority are representatives of the fairer sex. Educated girls are able not only to build a brilliant career, but also to teach important knowledge to their children.

How to choose the ideal profession?

Applicants are faced with a difficult choice: to go to study in the direction in which their soul lies, or to choose an unloved but in-demand profession? Everyone decides this for themselves. However, careerists who are successful in their field advise finding a middle ground. Not a single profession, even the most relevant one in the future, guarantees complete material security. How a person’s future life will turn out depends only on his desire to move and develop within his direction. But do you want to grow in something you don’t love? Definitely not. Therefore, you need to go where it will be interesting to work first, and the rest will follow.

Development of science and technology

The speed of progress is impressive. Just ten years ago, humanity could not imagine what science would be capable of. today. Even now it’s hard to believe that implants of vital organs can be printed on a 3D printer, that the space tourism industry not only exists, but is also actively developing. That nanotechnology occupies a leading place in industrial development. It is difficult to imagine what in-demand professions will be in 2020-2025. The list can only be conditional. But one thing is clear: the future cannot manage without qualified specialists. This means you need to learn, develop and work hard on yourself.