The Harvard Business Review findings show that generalists tend to receive more job offers than specialists. However, this might be, in part, due to the fact that generalists may be able to apply to a wider variety of companies.

Specialists may be able to earn more money since they’re better qualified for specific roles than generalists. They benefit from having an exhaustive knowledge base in their fields, which is coveted quality.

The Benefits Of Being A Generalist Broad experience has its benefits. Generalists have a more diverse collection of knowledge to draw from, so they can see connections and correlations that specialists might miss.

Recruiters recommend playing it safe by positioning yourself as a “specialist, with breadth.” To do this: Emphasize the depth of your expertise in the most necessary job skills — the ones that actually match the job description — and add your compatible skills at the bottom of the resume.

According to a physician survey by the Medical Group Management Association, the median income of specialists is nearly twice that of primary-care physicians — $384,000 vs. As in most professions, it has long been true in medicine that specialists earn more than generalists.

Some pros of being a specialist include: They are experts in their specialty. They know the work inside and out, upside and down….The cons:

• They probably have to turn down or outsource specialized work.
• They have more to juggle in terms of project management.
• Their rates may be lower.

The Disadvantages of Being a Generalist The most common criticism against generalists is that they are sacrificing depth for breadth. The increased complexity makes it harder for them to have an in-depth understanding of things as by simply knowing the surface you can overlook the brevity of it.

The Specialist Some pros of being a specialist include: They are experts in their specialty. They know the work inside and out, upside and down. They may have an easier time selling their services once they find their market.

Generalists can eat a variety of foods and thrive in a range of habitats. Specialists, on the other hand, have a limited diet and stricter habitat requirements.

The specialist is better at dealing with a specific situation he or she has studied in depth. The generalist is better at dealing with the unknown because he or she can quickly see familiar patterns from the known in the unknown. The first to market will likely be a generalist.

Human resources professionals generally take one of two career paths: specialist or generalist. As the term implies, the human resources specialist develops expertise in a specific HR discipline. The generalist, on the other hand, is the HR Jack of all trades.

A generalist is a person with a wide array of knowledge on a variety of subjects, useful or not. It may also refer to: a physician who provides general health care, as opposed to a medical specialist; see also: General practitioner. Family medicine.