Starting Your Career: Generalist or Specialist?
One of the biggest questions you'll face as you start your digital marketing journey is whether you should focus on becoming a specialist or a generalist. It’s a critical decision that will shape your career trajectory, so it’s important to understand the differences and figure out which path best aligns with your goals.
Let’s break down each role, explore how they impact your career at the beginning and as you progress, and provide practical insights to help you make the best decision for your future.
Who Is a Specialist?
A specialist is someone who hones in on one particular area of digital marketing and becomes an expert at it. This could be SEO, paid ads, content marketing, social media, email marketing, or data analytics. Specialists are the go-to people for solving complex problems in their field because they have deep expertise in a specific domain.
Who Is a Generalist?
A generalist is someone who has a broad understanding of multiple areas in digital marketing. Rather than being an expert in one field, generalists know a little bit about everything—SEO, PPC, content, social media, analytics, etc. They are often referred to as “digital marketing managers” or “growth marketers” in the field.
Starting Your Career: Generalist or Specialist?
When you're just starting out in digital marketing, it might seem like becoming a specialist is the way to go. However, many successful digital marketers begin their careers as generalists. Here's why:
1. Exposure to Multiple Channels
As a generalist, you get to work across multiple areas—content creation, social media, paid ads, analytics, etc. This broad exposure allows you to develop a solid foundation of digital marketing knowledge. In your first few years, this versatility is an asset, especially if you’re working at a smaller company or agency where you’ll need to wear multiple hats.
2. Flexibility
In the early stages of your career, you’re still figuring out which area of digital marketing excites you the most. Being a generalist gives you the flexibility to explore different channels before narrowing down on a specialty. Maybe you’ll discover you love data-driven work like paid ads or that you have a natural talent for creating compelling content. Either way, starting as a generalist gives you room to explore.
3. More Entry-Level Opportunities
Many companies, especially smaller businesses and startups, look for digital marketers who can manage multiple channels. These roles are more common at the entry level and allow you to build hands-on experience with various tools and tactics. Over time, you’ll gain a better sense of what you want to focus on as you progress in your career.
Progressing in Your Career: Should You Specialize?
Once you’ve gained some experience and have a better understanding of your strengths and interests, you’ll likely face the question of whether to specialize.
Why Specializing Can Be a Game-Changer:
Depth of Expertise: As you progress in your career, becoming a specialist can position you as an expert in a particular field—like SEO, PPC, or email marketing. Specialists are in high demand because they bring deep, technical knowledge to the table. This expertise can lead to better job opportunities and higher pay.
Career Longevity: Specialists often enjoy more career stability in their niche. If you specialize in a growing field, such as data analytics or paid ads, your skills will remain highly relevant as businesses seek experts to help them achieve their goals.
When Generalizing is Still a Good Idea:
Leadership Roles: If your ultimate goal is to move into leadership positions—such as marketing director or CMO—remaining a generalist might be a better fit. Leaders need to understand how all the different components of marketing work together to drive strategy. Generalists often have the "big picture" thinking needed for these roles, along with the ability to manage teams and delegate tasks.
Adapting to Changes: The digital marketing landscape evolves quickly, and being a generalist allows you to pivot more easily. If one channel becomes less effective (like when algorithm changes affect social media marketing), generalists can shift focus to new strategies without feeling tied to one area.
Best Practices to Help You Choose
Now that you know the key differences, here’s how to approach the question of specialization in your career.
1. Assess Your Strengths and Interests
Do you enjoy deep-diving into one subject, or do you prefer working on different types of projects? If you love the technical side of marketing (like analyzing data or tweaking SEO strategies), specializing may be for you. On the other hand, if you prefer variety and like seeing how all the pieces fit together, a generalist path could suit you better.
2. Experiment Early in Your Career
While starting as a generalist gives you broad exposure, don’t hesitate to experiment with different specialties early on. Take on diverse projects, learn new tools, and test various strategies. Once you find something you’re passionate about, you can consider specializing.
3. Consider the Job Market
Look at the demand for different digital marketing skills in your area or the industry you want to work in. Some niches, like SEO or data analytics, have high demand for specialists, while others prefer generalists who can manage multiple channels. Let market demand help guide your decision.
4. Think Long-Term
Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? If you want to become an expert in one area, focusing on a specialization is likely the best route. If you see yourself in a leadership or strategic role, staying generalist and developing a wide skill set will better prepare you for those positions.
5. Keep Learning
Whether you choose to specialize or remain a generalist, continuous learning is crucial. Digital marketing evolves rapidly, and the ability to adapt and stay updated is key to long-term success. Even if you specialize, stay curious about other areas of marketing, as this will make you more well-rounded and valuable.
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Best,
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Thanks so much for this piece. Was such an insightful article ❤️
Thank you so much Success for this beautiful write up. Very very insightful and helpful.