Being a generalist and creator is going to be more valuable in the age of AI. Believe me you!

So I’ve always tried to be a “Jack of All Trades”, though the joke is master of none! What that translates to is being a generalist. That goes the same for “Jane of All Trades”.

In an age of specialization that all would seem very counter intuitive or not recommended. Everybody, that is to get and maintain a job that paid well, had to have specialized skills, special training, a degree in a very specific field or area.

Again contrary to all of this my schooling of two community colleges and one university; that never really got me anything more than an A.A. Degree in General Science and Mathematics, even though I had the units for a B.S. but in the wrong courses.

I continued self-learning after university for nearly 30+ years, so I would have to say, “I do have a PhD in Jack of All Trades with an emphasis on computers in general”.

My model for a well-informed individual was to spread out my learning into computers and art, and my ideal idol would be someone like Leonardo da Vinci. I don’t claim to be like him of course, only to aspire to learn as much as I can about everything that I’m remotely interested in. To try to grow my interest even wider still, not more narrow.

Now the funny thing is that may all pay off in the age of AI, but for me ironically I’m now retired. Although I do write, hence this article of advice.

My formal advice to you after watching the above videos above is to stop trying to specialize, but instead generalize, develop and find yourself, and your interests in as many things as you can manage reasonably in your life. That’s the best advice I could give at this time.

Do the things you love, the things that motivate you, that interest you, forget the advice of others to the contrary. They probably don’t know what they are talking about . . . and ultimately in the end you’ll be just fine!