2 ms·

Is this simply an apriori argument? Do you have any evidence to back up your claim beyond your reasoning? I don't find it very persuasive, and based on my own

Is this simply an apriori argument? Do you have any evidence to back up your claim beyond your reasoning? I don't find it very persuasive, and based on my own experiences being a generalist for the majority of my career, I can say it certainly doesn't apply to me. My compensation is >$500k a year and I've been a software engineer since 2010.

thaumaturgy 4y ago
What search terms would you recommend a generalist plug in to indeed.com to maximize their chances of getting hired at a competitive salary? Remember, they are a generalist, so specific languages, frameworks, and platforms don't count; they won't be more experienced in any of those than competing applicants, by their nature.
- pards 4y ago
  We generalists find work through our network of contacts. People we've worked with previously reach out to us when their current company needs a person like us. In 20+ years as a generalist, I've never been without work.
  - thaumaturgy 4y ago
    Exactly: if you're talking to people who already understand your value, then you don't have to pitch your value to them. Specialists also benefit from this, with the additional benefit that they can look for employment outside their network. There are some survivorship biases responding in this thread, but the fact remains that employment opportunities favor specialists over generalists, all other things being equal.
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milkshakes 4y ago
How are you with the Layer 8 issues? I find in large organizations, that wildcards who can effectively relate and communicate, either directly or through an intermediary, with DRIs whose organizations they depend on, will succeed. The reason is that when a generalist/wildcard/"tiger team" is introduced to a mature organization that has specialized, the reason usually is that there is something not working as desired with the system as a whole, a system that significant investment has been placed into. and that takes as much human as technical finesse to unravel. If you're good at that, I can imagine you've done well. But effective communication is not a common trait among wildcards I've known. Most have been protected by excellent managers.

thaumaturgy 4y ago

What search terms would you recommend a generalist plug in to indeed.com to maximize their chances of getting hired at a competitive salary? Remember, they are a generalist, so specific languages, frameworks, and platforms don't count; they won't be more experienced in any of those than competing applicants, by their nature.

pards 4y ago
We generalists find work through our network of contacts. People we've worked with previously reach out to us when their current company needs a person like us. In 20+ years as a generalist, I've never been without work.
- thaumaturgy 4y ago
  Exactly: if you're talking to people who already understand your value, then you don't have to pitch your value to them. Specialists also benefit from this, with the additional benefit that they can look for employment outside their network. There are some survivorship biases responding in this thread, but the fact remains that employment opportunities favor specialists over generalists, all other things being equal.
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milkshakes 4y ago

How are you with the Layer 8 issues? I find in large organizations, that wildcards who can effectively relate and communicate, either directly or through an intermediary, with DRIs whose organizations they depend on, will succeed. The reason is that when a generalist/wildcard/"tiger team" is introduced to a mature organization that has specialized, the reason usually is that there is something not working as desired with the system as a whole, a system that significant investment has been placed into. and that takes as much human as technical finesse to unravel. If you're good at that, I can imagine you've done well. But effective communication is not a common trait among wildcards I've known. Most have been protected by excellent managers.