Building Your Skillset: Deep or Broad?

How to make the right choice for you

April 29, 2025

It’s a question that comes up again and again. Early in your career, should you specialize in a focused, niche area or should you build a broad set of skills? Should you go deep and build yourself up as an expert in a single field, or keep your options open by developing a versatile skillset that allows you to pivot? It’s like choosing your first job or your major in college, and the right choice for you depends on a number of factors.

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

I’ve had direct reports, other team members and mentees be successful with both approaches. They make the choice that is right for them and concentrate on being successful because of their choice. I’ve also seen some struggle because they either did not fully think through the options, or they selected the approach that didn’t line up with their talents and goals. We’ll take a closer look at the pros and cons of each approach so you’re ready to apply them to your own situation and your own career.

Consider this somewhat common scenario:

Jack was a high performing senior analyst at a real estate investment firm. He consistently received high performance ratings and was assigned to project teams working with marketing, sales, finance and other departments. His ability to adapt and understand different areas of the company allowed him to take on project leadership roles. He was a real asset to the company, but it also created a small problem for him.

One morning, during a networking coffee discussion, Jack’s Senior Vice President asked him about what he wanted to do in the long run. The SVP told him that other leaders in the company were a bit confused by what his goals were, and they a hard time thinking about what future career opportunities were right for him. He said that he thought Jack was unfocused, and he needed to be careful about continuing to appear that way to others.

Jack was really surprised. He enjoyed working with different people and learning about different parts of the company. He thought that having knowledge and exposure to various departments would contribute to his versatility and future leadership opportunities. He never thought that senior leadership at the company would wonder about where he would fit in the future.

Now he saw that it was creating uncertainty about his career potential. He was a strong performer, got along well with peers from other departments and was good at solving complex problems. Despite his strong performance, he wasn’t seen as an obvious candidate for future senior roles. He was starting to see that his company valued specialization and that generalists like him had to work harder to define their path.

Feeling frustrated, Jack took a step back to reassess his career strategy. He was at a crossroads. He had to figure out whether to continue what he enjoyed – working on a variety of project types and cross-functional teams, or should he switch tracks and double down on a specific area and enhance his expertise?

Deep Dive: The Case for Specialization

Specialization means developing deep expertise in a specific field or skill set. Think of the software engineer who becomes an AI expert, the marketer who masters digital channels and SEO, or the consultant who focuses solely on supply chain optimization. Specialization can provide many advantages, especially in industries where deep technical knowledge is highly valued.

Pros of Specialization:

Higher Demand and Earning Potential
People with deep expert knowledge can often be in high demand. If their expertise is rare, they’re able to command higher salaries and better job opportunities.
Industry Leadership
Developing your expertise may allow you to become a “go-to” person for that field and could open doors to leadership roles, speaking gigs, and career-defining projects.
Job Security
Expert knowledge in a field that’s vital to a company’s success can make you hard to replace.

Cons of Specialization:

Risk of Obsolescence
As industries and businesses evolve, you’ll have to evolve your skills and knowledge to stay relevant.
Limited Flexibility
The choice to specialize makes it harder to transition to new areas or a new career.
Geographical Constraints
A narrow niche could limit your ability to relocate if your specialty is tied to a specific region or location.
Burnout Potential
If you remain in the same area too long and if there are minimal changes or development, you risk becoming bored by repeatedly facing the same situations.

Cover the Field: The Case for a Broader Skills

On the other hand, some professionals choose to develop a broad set of skills across multiple fields. Generalists typically can do a little bit of everything and are able to transfer their knowledge and experience to different roles or different industries. For example, a business consultant who understands finance, marketing, and operations, or a well-organized project manager who can work in different industries have more flexibility and options.

Pros of a Broad Skill Set:

Flexibility– You’re able to pivot into new roles, industries, or even start your own business.
Adaptability– You’re ready to shift directions in the event of business cycle downturn.
Interdisciplinary Thinking– Knowledge and experience in different areas may allow you to solve broader business problems.
Leadership Skills – Familiarity and experience in several areas could be a strong foundation for leading diverse groups of people.

Cons of a Broad Skill Set:

Lack of Differentiation– It may be harder to stand out in a competitive job market if you don’t go deep enough into any one area.
Earning Potential– Generalists may require more time to develop their careers to command higher salaries.
Unfocused Expertise– Some employers may place a lower value on versatility and may not have the vision to deploy a generalist optimally.
Defining Yourself – When networking or applying for jobs, having a broad set of skills makes it a challenge to clearly communicate about your professional self.

Call to Action: How to Decide What’s Right for You

So, what did Jack decide to do? How did he apply these ideas to his situation?

Ultimately Jack did decide to change his approach. However, he didn’t focus on a specific area. Instead, he started researching and focusing on roles where his broad skill set was valued, and he started to communicate how much his work was tied to his personal and professional passions. He eventually decided to leave his company because he found a better opportunity at a firm that appreciated his ability to connect different business functions.

Which of these paths line up with your career goals and professional strengths? Put these 4 steps into action to help you decide:

Self-Assessment
Think about whether you prefer variety and working with people across disciplines, or do you prefer specialization and working with people who share similar backgrounds?
Industry Review
Stay updated on trends in your industry to understand what is valued. Some industries require deep expertise (science, engineering, data analytics) while others value breadth (consulting, project management, marketing).
Risk Check-up
Specialization gives you a focused and known path for your career, but you are putting all your effort into one field or skill area. Generalization could lead to greater variety and the ability to pivot, but your future steps could be more ambiguous.
Goal Refinement
Your long-term goals will also inform your preference. Specialization and generalization will give you the opportunity to lead in different ways.

With this careful evaluation and an understanding of the pros and cons of specialization vs. generalization, you’ll be able to align your strengths, experiences and goals to chart the right course for you!