On the whole, I think I agree with Scott's advice in this post. However, there are some real challenges that come with the choice to be 'good at a few things' instead of the 'best at one thing. Namely, if you're not starting your own business, I think it massively reduces your employment mobility.
I am fortunate in that I am valued within my organisation for my 'generalist' spread of skills (including communication, development, analysis & sales). It's clear to me how useful it is to be able to approach a problem from several angles and engage with specialists from different areas effectively.
However, if I ever want to move out of my current organisation, I feel as though I would end up taking a significant step backwards in my career because almost all advertised jobs are specialised roles.
This creates a constant pressure in my mind to specialise and focus more on a single area.
I think he would argue that you're better off hacking your way into a job.
That is, don't apply for open positions. Instead, get to know the decision makers and demonstrate your value one on one. (His book has a whole section on networking.)
That's hard to do for someone just out of college, but once you get a little experience it's a sound strategy.
I am fortunate in that I am valued within my organisation for my 'generalist' spread of skills (including communication, development, analysis & sales). It's clear to me how useful it is to be able to approach a problem from several angles and engage with specialists from different areas effectively.
However, if I ever want to move out of my current organisation, I feel as though I would end up taking a significant step backwards in my career because almost all advertised jobs are specialised roles.
This creates a constant pressure in my mind to specialise and focus more on a single area.