Only Specialize if You Want to Make Money

Generalization is generally bad

Generalists rarely get rich. Specialists do. General physicians make a good living, and they should. After all, they spend many years getting educated and trained. Specialists such as dermatologists and heart surgeons make a much better living though, and they should. They spend even more time and effort to develop specialties that people pay a lot of money for.

Specialties matter. A copywriter who specials in writing for direct mail or white papers develops, over time, a superior reputation to that of a general copywriter. If a copywriter takes the time to become an expert in a specific and complex industry such as aviation or finance, he or she will attract higher-paying clients whose needs cannot be met by someone who doesn’t understand the field.

Difficulty and obsession

The key to a good specialty is difficulty and obsession. As a specialist, you will want to find an area that cannot be satisfied by someone with only cursory knowledge. It must be an area that is difficult to master for most people, but obtainable for you. The key to it being obtainable for you is an obsessive interest in the field. You have to choose an area that you want to write and learn about for years on end. Picking a specialty is a task that you should consider very carefully. Your future depends on it.

Finding the right combination

One method of specialization is to combine two or three things you are interested in and have an aptitude for. By doing this, you may be able to carve out a niche that has very little competition. Scott Adams, as a common example, combined his knowledge of office politics, technology, humor and drawing to create the Dilbert comic strip. The key was that he didn’t try to make a living in four different areas. He found a way to combine them into a single specialty.

It is never too late

Finding a specialty is something you can do at any point in your career. If you are a college student, it can be as simple as picking a major and a minor that you want to combine into a single career. It may also be a matter of sticking around for the master’s degree or the doctoral degree. If you are already working in a field, and have been for some time, take the time to look around and figure out what the highest earners in your field are doing. Chances are, they have figured out a way to specialize. You may or may not want to follow in their footsteps, but it could give you ideas for how you can specialize.

It is a good idea to sit down and make a list of what you consider to be your greatest skills and interests. After you have them down, look for ways that you can combine them to move forward. Also, take the time to consider some extra education. It is never too late to move a step forward.