In 2013, at the age of 22, I found myself in what many in my field would consider a dream position: working in New York City as an analyst at Goldman Sachs. The position offered everything young professionals are typically told to value: competitive compensation, a prestigious brand name, world-class offices in Manhattan, comprehensive benefits, and a clear career trajectory. I was at the epitome of certainty—or so it seemed.
Beneath this veneer of security, doubt was brewing. I recognized that my long-term skill development would become increasingly specialized, which would limit my options for the future. Specialization promised stability, but it also trapped me on a single track. And in hindsight, I’m glad I stepped off it.
THE SPECIALIZATION TRAP
In 2025,150 companies have laid off 72,808 tech workers. Many of them had developed expertise in highly specialized roles that did not easily transfer to new industries or functions.
The World Economic Forum projects that by 2030, 70% of skills used in most jobs will have changed. This means that the skills that make you indispensable right now may become obsolete in five years.
However, David Epstein’s research in his book Range shows that generalists outperform specialists in complex, unpredictable environments. This is because they can connect insights across disciplines, adapt to new contexts, and transfer skills from one domain to another.
A CAREER BUILT ON RANGE
In 2014, my friend Taylor (not his real name) told me he was confused about his career. After earning an English degree, he joined Teach for America’s prestigious program, and started teaching in an underserved community. Great on paper. However, he wondered if this was where he could make the best impact. He pivoted into coding and before long, he was landing tech roles with increasing responsibility, including working as an agile scrum master for Nike. As Taylor climbed the corporate ladder at Nike, his coding skills that got him in the door became less and less relevant.
What really mattered were the skills he’d been building outside his technical expertise, like the ability to read a room, manage diverse personalities, and find creative solutions to complex problems. His English major background, teaching experience, and coding career had each contributed uniquely to his toolkit.
THE GENERALIST SKILLS YOU SHOULD NURTURE
In my work with thousands of young professionals for Venture for Canada, I have found that while specialization holds a lot of value, the best skill in an uncertain environment is the ability to adapt, learn, and make connections across different domains.
You can build these skills by focusing on:
1) Communicating effectively: The ability to articulate thoughts clearly, listen deeply, and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics becomes particularly crucial for those embarking on their professional journeys. I have observed how young people who prioritize developing their communication skills often find themselves better equipped to weather uncertainties.
2) Building genuine connections: In the early days of fundraising for Venture for Canada, rejection letters piled up fast. But things started to turn around when I stopped trying to present a perfect facade. Instead of just running through polished pitches, I started sharing the real story—the sleepless nights, the moments of doubt, and the deep belief that kept me going despite it all. Rather than weakening my position, this honesty strengthened it.
3) Collaborating effectively: In any collaborative effort, especially in uncertain or fast-moving environments, two things are essential: being reliable and managing conflict head on.
4) Mastering your time and focus: In his book How Will You Measure Your Life?, Clayton Christensen provides valuable insights into effective time management. He emphasizes the importance of purposeful resource allocation. This means being intentional about where you spend your time, ensuring that activities contribute meaningfully to your goals.
5) Staying curious: Curiosity allows you to reframe uncertainty not as something to fear, but as an opportunity to explore. Instead of seeing the unknown as a barrier, you start to view it as a space for possibility. Every challenge becomes a puzzle, a series of “what if”s and “why not”s waiting to be solved.
THE GEN Z ADVANTAGE
The interesting paradox is that while the career landscape is more uncertain than it arguably has ever been before, you are also better equipped to adapt than any generation before you.
Older generations did not grow up teaching themselves how to code or learning other skills through YouTube tutorials. While the landscape is more challenging in many ways, your competitive advantage is that you have grown up with unprecedented access to knowledge, tools, and global communities. You can teach yourself a skill for free online that once required months of formal training. You can connect directly with peers and experts around the world, share your work publicly, and receive feedback in real time.
If you combine your built-in adaptability with the deliberate cultivation of generalist skills, you can capitalize on the current volatility to create opportunities.
