ADAPTABILITY vs SPECIALIZATION: Reflections on Career and Personality

Recently, I found myself reflecting on my own professional journey and realized that I have worked as Product Manager, Delivery Manager, Customer Success Manager, and Account Manager in different business areas, such as Professional Services, Financial Market, Insurance, Industry & Energy, Retail, etc. This diverse experience has allowed me to develop ADAPTABILITY skills and a broader business perspective. However, despite having a decent understanding of each business I worked in, I did not become a specialist in a specific sector.

Because of this, I spoke with a few leaders and product managers about the advantages and disadvantages of being a specialist in a specific market versus having a more "agnostic background" that can adapt to various contexts. I realized that there is no consensus on which approach is better, as both profiles have opportunities, and the puts and takes change over time. The prevailing answer was "I DON'T KNOW, IT DEPENDS..."

Even though this is not a new topic, I structured an analysis based on these collected inputs, as well as my own experience and personal perception, focusing on the context of a Product career.

SPECIALIZATION (VERTICAL) IN A SPECIFIC INDUSTRY

Advantages

• Deep market knowledge facilitates identifying challenges and opportunities
• More influential network established in the sector, making networking and partnerships easier (super advantage in Sales)
• Ability to identify trends and detect/anticipate customer needs
• Easier to position oneself as a market reference
• Potentially more recognized and valued professional (salary) in the short term
• Hiring process generally faster

Disadvantages

• Less flexibility to adapt to changes in this market
• Risk of obsolescence if the sector undergoes a disruptive transformation
• Potential creative block due to biased thinking and lack of experience in other sectors
• Possibility of creative stagnation due to lack of exposure to other sectors
• Uncertain bias and difficulty in developing new, non-existent markets
• More difficulty in relocating to another market if the current sector faces challenges
• More "painful" career transition
• Networking limited to the specific industry, with fewer contacts in other sectors

GENERALIST AND ADAPTIVE (HORIZONTAL) EXPERIENCE

Advantages

• Ability to apply methodologies for process improvement
• Utilize experience and best practices from other sectors that can be replicated
• Ease in identifying innovation opportunities based on other markets
• Flexibility to adapt to different corporate and cultural contexts
• Broader business perspective and "corporate background," allowing for more creative solutions
• More options for job relocation
• Broader, more diversified professional network (potentially less influential, though)
• Less challenging career transition
• Professional growth with more career possibilities (lateral movements)

Disadvantages

• More time needed to get deep into (learning) a new sector or business
• More difficulties in positioning himself/herself as a specialist in a specific market
• Perception of lack of expertise by stakeholders
• Slower and more rigorous hiring process (my personal experience)
• Recognition and promotion may take longer (med/long term)

In this regard, since there is no "right choice", the ideal is to follow our aptitude mixed with what we do best, combined with our area of interest (if any)... I consider myself a GENERALIST, but who knows, in 5 years or less, I might have a more defined opinion?! The important thing is always to seek this so frequently called self-knowledge...

Some tools that help are personality and aptitude tests:

• DISC Personality Test (in Portuguese)... English option: DISC Test
• Vocational / Professional Aptitude Test (use Google Traslator for English language)

... IMPORTANT: These tests DO NOT replace mentorship or even personal perception, but they can unlock doubts!

A latent unusual conclusion - but at the same time pretty obvisous as well - is the advantage of a professional having unique combinations of skills.

Example: hardskills such as (a) considerable experience in a various distinct but interdependent sectors, (b) understanding of data structure, (c) superficial knowledge of technology like programming and/or infrastructure, (d) ability to discuss legal and regulatory issues like GDPR, for example, (e) ability to conduct risk analysis, etc.... associated with softskills like Communication!

Someone with some of these characteristics will have a huge advantage in the job market! And the good news is that every hardskill can be learned, and soft skills can be trained and perfected!

And what about you? What has your experience been like? Is it possible to be both? Do you consider yourself a specialist in a specific sector or do you have a more generalist approach? Feel free to comment so we can compare different perspectives!

Portuguese Version/Versão em Português: ESPECIALIZAÇÃO vs ADAPTABILIDADE

#Product #Career #Personality #Aptitude #Adaptability #Vocation #ProductManagement #ProductDiscovery #Specialization