Don’t Be Afraid to Specialize

I recently read an excellent book by Seth Godin titled, “Purple Cow.” After reading it, I thought the strategies Godin describes could definitely be applied to job seekers. Godin explains that it is important to become so niche to the organization that you cannot be replaced. Now all I want to do is become a purple cow.

I am interested in healthcare and hoping to utilize my sector knowledge in conjunction with my public relations training at Georgetown to give value to one of my target organizations. Many people have told me it is important to be an integrated communications professional and keep my skill set broad, because for junior-level professional is it important to be able to move around within the organization. Other mentors have told me to find my own niche and specialize in that area in order to be an expert in that sector.

In my research, I have found that working for a small office will allow me to become a “jack of all trades,” while larger offices will require that I am more specialized with niche sectors in mind. Either way, I think it is important for all job seekers to keep in mind that it is important to mold your transferable skills and sector knowledge around your prospective or current target organizations. I found this concept of molding skills around an organization very interesting. For example, I have sector knowledge, language skills, and banking experience — and it’s all about how I package this for my prospective employers.