When “going online” became popular in the 90ies, the Internet was a cozy place with few communication options; it was the Usenet, email, or building a personal website with HTML and publishing it to Geocities (including a guest book and counter).
It was nerdy; tech skills were required to get online (how does the modem work?), and one needed lots of tools to get specific jobs done (for example, an FTP client uploading files to a web hoster).
Ease of access wasn’t given. Creating digital content and products was complicated; it felt like an unknown magic. Specialization was almost a necessity.
Today, we have the ease of access. With a 200Mbit download on my smartphone, I can always open a hotspot and get my devices online.
And the options to build a digital product or content are limitless. Create websites without knowing how to code, open social media accounts, and start video recording on your phone, blogging, podcasting, photographing, designing, or aspiring to be an AI artist. You have countless possibilities to nurture your digital creator life. And when you think you know it all, a new trend, app, or technology arrives that requires you to rethink what you know, how you create, and what you create.
And there is one thing setting you up for that future: being a generalist or Jack/Jill of All Trades.
Imagine, at this point, you are a 100% SEO specialist focusing on ranking on Google. There is a valid scenario on the horizon that your profession is up for disruption because of the arrival of AI. Thanks to AI, it could turn out that SEO gets way less critical in the coming years. You have to adapt.
Being a Creator of All Trades allows you to do that quickly and take on new challenges.
Your broad skill set can be applied in various situations, from SEO and content creation to social media marketing and graphic design.
What can you do to get that broad skill set?
To the readers, at the beginning of their career, start with a foundation: Choose one area, such as building websites, social media, or content writing, and make a strong foundation before branching out to other skills.
Continuous learning is a significant trait of Creators of All Trades: You need to stay updated with the latest trends and technologies, know which apps and platforms are trending, and get good content that explains it all to you. That’s why we publish the Creator of All Trades newsletter. A bi-weekly curated newsletter featuring content and apps across social, design, productivity, and tech for Creators of All Trades. Subscribe Now and Elevate Your Game!