On being a jack of all trades

photo credit: See-ming Lee 李思明 SML

Human beings like classifying things. It’s in our nature. I, unfortunately, defy classification and/or “pigeon-hole”-ing. So, I did take issue when I read a tweet that said “wow, you’re a Jack of All Trades!” Uh, no… I’m NOT a Jack of All Trades. I’m someone who has been blessed with opportunities for work, research, teaching and consulting in a very broad variety of industries. I have been lucky. Very lucky.

I have been involved with and surrounded by extremely bright minds, from my birth (my parents are amazingly smart and my brothers are incredible, seriously outstanding) to when I did my undergraduate, my Masters and my PhD. I have had a very broad education (undergraduate in chemical engineering, Masters in Business Administration with a focus on strategic management and technology management, and doctorate in resource management and environmental studies), a largely eclectic work life (I’ve worked in the soft drinks industry, in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology, I’ve done consulting projects for leather and footwear, and I’ve been involved with the work of my parents as lawyers). And yes, recently I’ve done a lot of social media work, including consulting. Heck, I’m collaborating in a project on mental health!

What can I say? I’m a versatile individual, not a Jack-of-All-Trades. I take issue with anyone who can assume that I’m the kind of guy who is not a master of any kind of job. I prefer the Princeton Dictionary definition “a person who does a number of jobs reasonably well” than the aphorism “Jack of all trades, master of none” describing a person with multiple skills, but no expert proficiency.

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