Last semester, one of my professors told the class something that I haven’t been able to get out of my head. I don’t have the exact quote, but he said something along the lines of that we should specialize in something so we will have more job security. And I agree, that if people specialize and have their own niche, it is difficult to get rid of or replace them because really, who else studied that one particular subject so intensely? There is nothing about my professor’s advice I disagree with. I just don’t think I’ll follow it.
There are various reasons for this, but I first have to address something. You know what’s ridiculous? The fact that society deems teenagers as unfit to make any rational decisions but still expects them to decide by 18 what they want to do for the rest of their lives. They’re just dumb teenagers who know nothing about “real life” but also need to have their entire life sorted out via taking AP classes, acing the SATs (or ACTs), and attending highly-acclaimed universities, majoring in what people expect them to turn into a lifelong career. (Or not, if you major in something useless. Shoutout to everyone who has been told their major is worthless. I get you.)
Rant over. Back to specialization. While I know specialization will provide more job security, I don’t really like the idea of devoting my whole life to one specific thing. The world is too vast and too interesting to want to narrow my focus on one subject. And there’s this teeny tiny fact that I’m not particularly good at anything, so what would I specialize in?
Maybe this is just because I attended a Christian college, but I talked to a lot of people who “knew what their calling was.” They had a clear idea of what to do with their lives, what they wanted to do, what they “were meant to do.” And while I understood it might be the case for them, it certainly never was for me. I thought I was doing something wrong, like there was some quiz I could take or someone should have come up to me and said, “Hey, this is exactly what you were made to do. I can see it.”
I'm left conflicted: should I just close my eyes and choose a career and then follow it? Should I wait until I know for certain what I should do with my life? And really, is it possible that people are only ever meant to do one thing?
On the other hand, even if someone did tell me they knew “my calling”, I’m not entirely sure I’d believe them. I don’t know if I can resign myself to a single path. And I don't really think I was ever meant to. If you know what your calling is, good for you. I commend you. I'm not even really sure why you're reading this article.
However, if you're like me and have no clue, it's okay. Life wasn't meant to be static. Go ahead and gather as many different experiences as you can. You'll have jobs you like and jobs you hate. And maybe, somewhere along the way, you'll find one you like more than the others. If nothing else, you'll have experienced a lot of the world.
That's the best advice I have for you (and myself) right now. Good luck, my friends. And here, watch a video of John Green who has better advice than I do.
By the way, the full quote is "Jack of all trades, master of none. But oftentimes better than a master of one." Just so you know.
