For a fair while since entering the workforce, and working for myself, I have started to see myself as a generalist, and for a while the term "Specialist generalist" has stuck. A long time ago, the term polymath would have been used in exchange. I can't for sure say I am a polymath, and being a true polymath these days (having great depth of knowledge in most if not all areas) is pretty much impossible for anyone anyway.

I know that within the tech space, I tend to pick up new skills pretty quickly, with genuine interest that drives me to keep learning independently of being in the relevant workforce. Not all tech areas however, areas like cyber-security and networking are some weaknesses, but that could change if I found work in those areas. So the term technology-oriented specialist generalist might be applicable.

There are some advantages to being a generalist. If you happen to find a niche that's under-served, you can capitalise on it. I'm not sure I have found that yet, but I am keeping an eye out. Also, if you work for yourself, you can diversify your income streams. Not all your eggs in one basket as such. I'm hearing that with challenging times in the tech and games industries, it's not bad to be multi skilled.

The downside is the risk of being categorised as a "jack of all trades and master of none". For example the person with 5 years of Angular or React experience will always beat you at the job applications. Even though you could probably get up to speed with it pretty quickly, having other web dev experience.

So I think going forward, I should start to focus on my best skills or ares, keep on the lookout for niches, and perhaps avoid the trap of oh yeah sounds easy I can apply for the .NET developer position (for example) see a clear path forward in that area.

So what are my strongest skills? It's always an ongoing journey, for example I was a QA Engineer for a fair while, a little outside of what I thought my interests were.

Games Development

I'm obviously more of a programmer than artist. I am still finding out where my strengths are in this area, despite making games for a while. Maybe it changes over time. But game dev has definitely become one of my strengths, and I have built up many connections in the industry so I know where to go if I get stuck.

Embedded Electronics

This is an area I also have uncommon knowledge in. Things like low level programming, circuit board design, rapid prototyping of hardware, 3D printing and laser cutting. The work in this area may not be too common, but I have to wonder what companies might benefit from low cost sensors, IoT and even radio.

Linux and system administration

I know this is a strength because from time to time it can be a hyperfocus, trying to get my home server running smoothly and efficiently. This is an area I have not had a lot of work experience in, and as such I probably still have a lot to learn (eg Kubernetes). But I certainly have room to grow.

IT Support

Since 2014 I have been providing tech support to the public. Originally at the Hobart Library, and from that experience taking it into my own business. This is an area I sometimes forget about, but it is also a major strength of mine. Working with a diverse range of people and problems, with a high level of patience and persistence.

Other

I still have aspects of being a generalist, and no doubt there are other areas I am not too bad in. General software development, eg managing source code, working on repositories and communications channels. Also more recently I have been getting into self hosted AI and exploring the AI space to make sense of it. I'm hearing it's a valuable skill to be able to use AI effectively, without just letting it run on it's own. And there's a whole ethical debate with AI I'm always consciously aware of.

So I think a good strategy going forward is to start to target these areas more. For example embedded electronics - I could build low cost sensors that are much cheaper than off the shelf solutions for smaller businesses on a budget. Start exploring community groups that are more likely to need IT support (older generations). Don't slow down on game development. And keep tinkering with servers and self hosting. But then there's the small niches to keep an eye out for as well.