Experience dictates how skills are applied. I have over 25 years of experience in programming, electronics, and digital theory. Not all of them came to me at once, nor did I learn them at a college. Nevertheless, it has always given me an edge in the industry I have typically found greatly enhances my perspective and abilities with the task at hand.

For example:

I used to work as a consultant for a major stock trading firm. Their IT department was staffed with very skilled people, most with PHDs and some with Microsoft Certifications. I have neither. Once a major issue happen with their entire system and the single-skilled “experts” spent hours trying to solve the problem. After much urging to call “Superman” (a nickname I was given) they finally relented (I am not cheap). They called me in and I had the problem fixed in less than fix minutes at the absolute amazement of the other staff. This problem was unique, but quite easy to spot with someone that has knowledge of how a microprocessor works at its fundamental level, and how software is all just specifically arranged machine code executing despite the compiler or interpreter running, AND knowing typically how much an innocent mistake can throw a monkey wrench into the works.

The key here is to keep learning about everything in your field, but to also learn new things. Using the example of Architect given in the article (poorly used by the way). I’d rather have an architect with engineering experience that has demonstrated not only his artistic talent, but also knows how to make it work in the real world because of his engineering knowledge.

Now here’s where I get to a touchy subject, but valid nevertheless. There are over 35,000 scientists in the world with expertise in more than one field (by long term experience) that say Global Warming is caused by the sun and its cycles, mostly sun-spots; as well as water vapor. Many are weather experts, many are astronomy experts, many are chemists, and many are even geologists and physicists. What makes them unique is many have expertise in more than one field.

There are about 6000 scientists, most recently out of their PHD programs and in need of funding, that have excellent scientific training and knowledge in only one field of expertise that have formed a “consensus” saying Global Warming is caused by mankind.

Based upon my own experience, I can say that if a jack of all trades is very good at those trades, the he/she will be a better asset (and perhaps worth more) than someone with only a single skill to their name.

I can guarantee you that I can optimize and improve any single “experts” code by at least twice the speed, and usually make it just as easy to follow. How? I leverage the subsystems of a PC or server in a way no programmer is taught about in school.

I don’t claim to know everything, and frankly it has taken me many many years to be as skilled as I am, but don’t knock knowledge and experience. To have more of both is always an asset.

It’s certainly the case that statistical education is so low that almost no one does the above. Instead people grab onto advice without considering advisee credentials analytically.

The analytical job of choosing a job ad as a job hunter is the dual of deciding on a job ad as a job marketer. And both job hunters and job marketers also have an alternative of using acquaintance networks rather than job ads.

And sometimes these ads ask for all these skills just so that they can bargain on the salary/rate later on: Yes you are great at writing struts/spring apps in a weblogic environment but you are not that much of a Unix admin/Web Designer/Etc. We’d love to hire you but the salary/rate will be less (much less) than what was originally discussed (which is what enticed you enough to go through the whole interview process in the first place).