‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ is a phrase which continually haunts me. Not because I have any deep rooted fear of men named Jack, but because the idea of spreading myself too thinly in business, and subsequently being distinctly average at a whole host of nothing in particulars, is the stuff of nightmares. If you’ve been regularly following this column, you’ll know that I really do advocate branching out and adding new skills to your repertoire, but at what point do the boundaries blur between being truly multi-talented, and simply being a competent multi-tasker? Throughout my work, I come into contact with a variety of individuals who pitch themselves as having a variety of careers, yet the evidence of their statements remains elusive; one interviewee even described herself to me as a ‘model, presenter, actress, designer, charity ambassador, singer / songwriter, writer, personal trainer, stylist, spokeswoman, photographer and dancer.’ Well, aren’t we all? I assume she’s also working on world peace, and a cure for cancer, and that’s just before breakfast.
Singer/actress/dancer/perfumer/designer/producer
It’s inevitable that the internet has given those who fancy the lifestyle of a creative, but not the work, the outlet to play out their role. It’s all too easy for a girl to post a digital camera photo on Facebook, and call themselves a model, or for someone to start a blog and become an editor in chief. And with this online climate of ‘if you want to be something, call yourself it’, it’s very tempting for any serious creative talent to also try and compete by tagging on a few extra services that they’re not really qualified for. So how do we balance the tight walk between truly adding value to our resume by expanding into other genres, and just becoming the definition of a busy fool?
Firstly, think about why you’re thinking of taking on projects in new areas; if it is just for the vanity of being able to call yourself an entrepreneur, don’t do it. It’s an urban myth that to be an entrepreneur you have to have a record label, a clothing line, your own TV channel, a perfume and a range of cooking sauces… it’s ok to work hard on promoting just one business, and to leave being the next Diddy until you have made his sort of money. The word mogul is there for a reason, and should reflect those who explore multiple ventures once they have become successful. Remember, it’s better to have 100% of one thriving business, than to have 10% of ten poorly performing ones, so take your fingers out of all those pies, and focus your energies on building a solid base from which to expand later.
When you feel that your brand is strong enough in its own right, try to expand into areas directly related to your current role, and make sure they are a logical fit with your existing work. Remember your original branding, and ensure that a direct line can be drawn between every new role you take on, and your initial business or talent.
Once you have begun to explore new opportunities, don’t get swept up in your new found areas of ‘expertise.’ Only make claim to a new job title if you are continually sought out and PAID for your work in that capacity. This will stop you getting carried away and making unrealistic statements about your abilities and new found ‘careers’. Remember that you are always trying to add value to what you can already do, not advertise yourself in a brand new light in an arena you can’t compete in. For instance, a model who contributes a paragraph about the industry to a modelling publication, isn’t now a writer; if she were to go ahead and call herself a journalist based on this one outing, not only does this count for nothing in terms of the publishing world, but she is also devaluing her worth as a model, as people will start to question her credentials on that front too. However, as a successful model who can add this written contribution to her existing brand, rather than creating a new one as a ‘writer’, she easily adds value and becomes more sought after in her original field.
Essentially the key is, become a master of one trade first, and then turn your hand to becoming Jack.
Sarah-Jane will shortly be releasing a set of immensely helpful business E Books, covering this, and many other topics of interest to young creatives, in depth. To receive news of when these guides become available, please send your details to sarahjane@sarahjaneadams.com, or join her on Facebook.
Image of Jennifer Lopez by wv at Flickr
I agree with everything you have said BUT (isn’t there always a but when the comments starts like that) so BUT I don’t think you must be paid to be an expert in what you do or to claim the title..
I am a Theatre Director and producer, it is what I do, but I, like most of the artists I know (even the award winning, acclaimed ones) are not paid. There is very little paid work in the arts. As many painters, photographers, film makers etc will tell you.
If you work in business or a professional area, yes one should probably not claim a title or role of say a financial manager if you are not paid to do this job.
I would say a better way if identifying a true master of a trade is someone who is respected and known by their own industry. Those who have a solid CV or body or work or projects that they can substantiate.
Hi there, thanks for getting in touch!
As you can see, this article is focusing on not getting carried away in taking on additional projects and roles, the expansion of brands, and the culture of online moguls, rather than focusing on one sole career such as yours, which you have clearly built up a reputation in. This article is intended to discourage creatives from indulging themselves in the vanity of adding unsubstantiated titles and claims to their CV as a manner of keeping up with the culture aforementioned, and to build up industry respect in one area first, as you have described. The easiest way to communicate this advice is to recommend people try to become sought after and paid in a role. In this manner, I’d suggest that the theatre arts is a more specialist industry than I usually cover here, and unfortunately my advice is always going to need to be relevant to the majority, rather than on a case by case basis. It’e essentially discussing the band-wagon approach to being an online mogul, hence the example of the model who writes one article, but shouldn’t thus label themselves a ‘journalist’, as they are neither being paid, nor as you point out, and is discussed in the article, are they an expert, or able to compete in this field. After all, being experienced in your field, I’m sure you’d take exception to someone who’d taken one acting class titling themselves a Theatre Director! But thanks for taking the time to read the piece, and I 100% agree with you that gaining respect in a field is the ultimate mark of an expert, but I hope you understand the relevance of my payment remark to the majority of the readers. 
Thanks again Goldele. ♥