Should I Kill the Jack (of all trades)
Chris Brogan wrote a great post yesterday called Killing Jacks about spreading oneself to thin without a unifying theme, being a Jack of all Trades. It got me thinking about whether all of the feeds I read and websites I visit each day to broaden my “world” are distracting me from addressing a primary theme.
I use the tag line, “Jack of All Trades, Master of None,” and in many ways that is true of my personality. I don’t have one specialized area that I am an expert in rather I am a person who is more well-rounded and well-versed in a variety of topics. I try and stay current on what is happening in the world as well as on the Internet. As I surf the net today I have CNN running in the background to keep in touch with the real world.
I do have some talents that could be honed so that I am more of an expert but I am not sure if that is the direction I want to go. I am good at fixing computers though I have no formal education or certification. I just trudge along until the computer does what I want it to do. With some education I certainly would be a force to reckon with but is that really what I want to do.
I’m also good at researching topics, especially on the Internet. That is part of my part-time employment which I do for a couple who sell advertising for an industrial directory. Research certainly fits more with being an Infomaniac because it allows me to still learn more about a variety of topics. The question though is whether “research” is still too broad of a theme. Arggg.
My passion lately has been exploring new social media and networking sites. It’s fun, engaging and has connected me with people I would never meet face to face. The problem with this particular passion is that the field of experts is wide and there is no way I can compete with people like Pete Cashmore at Mashable or Michael Arrington at Tech Crunch.
So, where does that leave me? Lately I have been combing the Internet trying to find my niche and it is time consuming. I have started using Twitter more and broadcasting live on the Internet with Blogtv.com and Ustream.tv. While these endeavors have connecting me with new people like Chris Brogan it has also added more confusion to the purpose and direction of Infomania World and this blog.
I know what I am good at – fixing things and research– and I know what I really enjoy doing — surfing the net finding new social media and networking sites. This leads me to a few questions I need to answer.
- Can I make money as a “Jack of all Trades?”
- Do I need to hone certain skills to make me an expert on a topic?
- Is there a way to bring what I am good at and what I enjoy doing together into a common theme and then monetize it?
Do you have any ideas?
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