Comments on: Userability #13 – Renaissance Man

By: Benjamin Ho

Benjamin Ho — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:32:56 +0000

After listening to the podcast, I’d like to add a perspective:

Joshua,

It’s absolutely in how you go about marketing yourself and then also asking yourself what you want in a company and what you want to be doing in that company. Whether it’s large or small, your goal sounds like all you need to do is find a place to fit-in. That may mean that you may have to be *flexible* while presenting yourself to a position. I wouldn’t think about pigeon-holes so much as whether the position is right for you in a company you would love to be a part of.

But of course, if you’re steadfast in wanting a position where you’d be appreciated in all aspects of your experience and wanting to do it *all*, there are positions out there, though it may take you longer to find them.

So really, it’s up to you how you want to go about doing this and there may be trade-offs along the way.

I do hope you get your ideal position whatever that may be.

Cheers,
Ben

By: Anirudh

Anirudh — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:49:04 +0000

Wearing multiple hats successfully is a gift. As a next step, one should be able to tie-up these skills into a broader umbrella; and create unique value. After a point, effort of nurturing these skills/talents individually has diminishing returns. Real value may lie in growing up to that broader area towards which most of these skills are pointing. That may be the natural progression.

IMHO, once you broaden your perspective and take a look back at those individual skills; it would reveal a clearer picture. You might realize that some of the skills were just a ladder that had to lead you to this point. In other words, think of these multiple talents as foundation support for the next level. e.g. moving from Designer/Developer to Managerial/Enterpreuner role.

This perspective does not hold if you wish to specialize in those skills further. Then you may have to make some tough choices (choose one skill over other) or keep on juggling all together (tough act!).

Here is a related post for those moving from UX to Business role.
http://anirudhatoffice.blogspot.com/2009/07/ux-vs-business-song-remains-same.html

By: Monk

Monk — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:03:47 +0000

I’ve found that in this economy, and working for small to mid sized company, the more I bring to the table with my skillset the more valuable I become to that company.

When working for PowderKeg, a small production company, I was hired as a Maya modeler. From there I used my audio and voice background to create scratch tracks and then final 5.1 surround mixes. With Maya, my skills moved on from modeling to texture artist and lighting. My IT skills were also used to construct the render farm.

Working with other companies such as WorkshopLive.com and now Bard College, I’m finding that with the reduction in the workforce, the more of a Renaissance man I am, the better chance I had in landing the gig. I won’t be pigeon holed in some sort of cubefarm.