Being a Jack of All Trades

How dabbling in different skills, types of content creation, and professional avenues has helped and hindered my professional growth

Ever since I was little I loved learning. Like a sponge I absorbed everything and dived head-first into subjects - from building my first plant-pressed notebook, messing around in my “self-made” chemistry laboratory, building planners, being a mathlete, acing language competitions, writing poetry, attempting novels, and painting acrylic paintings.

I loved doing everything. It was my refuge. I wanted to achieve as much as I could; like I was running out of time. This accompanied me into adulthood, and it’s still part of me. Maybe the most important one.

That’s how I started my career too. By trying, and doing as much as I could at all times, regardless of the nature of things. I studied English. Spent one year teaching. Took Software Development, Marketing, and SEO courses. Took Project Management courses. Eventually, I decided to focus on Marketing. A route that circumstances and opportunities paved. (More like, becoming the Marketing Director of a startup you co-found, with no gray hair and even less experience - but another story for another time).

Starting your career by joining a startup definitely influences your Jack of All Trades identity. In the first startup I worked at I became the Copywriter, Content Writer, Translator, SEO Specialist, Digital Marketer, Sales Officer, Event Organizer, Social Media Manager, Digital Strategist, Content Manager, Email Marketing Manager, Customer Support, Photographer, Designer, and Video Editor (I am definitely forgetting a few). All of these under the umbrella of Marketing Manager. It was definitely a growth opportunity.

I guess that’s the deal with working on startups; you have to be a bit of everything to get things done. In a dynamic frenzy, it was definitely a way to learn how to do different things - mainly because you did not have the time or resources to second guess whether you’re the right man for the job.

Jack of all trades and a master of none

I always felt that I was missing out though. That I had gotten moderately good at this wide umbrella of things, but never truly great at anything. If I’d combined all the hours spent on the different branches of marketing, it would mean I had over 10,000 hours scattered. That’s what it takes to become an expert at something.

The idea of the "10,000-hour rule," popularized by Malcolm Gladwell, suggests that it takes approximately 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert in any given field.

When I reflected on my journey, I realized that my hours were scattered across various branches of marketing, never truly accumulating to that magic number required for expertise.

So I decided to dial it down. Changed careers, and started from scratch. In a big startup company, I decided to focus on becoming the best copywriter.

Working as a copywriter for a big established startup was definitely a nice change of pace. I started getting good at one thing only. Content writing and copywriting became my cornerstone (for a few months that is).

I loved that we had a dynamic workplace, and copywriting and content writing were my bread and butter. I felt that I was working to master every aspect of it: Content Planning, Content Structuring, Content Research, SEO Writing, Copy Editing, Proofreading, Content Strategy, Content Promotion, Audience Analysis, Storytelling, Persuasive Writing, Technical Writing, UX Writing, Brand Voice Development, Multimedia Content Creation, Content Analytics, Content Curation, Social Media Writing, Email Copywriting. Everything that was needed, I did it. But even though there are so many aspects to it, and writing is still a major part of what I do, as I got a hang of it I soon started to grow bored.

My FOMO personality wouldn’t stay put. Soon I achieved a plateau (gotten quite proficient at it), and it felt like I wasn’t growing anymore. I wanted to do more, build more, and achieve more.

So I made a list of my skills, and what content I loved consuming, and I started a few side projects. Turns out, everything I’d learned by doing scattered things, had only made me better at bringing fully-fledged ideas to life - from conception to an actual finalized product.

What did I do? I learned how to create a podcast, from scratch (I’m saying from scratch in the technical aspect of podcasting because in developing the idea, content, design, and website my previous skillset came pretty handy). You can check here how I created the podcast.

Using my video editing skills (as imperfect as they were), I started my own YouTube channel, with videos that make me happy and tell stories. I even created a Lofi Music channel with the help of AI tools, to help me focus when I need to work.

You see, being a Jack of All Trades I can’t help but try everything I can get my hands on. Adapting AI tools was no different. Btw here are a few of my favorites just in case you wanna dabble too: Chat GPT (yeah, I know this one’s a no-brainer, and the pro version is pretty versatile), copy.ai, Midjourney, DallE, Adobe Firefly, Runway, D-ID, Leia Pix, letsenhance.io, even tried building my own AI chatbot with Voiceflow….) I even turned one of my articles into an avatar Video hehe. Yep, that’s an avatar of myself (She’s Lily, my “Sasha Fierce” version).

Using my Hubspot knowledge I created an actual website for my copywriting and content writing services that I offer as a freelancer. I wanted to create a fun brand, that really reflects my work, but also my personality.

I even dabbled in passive income, creating a planner with Canva (I’ll show the process soon), and creating and listing stickers for sale, for a passive income stream).

But the bad side of being a Jack of All Trades is that not every project goes into full fruition. E.g. Pijama Pug, my NFT Website. It’s a semi-built castle, that was started by never completed. I learned how to Mint NFTs, but never took the project anywhere (didn’t even finish the website).

The same goes for my book ideas, for which I started developing them, and even created the covers, but I have yet to complete one of them.

My mother’s memoir, my Moth short story, my guidebook for copywriters, and even my lovey dovey fierce warrior princess novel, and the 2nd podcast we wanted to start with my friend Arberie. All of them, and another 50 or 150 projects are simultaneously running in my 🧠's background.

All of these projects and more, are either half-baked, or abandoned shortly after getting started. And then there’s the mental energy that goes into pending tasks, set goals, and valuable things I need to do for my future, that keep on staying on pause.

Being a Jack of All Trades for me also means I get a lot of FOMO, and sometimes I get overwhelmed by ideas of what I really reaaaalllllyyyy want to do. I have to remind myself though that all of these projects (and the occasional freelance work) are still a side slice of the pie, alongside my full-time job. So yeah, I’m a Jack of All Trades and a master of none…

…but oftentimes better than a master of one?

Surprisingly, despite the frequent overwhelm, I discovered that being a chameleon—a versatile professional with a diverse skill set—was not the cryptonite to my progress.

In fact, my background as a Jack of All Trades gives me a unique perspective. I can draw upon my experiences in various domains to approach creating in novel ways. I bring a well-rounded toolkit to my work, incorporating design principles, marketing strategies, and even a touch of project management into my projects.

I’m breadcrumbing some of my completed projects below.

I found that the ability to adapt, think critically, and problem-solve across different disciplines is a valuable asset. It enabled me to offer comprehensive solutions to clients and employers.

While I may not have achieved expertise in every field I had initially ventured into, I had cultivated a rare ability to synthesize knowledge and deliver results that transcended traditional boundaries.

Being a chameleon is not all that bad

Looking back, I'm proud of the diverse projects I've undertaken (I do sometimes wonder if the anxiety of FOMO and the burnout could have been managed better).

From the Nifty Creatives Podcast and website to YouTube Reimagined Videos, Lily’s Lofi Corner, Competitivegg brand, and countless social media designs, articles, case studies, websites, and eBooks done for my full time-job and clients, each project contributed to my growth as a multifaceted creative. These projects are a part of me, shared with the world.

I really, truly didn’t set out to be a "jack of all trades". Yet I’m grateful that mentality has shaped my career and personal growth in profound ways.

It has allowed me to adapt, innovate, and approach challenges with a unique perspective. While I continue to strive for mastery in digital content creation and copywriting, I cherish the versatility that defines me. After all, sometimes, being a chameleon is not just not all that bad.