Niche Work If You Can Get It! Should We Limit Our Skill Sets To Get Ahead?
It is a question a lot of people are asking now, whether to go into education and to get yourself a qualification so you can go into a general field and work your way up the ladder or is it better to pick a niche and excel in that department? There have been a lot of changes in the job market over the last 5 years or so, and what we are seeing now is an increase in more specialized jobs. The structure of the old-fashioned approach of gaining a general degree in your chosen subject, for example, business studies, and then going into a business and learning the ropes from there is dead in the water. So is picking a niche career a wise choice at the end of the day?
The Perils Of The Gig Economy
This is arguably where the vast majority of niche-skilled people end up. There are so many temporary jobs, contracts, and freelance vacancies to go around. These assignments require niche skills and, understandably, as the assignment is of a temporary nature, the person who fits the bill the most is going to get that role. But in the gig economy, it throws up many questions about job security. While there are more qualifications in specialized subjects now, does this mean that in order to get these niche contracts we have to live a professional life of feast and famine?
The gig economy is a very lucrative prospect for some people, depending on their niche skills. And it’s up to the person with those skills to market themselves effectively so that they are constantly in work, and the gig economy is something that appeals to many of the younger generations, such as Generation Z and Millennials, who value work-life balance and happiness over the material aspects of a career.
Taking The Gamble
So, if you’ve decided to pursue a niche career trajectory, can this set you up for a secure life on the job front? If you avoid the gig economy approach, the gamble is very apparent. As the freelance way of life is a difficult one for a lot of people to cope with, the other thing to be concerned about in this respect is to understand if your skills will be relevant in the future. You could spend a long time training to find your skills will be redundant a few years from now. This is why a lot of people spend less time relying on employees and use their own initiative to strengthen their career by building a network of contacts.
But the trick if you are looking for a career with job security when scouring the job ads, is to keep your eyes peeled for companies who are on the lookout for new talent. By having a niche set of skills, it can make you an indispensable member of the team. But by having these niche skills alone, does it make you instantly employable?
The Deadly Combination
As the saying goes, jack of all trades, master of none. But if you are going down the standard job route, your new skills are going to be something that appeals to prospective employees, but you also need to hedge your bets in this respect by having a general skill base. And it can be difficult to try and keep on top of general skills as the jobs market moves and changes so much, so the best approach is for you to keep an eye on your chosen industry and assess the skills that are required to get in on the ground floor.
By getting an entry-level job, and working up the ladder, it can be a pleasant surprise to show that you have these additional niche skills. Or even better, during the interview process, by explaining your niche skills and how they tie into the company in a way that the employers never realized, could leave you with a strong chance of getting into that company.
It may sound like a contradiction in terms to be a person with niche skills and to have a general knowledge of standard business practices, but it can be done. It’s something that a lot of people do in the form of short courses. And while a standard introductory course can only get you so far, it serves to give you a good general overview of the industry so you can decide whether to pursue it any further or not. If it isn’t what you thought it would be, you can simply walk away, with no love lost.
Does Picking A Niche Career Always Work In Your Favor?
The one thing that really benefits you in terms of possessing a niche skill set is that you are instantly head and shoulders above the rest, depending on the skills you possess. Yes, it makes you an attractive prospect regarding winning freelance contracts and temporary work, but the one secret to making this work is to amass extra knowledge from these people who are hiring your skills. The one thing in terms of networking is to swap skills and working processes with other people within your industry so you can get a wider skill roster.
But it also helps you to think further about creating your own specialized career, which is where you can set the work and not worry about winning contracts because you will be the person giving out those contracts. It’s a very logical decision for people to set up their own businesses in a niche capacity because it capitalizes on those skills.
Overall, picking a niche career is something that appears sensible right now, and it can set you up for a lucrative period of work, albeit for a short amount of time. The trick in making that career last is to think sensibly about how your skills can transfer within your chosen industry. Niche skills are a gold mine in any industry, so make sure that you are selling yourself effectively. It certainly pays to be in demand, but you need to have one eye on the future, as well as the present.
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