SwiftOnSecurityJan 26, 2023
Being an omnivorous technology generalist is punishing to start out as and lasts for years, but becomes incredibly valuable later. That's something I wish I could have told the prior me.
Come to understand: Being a generalist is not about "lacking experience to call yourself an expert." Touching on innumerable disciplines is itself a crucial skill that lets you operate in the real world with huge autonomy. Just know your limits. Most problems don't need specialists. Generalists are the ones that ***know when to call in the specialists and give them what they need***.
Show threadPyxaronJan 26, 2023

@SwiftOnSecurity I wish the corporate world would have understood that. I kept being pushed toward specializing, saying they have no use for a "general purpose IT guy".

Yet i was always the one who figured those "impossible to fix" bugs because i understood all parts of the system, and how they interact.

Specialists only test their very specific bit of the setup.

But nope, no path forward for that, no possible raises, and "we can outsource that part to IT service partners".

Show threadSwiftOnSecurity
@Pyxaron This is something, we as an IT Security department, are pushing. You need to employ cross-functional IT generalists. Just working on stuff that needs them, not assigned to a project. They are the ones we can talk to about getting things done in a larger vision. Who can unclog absolutely nonsensical blockers with their larger contextual knowledge.
Jan 26, 2023 at 2:18amWeb
Show threadokanogen VerminEnemyFromWithinJan 26, 2023
@SwiftOnSecurity @Pyxaron
Yeah ok, but age discrimination is real.
Show threadInterpipes đź’™Jan 26, 2023
@SwiftOnSecurity I'm trying to hire a mid-tier generalist - basically because we need an extra tier between 1st line and me so I can focus on more complex consultancy work - and it's really hard. People seem to get piped into the specialism sausage factory really early in their career now.
Show threadJohn BreenJan 26, 2023
@interpipes @SwiftOnSecurity As a fellow generalist, the usual screening questions about "are you expert in this or that" is always disappointing. You don't want to hire me for what I'm expert in, you want to hire me because of all the things I've learned, mastered, deployed, and forgotten, and what I can learn and learn and master and deploy tomorrow. I've been hired because I was an expert in technology-X several times, only for that narrow skill being almost irrelevant within 3 months.
Show threadInterpipes đź’™Jan 26, 2023

@jab01701mid @SwiftOnSecurity THIS

I do not have any interest in experts in whatever the latest fad is. You need people who understand concepts and can apply them to whatever today's trendy thing is.

Show threadDustin [BusySignal-KE2EFX]Jan 26, 2023

@interpipes @SwiftOnSecurity

what kinda generalist?

Show threadInterpipes đź’™Jan 26, 2023
@dustinfinn @SwiftOnSecurity the replies to this toot cover the gist of it, not that I expect any one candidate to know everything on this list on day one, cos.. that’s my job https://infosec.exchange/@SwiftOnSecurity/109753213550941295
SwiftOnSecurity (@[email protected])

@[email protected] I boosted your reply, respond with job reqs if you want and place to apply

Infosec Exchange
Show threadtechsupporkJan 26, 2023
@SwiftOnSecurity @Pyxaron
I love this. It's a complete role description.
Show threadLandy BibleJan 26, 2023
@SwiftOnSecurity @Pyxaron this is so true. I consider myself a generalist, and my resume is all over the place. But my widely varied experience means I'm usually the one who can solve the weird problems, or at least point others in a new direction to get it solved.
Show threadDave SCJan 26, 2023
@SwiftOnSecurity @Pyxaron "SafeHands" is a lot more complimentary than "Generalist".
Show threadFlocularJan 26, 2023
@SwiftOnSecurity @Pyxaron wait, you can do IT-Security as a non-generalist? I thought we’re all more diversely focused than your average Dev?
Show threadMisuse CaseJan 26, 2023
@SwiftOnSecurity @Pyxaron On the project where I’m working now there are different teams working on different parts of the Big System but we, the cybersecurity team, need to have a general knowledge between us about how the whole Big System works and its various components and design patterns (even though the term “design patterns” is not used in the project, they definitely exist), especially to do threat modeling.
Show threadGreenDotGuyJan 26, 2023
@SwiftOnSecurity @Pyxaron Just thinking about what a handful of at-large IT generalists could do at my org if they had sufficient permission, flexibility, and nobody to report to for formal projects or upkeep of existing stuff. I think it would be amazing.