The Accidental Generalist: Why Being a Jack of All Trades Was the Best Career Move I Never Planned

Fast-forward to today: I’ve built a career in operations, moved fluidly through industries like eLearning, commerce, financial services, streaming, and more — and somehow ended up becoming a Swiss Army knife. I didn’t set out to be one. It just happened.

Often you may hear me introduce myself as a “jack of all trades, master of none,” and I’ve come to realize that’s exactly what makes me valuable.

Curiosity Was the Driver

What started as volunteering for interesting project work quickly became a pattern. I kept landing in roles that required me to make sense of chaos, or bring structure where none existed. Sometimes it was a product problem. Other times it was about metrics, systems, or decision-making.

Every time I moved into a new role — or a new industry altogether — I got a fresh perspective. I got to ask questions that insiders had stopped asking. I learned fast, adapted faster, and built a toolkit that made me useful almost anywhere.

Different Industries, Same Core Strengths

Whether I was optimizing planning processes in product or helping design better customer statements in card services, the through line was always the same: clarity, accountability, and results.

In each space, I found ways to:

• Diagnose what was working (and what wasn’t)

• Connect people across functions and projects

• Create repeatable systems that actually made people’s jobs easier

That skillset didn’t come from going deep in one function for years. It came from jumping in, getting my hands dirty, and figuring it out as I went.

The Real Superpower? Adaptability.

There’s a misconception that success comes from specialization. And sure, if you’re a surgeon or an architect, that makes sense. But in operations — and in many modern leadership roles — the real edge comes from being adaptable.

If you can walk into a new environment, understand how the pieces fit together, and help teams execute more effectively, you’ll always be in demand. You don’t need to know everything — you just need to know how to learn fast and move smart.

Swiss Army knife

To the Fellow “Jacks of All Trades”

If your resume doesn’t follow a perfect arc… if you’ve jumped around a bit… if you’ve ever wondered whether you should’ve just “picked a lane” — I see you.

Here’s what I want you to know: there’s power in being the one who sees the bigger picture. In being able to connect the dots others miss. In being the person who can roll up their sleeves and get it done, no matter what “it” is.

Your path may not be traditional, but that doesn’t make it any less strategic.

In fact, it might be your biggest advantage.

Looking for clarity on your next move?

Let’s chat. I offer 1:1 coaching to help you identify your unique value and build a career that plays to your strengths (even if those strengths look a little unconventional).