In the virtual assistant world, being a jack-of-all-trades comes with plenty of advantages. Versatile VAs tend to have a better chance of getting hired than more specialized ones, for instance. Meanwhile, their versatility also allows them to work on a variety of projects and grow professionally in many different fields, while providing them with flexibility that can help them survive the ever-changing jobs market.
That\’s not saying that there are no downsides to being skilled all-around. Below are some disadvantages that unfortunately come with being a versatile VA.
- High competition in the market. Versatile VAs are highly sought after. However, the market is broad and there are plenty of VAs for prospecting clients to go around—meaning not everyone makes the cut. All-rounders will need to up their skills if they are looking to get employment, particularly in the online marketing field.
- You will find it hard to master a skill. Versatility surely comes with a lot of advantages, but the opportunity to actually master a single skill is not one of them. As they used to say, “Jack-of-all-trades, master of none.” What you do and where you acquire experience necessary for growth depends on your client\’s whim. Furthermore, each new project may require a different set of skills, and your growth on one skill may be halted abruptly as you switch to a different project.
- Quality suffers from lack of mastery. As previously mentioned, all-rounders are usually not inclined to focus on a certain skill or a set of similar skills, thanks to the ever-shifting nature of their work. As such, in tasks where one particular skill is required, they may not be able to produce output on the same level as someone specialized in the skill that is needed.
- Versatile VAs grow rather slowly, or not at all. The work of an all-around VA changes from time to time, and so are the skills required to get the job done. As the accumulation of experience on a certain skill tends to get halted every time the VA switches to a new project, and thus the growth in the field that skill is in. What\’s worse is that sometimes, improvements on certain skills end up forgotten after a period of disuse.
Versatility is no better or worse than specialization in certain respects. Whether or not to specialize or be skilled all-around often boils down to personal preference. That said, would you rather focus on a single skill or be a jack-of-all-trades? Discuss in the comments section.
