Reading Reflection #2
I have thought since I began to consider editing or writing as a career that I would far prefer to be a specialist. After spending a year working in logging, I knew that I wanted to somehow center my career around nature, but in a way that benefitted it rather than destroyed it I knew that in order to do this, I would need some modicum of scientific education, but had to find a degree path that fit all the other pieces of my life at the time. I chose the path that I am on because one of my strongest skill sets is my writing, reading, and communication, and I wanted to be able to use them in a field that dealt with conservation, wildlife sciences, or environmental impacts and protection. From the jump I have known that finding a more specialized space to work in surrounding these things was my goal, and it wasn’t until recently that any other ideas or options had crossed my mind.
As I start my career in this field, though, I think it is not only realistic to be a generalist, but also what I would consider a good jumping off point so to speak. Even if you already have the knowledge necessary to focus more heavily on one facet or another, everyone has to start somewhere, and the experience with more general work may be good in terms of building a portfolio, ironing out issues, and learning how to navigate the field as a burgeoning editor.
Another aspect of being a generalist that is realistic and beneficial is the idea of testing the waters and finding where you fit. In the reading, the author discusses how they made their start in the industry as a generalist, and found a specific place in the medical field that they were able to operate in and make a home for themselves. What you think may be the best fit for you may turn out not to be where you truly want to be, and it can be helpful to have a broader range of skills and abilities in order to find that next, and hopefully last, space.
I don’t think that the generalist/specialist debate is warranted because they both have a place within the field. I believe that there will always be a place for generalists as having a broad skill set is something that can be sought after within many different contexts. Someone who has the ability to do several types of editing well may be a valuable asset for a company that doesn’t necessarily produce literary works or, for that matter, much written content at all outside of internal communications. There are plenty of people who need written work edited, but don’t necessarily need expertise on a subject of style. Instead, what they need is someone with a sharp eye, a strong command of what they are attempting to communicate, and the ability to make the message better. Specialists also fill distinct spaces that, in some situations only that specific person can fill. They have taken something that they love, that they are passionate about, or that they understand deeply, and made it their mission to be able to help others understand it more fully and with more clarity. A unique and well honed voice will always be necessary. Specialists contribute to specific areas in the ways similar to the contribution of scholars to academic fields of study. Their more micro focus allows them to see details or uncover ideas that may not have come through without their perspective and deep understanding of the material. While specialists and generalists have different roles to fill, both are important and vital to editing as a practice and serve the written word in different ways.
