Alphabet-Shaped Careers

T-shaped careers have become trendy. Possessing both breadth and depth is critical for honing your craft in the context of a larger purpose. It leads you to know enough to flex without becoming a jack of all trades and master of none. T-shaped careers need to become the standard. Knowing where your expertise lies and how to contribute to broader goals is what makes a good teammate and wise operator.

If T-shaped careers become an alphabetical baseline, what other letters should we build toward?

H-Shaped Careers: Once you have one expertise and can anchor it within a broader domain, develop a second expertise. This enables you to translate core skills, build new ones and broaden your network. It provides you with variety and perspective, while providing additional value to an organization. With the speed of technology and challenging business cycles, resilience and durability are super powers.

F-Shaped Careers: Fueled by strong foundations, F-shaped careers feature vertical movement. First, from being an expert to leading a team of subject matter experts. Finally, advocating at the highest levels without forgetting what it is like starting out in that field. F’s can manage up while growing up.  

D-Shaped Careers: D’s cast rays of light when overlayed on a T-shaped career. When a T is firm enough in the pillar of expertise that the top bar becomes the focus, the natural evolution is to begin reaching back down, spreading out your roots. Turn a D ninety degrees, then diversity of skills and their application can radiate.

To the Point

T-shaped careers are a start, not an end. Which letter represents your skill set?