The Age Of The Serial Expert

Is This The Age Of The Serial Expert?

I recently became acquainted with the work of Barbara Sher, author of the book “Refuse To Choose”.

In her book, Barbara refers to “serial experts,” or “scanners”, as people who, for one reason or another, move from one career to another, mastering new skills as they go.

Refusing to choose, or settle on one course for life!

Here in Australia (and I’m guessing in other, Western nations as well), studies have shown that the average person stays in a job for three years, and then moves on.

Is this to do with the changing nature of the workforce? Or is it just that people are more fickle, searching for that “something else” in their working lives?

One of our family members studied communications, majoring in journalism. The course involved doing work experience for a parliamentarian, and she even had a speech that she had written read in the Senate.

When she graduated though, the major news organizations here were putting people off – there were just no jobs to be had in that field.

To survive, until she started her current job for a major company, she did everything from working as a barista to flipping hamburgers and delivering pizza.

And she’s still not a journalist.

Of course, these media jobs followed on the heels others in the manufacturing industry as firms moved their operations offshore to take advantage of lower costs.

And today, as the commodities boom ends, jobs in the mining industry are disappearing here in Australia.

Is Allan A Serial Expert?

I’ve engaged in a wide variety of work related activities in my time, and have operated businesses as diverse as chimney sweeping and confectionery wholesaling, as well as being a nurse, and working in public transport.

Some of these moves were the result of necessity, others were just the desire for change.

Today I work as a writer, and I find that all the experience in different fields is very handy.

I’m able to spend time learning about a client and her business, as well as the product that I need to write about.

Apart from that, I’m also a photographer, and I have been known to build the occasional website.

And last year I bought a ‘you beaut’ UAV (drone), and did a course to obtain a commercial license to fly the thing.

So yes, I guess that you could say I do fill that description.

Life is full of adventures, and learning new skills is like opening a box of chocolates for me.

But is that true for the rest of the population, or is change just a matter of necessity?

Are we in the age of the serial expert because we choose to be that way, or because we have to be in this day and age?

I’d really like to know other peoples’ views on this.

Is it possible to be a serial specialist, and stay with just the one employer for a number of years?