I’ve been building my career over the past 25+ years and never managed to pick a lane in the sense that I’ve never been able to decide on soft- or hard skills, people or technology, management or technical consulting.

Being introduced to presales in the late 00s, but coming from a very technical coding background exposed me to the impact of soft skills. When I later on ventured into formal management I was sold on the path ahead of me. It’s not that I’m indecisive, I’m just equally passionate about technology and people. I prefer to move between the two depending on where I can provide the greatest value. Unfortnately I’ve also come to realize this sort of blurs my value proposition.

There’s often an assumption that you have to specialize – either you’re a deep tech expert or you’re someone who leads teams. In reality though, having a mix of both skills isn’t just possible, it’s actually tremendously valuable. Being able to jump between technical challenges and strategic decisions, and coaching someone isn’t just useful – it’s my super strength.

The reason I’m in this position today – Jack of, well… two trades, is simple: I can’t, and I don’t want to decide on one track. This is also why I after years of employment ended up starting my own consultancy and became an independent contractor. By embracing both my technical skills and management expertise, I’ve been able to build something that reflects who I am without having to choose between two passions. I know the value I bring to the table but conveying that unique selling point to others requires a little more work than doing the same as a specialist. In a world full of specialists, it’s not always easy to explain the breadth of what I can offer.

I get why it throws recruiters off when they can’t easily pigeonhole people like me. Most roles are still written with one-track specialists in mind. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had recruiters ask me, “But are you more of a tech guy or a manager?” And my answer is always the same: “Yes”.

Maybe I’m a bit of a career rebel, but I’m certainly one who sees the value in both technical depth and leadership. And I truly believe that combination is more relevant than ever even though the value proposition is significantly more complicated to communicate.