INSTANT MBA: Here's Why Trying To Be Good At Too Many Things Can Hurt Your Job Search

Instant MBA

July 22, 2014

"Diversify your resume." "Build up your skill set." "Show how well-rounded you are."

You've probably heard these conventional pearls of wisdom while searching for work — but as it turns out, there is such a thing as too much diversification, having too many skills, and being too well-rounded.

Steven Tulman, VP of strategy and business development at ICM, says in a recent LinkedIn post that attempting to master skill after skill may prevent you from becoming an expert in one area, which can be detrimental to you as a job candidate.

Tulman points to a former colleague who struggled to land a job, despite an impressive resume. Instead of building a skill set that pushed his career in a specific direction, he helped with any project or task that was offered to him, which left him with a slew of new talents but no clear area of expertise, Tulman explains.

"Sure it is great to diversify your skills to a point," he says. "But if you are not building the skill set that you need most to excel in the direction that you want to go in, provided you know what that direction is, then you are not doing yourself any favors in your career."

Tulman says it's easy for hiring managers to become overwhelmed if you present too many accomplishments at once — so he suggests looking at the specific characteristics of an ideal candidate for the position you're applying for, and finding personal examples that demonstrate those skills — and only those skills — in the interview.

"The easier you make it on the interviewer to understand how your past performance and skills will specifically help you succeed in the particular role you are applying for, the more likely you are to be considered as a strong candidate or get hired," he says.

And the next time you're faced with an opportunity to help with a new project, consider whether or not it will help you develop the skill set you need to reach your ultimate dream job. If not, skip it and focus on something that will help you reach that goal.

Click here to read the full LinkedIn post.

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