Are you a T-shaped person?

Get your career in shape

February 07, 2022

Hey there —

We love round faces on animals and kids. We avoid triangles when it comes to romance. We work hard to shape our bodies into well, all kinds of things 🍑👀.

But what about our careers?

It turns out that there is a shape we can aspire to, and that recruiters are already looking for — a “T.”

Coined by IDEO CEO Tim Brown, a T-shaped employee is someone with a broad range of skills and experiences (the top of the T) who also specializes in one area (the vertical bar of the T).

They’re not the “Jack of all trades” generalist or the “I-shaped” specialist who can only do one thing. They combine the best of both worlds.

This could be a marketer who specializes in paid media, or a YouTuber with a flair for productivity hacks for parents.

Because a T-shaped person understands more than just their niche, they can adapt and collaborate more easily. T-shaped people can see the bigger picture while executing their own part to perfection.

They’re also empathetic and emotionally intelligent, and can see solutions where others can’t.

And that’s a huge asset in almost any field.

On a solo level, T-shaped people are also more creative because they can draw from their experience to create projects no one else could have thought of (like Nigel Stanford’s hypnotizing “Science vs Music”).

But the best thing about T-shaped people? You can become one anytime.

You might start as a generalist and find a niche you love. Or start as a specialist and cross-train in another area. It’s never too late to cross your ‘T’ or deepen your ‘I’.

These days, it’s rare for someone to stick with one career path for life. And that’s the perfect environment for becoming a T-shaped person. You might be halfway there already.

So the next time you’re thinking about reshaping your career, consider turning it into a T.

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Do you ramble or talk too much? Do your words get muddled? Is it hard to show how passionate you are?

Chris Do from The Futur (no “e”) has some simple tips to help you correct these common mistakes the next time you’re talking about what you do with friends, family, and even future clients.

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James Clear doesn’t mince words. There is a real danger in becoming an expert.

When you’ve done anything for long enough, the way you process information changes from open discovery to cherry-picking confirmation.

Growth plateaus, and learning gets stifled.

So how can we counteract this? James suggests the Zen concept of shoshin, or “beginner’s mind.” Basically, letting go of your preconceptions and creating an attitude of openness in conversation and learning.

This article presents four practical ways to rediscover your beginner's mind, and avoid the trap of expertise on the road to growth.

Death by Caffeine

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We love our coffee, sometimes a little too much.

This website uses a simple calculation to tell you how much of the good stuff is safe to drink in a day, how much is ideal, and how much it’ll take to kill you. (Luckily, it’s more than you think).

Written by Becky Carruthers