Becoming a Jack-of-all-Trades

 "How is it that you know something but never an expert at it at all? You're a jack of all trades, aren't you?"

Robert Greene once referred to William Shakespeare as such but why is that? Could it be the man felt lacking when it comes to substance in a particular niche or skill? Good faith or not, what used to be a form of insult has proven its worth to be very valuable in this day and age. For an actor turned playwright or vice-versa, this metaphorical "Jack" is the very reason why I am here.

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I, for one, am very proud of my various skill sets. From art, science, engineering, and creating worlds with every bit of imagination, the world became my oyster. I am not kidding if I say that I can write, direct, and produce a short film just because I felt like it. I was a versatile student through and through. That is until the real world started asking for concrete proof of what I know, how I do it, and how my work is worth in numbers.

All of a sudden, tasks became more unbearable for me. It's been months since my graduation and am still jobless due to many reasons. It's been very difficult to showcase my skills and market myself as a self-taught individual. Simply being a Jack is not what companies are looking for. They need figures... numbers to assign how much my work is worth and I simply cannot provide them.

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There's a line from The Little Prince that goes like this:

"Grown-ups are very fond of numbers. They never ask for anything connected to the topic at hand. Rather, they like to talk about numbers and add more (or less) value to them."

It's like a child saying that their friend had a new water bottle. Rather than ask how nice it was, the grown-up would go around asking for how much was it worth for comparison purposes. Because of this, the more expensive it seems to be, the more we associate them with the notion of being good or better.

It's somewhat ridiculous but it makes a lot of sense from both perspectives --- a grown-up and a child's. Nevertheless, such notion made me feel inadequate with myself especially when I'm at the receiving end of it.

That despite my years of practice and dedication to my craft, being a "Jack of all Trades" simply wouldn't cut it. I have to be an expert so people would take me seriously.

Right now, I am studying how to use Semrush as I go along writing this article. To be honest, this seems more fun than trying to learn the basics. And just because I might learn everything about this software in a week doesn't mean that I get to become an expert. 

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To be honest, it wasn't that hard dabbling in on random things. As long as you put your mind to it, excuse my figure of speech, you can be anything. My determination to learn and incorporate my skills allowed me to safely navigate my way in life. Think of it as crystalized and fluid intelligence at play.

It feels liberating to say that all my previous experiences helped me become a well-rounded individual. Sure, not being an expert has its ups and downs. But nothing beats that random skill or talent we might've picked up somewhere just because it's a necessity.

It is much like coping mechanisms, stress response, and muscle memory. I think of becoming a "Jack" as a blessing rather than a curse. If not, then how else am I gonna look forward to in the future? The world may be bleak but I know that nothing beats a trades master who is a master of none.

I don't know if I'll ever be everything I ever wanted to be so I made up a plan to live all of them at least one at a time. My skills does not have to define what or who I will be for life. I am a free spirit filled with endless potential! Life is full of surprises so you never know what a Jack's gonna pull out of their magic hat.

References

• Garcia, A. R. (2022, November 5). Jack of all trades (master of none): Meaning and usage. EnglishComposition.Org. https://englishcomposition.org/jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none-meaning-
• Jack of all trades. Idioms Online. (2022, August 21). https://www.idioms.online/jack-of-all trades/ and-usage/