[realrocker]

It's good to start with a generic base. Couple of years down the line, you will find out that there are skills you are particularly good at. At that point of time, you would be making an informed choice of what specialization you should take up. It's better than a picking up say, "Front-end Engineering", sticking with it for 5 years and being average at. Who know's you might have a natural flair for writing system applications? >Spreading myself out too thin? You feel that way now because you have still not understood the work of "Masters" and how they do it. It's like someone who has only seen fireflies while never having seen the sun.

[nubbie]

That's a great way to look at it, thanks!

In fact, this has already happened. I have a combined Commerce and Science degree and always thought I was going to be an Actuary. Sort of stumbled into this career and have been loving it since.

[porker]

> You feel that way now because you have still not understood the work of "Masters" and how they do it. It's like someone who has only seen fireflies while never having seen the sun.

I'm confused by this - how do "Masters" do it?

[realrocker]

The assumption that a little more focus on one particular thing will make one a specialist. To become a specialist or a master you not only need undivided attention but a natural flair for it. You can practice music all your life and still not compose like Mozart or Bach.Or even someone like Jiro Ono(http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/11/jiro-ono-co...). Most of us will never become Masters, being no more than experienced hacks. That doesn't mean one shouldn't target for it. "Stretching oneself too thin" is a common refrain among technologists implying that if they rather focus on one skill, they are bound to become Masters. In my opinion it's as much about serendipity as it's about perseverance.

[twistedpair]

"Master" is a bit of a baroque moniker. Can we agree that a "master" ought to be much further along than a "specialist?" i.e. the Java master should understand byte code and personally know folks of the original Sun Java team?

Otherwise it just sounds like I can become a Javascript Master in a few months.

[realrocker]

I prefer the phrase "experienced in x". In my opinion specialist and master should have the same weight. Calling someone "specialist" can be a misnomer for a master if the scale for measurement is not agreed upon.