Just to frame: what is multipotentialism?
Emilie Wapnick was the first to introduce the term "multipotentialism" in a Ted talk.
A multipotentialist is a person with many and broad interests and skills. So they like to do many things and can often do them well. Sometimes you also see terms like multipod, multi-talented, creative generalist, scanner, polymath, slashie and Renaissance man/woman. A multipotential has many different interests and creative goals and prefers to pursue them all at once or develop them one at a time. This is not always so accepted in our society. Often a career path where you build on your experiences is still considered the norm.
Consequently, this makes multipotentials face a number of pitfalls.
Pitfall 1: How do I start a career now?
Being multipotential doesn't start with your professional career. Probably as a child you had many interests, hobbies, pursuits. Maybe in school you enjoyed doing many things and it already gave you stress on choosing a field of study. Often it is regarded as "fear of commitment" and you also feel that choosing is losing. What if you make the wrong choice and you spend the rest of your career in the wrong job?
Tip for those sitting here: Your education is just the start. Few people work 100% in line with their degree or stay in the same job all their lives. You can do additional or complementary training in a variety of fields. Also see what you can learn "on the job.
Pitfall 2: How do I define my career?
As a multipotential, you may well get the question, "what do I really want?". Because they see their fellow colleagues specializing in something and developing their skills, and because they themselves need variety and challenges, they often feel that they can't do anything and are too generalistic. Multipotentials often wonder if there is another field in which they could specialize.
Then look at your career compass and ask yourself "What do I really want NOW?" Anticipate that you need variety. This could be about new tasks, new content, a new environment. By learning, experiencing and discovering new things, you can keep your energy high for yourself. This can be both inside and outside your job. If you want to do this within your job, we use the career compass to look at those competencies you want to develop further. By doing this regularly as a multipotential, you also take control of your career yourself and can see for yourself what you can do to keep your motivation and challenge.
Pitfall 3: How to convey diverse interests when applying for a job?
Many interests for some multipotentials also means changing jobs regularly. So how do you explain this on a job application?
We mentioned your career compass a moment ago. By looking not only at what you have done but also at what competencies you used here and also looking at the "why" behind different jobs, you can often find a common thread for yourself. You can then reflect this in your resume by not creating an anti-chronological resume but a resume built around your competencies. This way you can highlight these with dignity. Also emphasize the benefits of being a multipotential:
- combine different fields of interest very well and thus come up with innovative ideas. You are a real innovator.
- learn quickly and well. You are used to the beginner's feeling that comes with learning something new because you are starting something new every time.
- adapt well to what is needed in a given situation. Adaptability is considered a very important skill in our rapidly changing economy.
- Good at seeing the bigger picture of something. You enjoy brainstorming and figuring out how things can be done better.
- connect well with others and make connections between people. Having many different experiences allows you to empathize well with others.
Do you find it difficult to identify for yourself what skills you most enjoy using and what you would like to develop? Could you use some help articulating your most important values and qualities? Then perhaps career guidance is something for you.