A Jack Of All Trades....is not the complete phrase

Looks like we've assumed wrong for hundreds of years.

“A jack of all trades is a master of none….”

However, it looks like we’ve inadvertently not read (or at best, forgotten) the complete quote. For so many years, this phrase has been used in a derogatory way, describing people that are either unfocussed or are a bit of a ‘jack the lad’ with no real specialism to speak of.

Like the guy who knocks on your door offering to re-Tarmac your drive as well as prune your trees, and maybe even offers a yoga retreat facility in his spare time.

Except the full quote, written by Robert Greene in one of his works from 1592 when describing William Shakespeare, (who, has to be said, was really quite good), continues to read…

“….but oftentimes better than a master of one.”

Which was meant as a compliment, not an insult. It was describing Shakespeare’s tendency for hanging around theatres, helping out with backstage activities, set and costumes; he’d remember the lines for the actors, and directed too. So he wasn’t just a playwright, he was fully immersed and involved in everything that was ‘theatre’.

It was this very quote (the full version) that in-part prompted me to start this Substack journal, because it reaffirmed my belief that being a so-called ‘jack of all trades’ isn’t something to be ashamed of, as (other than voiceover, which is my main day-job), I don’t have a really niche specialism, having become multi-skilled (to a degree) in a multitude of areas in the creative industries.

I think we are all multi-skilled to an extent. Unless you’re something like a top surgeon/consultant that has an absolutely defined specialism, i.e. someone that only deals in hips, or knees, or shoulder replacements, and that is what they do, day in, day out because they’re at the very top of their game, going beyond the realm of just an ‘excellent surgeon’. (But even then, they’ll still have multiple skills when it comes to medical matters!)

When you’re in business, you HAVE to be multi-skilled, because especially in the early days, you are going to be the one that has to wear all those hats; doing your client work, promoting yourself, email marketing, social media posts, business networking, accounting, PR, advertising, website manager/copywriter, your own IT department. The list is never ending.

Of course, if you’re the type of business (or business owner) that can scale up and employ staff then naturally, a lot of these tasks get farmed out to other people and don’t become your day to day responsibility. But for so many in the creative industries, and indeed those that are freelance, you will, by and large, always be the person that has to wear all those hats. (And we only have one head. That’s one clever hat wearing regime).

So, be proud of this phrase, promote it to people you know, enlighten those who only think the first part of the quote exists, and rest assured that being multi-skilled, a jack of all trades, is something that is useful in life.

It means you’re adaptable to many situations. You know how long various tasks take to complete, meaning you’re able to manage your time appropriately. You’re in a position where people seek you out for advice, because you ‘know a bit about a lot’, and if you’re like me, you’ll freely give. When the time comes where you could scale up your business, you’ll know exactly what tasks you need to pass to others, and what you can continue to do yourself; because you’ve done it all yourself.

Ultimately, it makes you a good all-rounder. And that can never be a bad thing, really.