Generalists vs. Specialists – The Benefits of Adopting a Horizontal Career Path for Gen Z and Early Graduates

Sabra, SM and Chan, Wing Shan (2025) Generalists vs. Specialists – The Benefits of Adopting a Horizontal Career Path for Gen Z and Early Graduates. GILE JOURNAL OF SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, 5 (2). pp. 145-148. ISSN 2732-3781

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Abstract

Career development has significantly changed in recent years. Traditional career paths with vertical advancement leading to specialist positions become restricted for young individuals due to organisations’ structural changes, forcing them to build their career horizontally as a generalist. Given contemporary careers have become more turbulent and complex, the significance of horizontal transitions between jobs allow individuals to gain a wide set of skills and experiences, aiding them to understand the complexities of the ever-evolving workforce. Previous studies demonstrated that generalists with horizontal career paths were more adaptable and likely to transfer their skills between jobs. As Gen Z is approaching 30 years old, their vertical career advancement could be affected by the structural changes in organisations, horizontal career paths may become their alternative approach. Since there is very limited research that focuses on horizontal career paths, future research on this topic would be very meaningful by adding insights into career development as generalists vs. specialists. Recommendations are offered for further research on horizontal career paths and training for early graduates, which could optimise better to provide broader opportunities and enhance career development outcomes.

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