The Perks of Being Multidisciplinary: Exploring the Power of Interdisciplinary Approaches in Your Career
As a professional in today’s rapidly evolving job market, it’s increasingly important to possess a multidisciplinary skill set. Whether you’re a recent graduate, a seasoned professional, or somewhere in between, embracing a multidisciplinary approach to your work can help you stay ahead of the curve and achieve great success.
This is the story of my journey as a multidisciplinary professional. I started my academic career studying social anthropology, drawn to the fascinating theories and diverse cultures the field offered. However, after just one year, I was confronted with the disturbing reality of colonialism and the troubling history of anthropologists and ethnographers worldwide. This realisation led me to reevaluate my career path and eventually led me to the field of business and economic ethnography.
But my multidisciplinary journey continued. As a creative child, I had always worked on freelance projects outside of my academic pursuits, such as advertising campaigns and graphic design. This experience allowed me to integrate anthropology and ethnography into my daily work, resulting in great success due to my theoretical knowledge and ability to apply qualitative methods, make observations, and effectively communicate my findings.
This experience has motivated me to encourage others who may have found themselves in a similar position — studying or working in a field they love. Still, I needed to learn how to utilise their skills and knowledge. Any experience and knowledge are essential and shape how we see and approach the world. It’s crucial to be aware of your abilities and to use them intentionally.
I am now focusing on digital ethnography and UX research, a field that offers exciting ways to improve and analyse the ever-changing digital world we are all a part of. I see the digital world as a complex system, just like humans, and I am driven to keep discovering new ways to improve our lives in the future.
So, what’s the takeaway from my story? Embrace a multidisciplinary approach to your work. Draw upon knowledge from different fields, analyse and synthesise the links between them, and you’ll be able to create a coordinated and coherent whole. Whether you’re starting in your career or are well-established, don’t be afraid to take a leap and explore new avenues. The rewards can be truly unique.
To conclude, here are five tips to have in mind:
- Embrace a multidisciplinary approach: Drawing upon knowledge from different fields can help create a coordinated and coherent whole, resulting in a more dynamic and versatile skill set.
- Stay ahead of the curve: In today’s rapidly evolving job market, having a multidisciplinary skill set can help you stay ahead of the competition and achieve great success.
- Don’t be afraid to reevaluate: Just like I wrote before, if you find yourself in a field that you love but need help utilising your skills, don’t be afraid to reevaluate and explore new avenues.
- Utilise your skills intentionally: It’s crucial to be aware of your skills and use them deliberately in order to achieve the best results.
- Explore new fields: Whether you’re starting out in your career or are well-established, don’t be afraid to take a leap and explore new fields. The rewards can be truly amazing.
If you’re ready to unlock the full potential of your skills and experiences, reach out to me and let’s start a conversation about how we can work together to achieve your goals.
➸ Do not miss my previous essays:
