Dear Bob ...I have seen two types of IT professionals. The first type is expert at something, e.g. business intelligence systems, or database administration. The second type is a "Jack of all trades but master of none"; an arguable example is an IT architect who is business domain/technical platform agnostic.The first type appears to command more respect in the eye of the client and higher pay in the marketplace Dear Bob …I have seen two types of IT professionals. The first type is expert at something, e.g. business intelligence systems, or database administration. The second type is a “Jack of all trades but master of none”; an arguable example is an IT architect who is business domain/technical platform agnostic.The first type appears to command more respect in the eye of the client and higher pay in the marketplace. They usually have more knowledge and experience in their focus area than their clients, which is not the case typically for the second type. The first type can be consultants. The second type tends to be contractors and staff augmentation. In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of either type? Where and how can the second type excel? – Looking for a nicheDear Niche looker …It depends what level you’re talking about. People who are experts in a relatively narrow niche can command high rates. They also have an easier time selling their services, specifically because they have a tight focus. So long as they’ve chosen a specialty where demand exceeds supply, the selling process consists of talking with someone who needs what they do and presenting themselves credibly.What Jacks (and Jills) of all trades can bring to the table is a broader perspective. Where a BI consultant will consider implementing BI to be the goal, a generalist is more likely to understand that BI is a goal, and integrate his or her efforts better into the overall functioning of an organization.But then, whether someone is a specialist or generalist is, to an extent, in the eyes of the beholder. In the early days of Java, for example, developers with Java expertise were highly paid specialists. Now, they’re considered generic programmers who happen to know a particular language. Part of the question has nothing to do with expertise. It has to do with client need. Sometimes, a client needs advice rooted in specific expertise. That’s where consulting specialists play a role. Sometimes, they need people who will help with the actual work. That’s the role of contract labor, whether the contractors are highly trained specialists or generalists.Give advice and you’re a consultant. Do actual work and you’re a contractor.To round out the picture, there are also generalists who consult at a higher level (as it happens, I fall into this category). What we bring in is an integrative perspective. We don’t claim to be experts in any single area of IT. What we do claim is to understand what all the pieces are, how they fit together, and how to tell if they’re functioning effectively. Now … compare that description of services to “I know how to implement business intelligence,” and you’ll understand my point about why it is that specialists have an easier time during the sales process.– Bob Technology Industry