To survive and thrive throughout life, adaptability is essential. Some can adapt to almost anything, while others cannot step a foot out of their comfort zone, or perhaps not, given the narrow way the education system or their parents have taught them.

The term’ Jack of all trades is a master of none’ comes to mind when considering adaptability, especially when situations call for it and you are left to look after yourself along with your nearest and dearest in a crisis situation. Would you rather be a jack of all trades rather than just a master of one?

I recall when I was a boy in the 1950s, my dad would often say, ‘A jack of all trades is a master of none.’ Now what was he telling me?

He came from a manual working background where being in business for oneself was not a common consideration. If it were, then the fear of failure and what others in the community would say about you, if you weren’t successful, was a significant concern that would stop many capable people in their tracks.

Dad was a skilled carpenter who had completed his apprenticeship after 5 years and was always telling me about how, over the years, he had been laid off due to a lack of work or bad weather, but he still wanted me to follow in his footsteps.

He was subliminally saying, ‘Be like me. Get an apprenticeship, work for a master, keep your head down, do as you are told, go to war, risk your life for someone else’s mistake, and work to make other people’s dreams come true, and know your place.’

Fortunately for me, when I entered the workforce, I tried an apprenticeship, which was not the right fit, so I opted for a jack-of-all-trades career by default, which ultimately paid off, because I took from my dad all of his incredible traits of being adaptable that he hid from the world and to some extent himself, unfortunately having dyslexia kept him under the radar and away from business success which he could have had if only he knew what the word dyslexia really meant.

As for me, I learned everything I needed to know as I went along at every stage throughout life. So, why do many parents encourage their children to stay in school for years, being poorly educated for life, when there is an abundance of knowledge waiting for them to learn while they are out in the real world?

I would encourage anyone of any age to become a jack of all trades, because it’s better than being a master of only one if you’re not focused on a specific career, and I would even question that in today’s AI state of rapid rollout.

So, why, if you are sitting on the fence about not knowing what you want to do in life, would you commit yourself to three years of more education or a 5-year apprenticeship just to be employed by a jack-of-all-trades, which the majority of entrepreneurs are?

Every young person is different; some thrive in academia, while others shine when given a wrench, a laptop, or a team to lead. Having said all this, I have seen a master of one become a jack of all trades; it can be done.

Both paths are without bias. You might position the university route as a road paved with specialisation, credentials, and delayed gratification. Then contrast that with the hands-on learning that comes from doing varied jobs, failing fast, solving problems, and building streetwise instincts.

University can deepen knowledge. But does it always prepare someone for uncertainty, or refine them for one lane?

Meanwhile, the jack-of-all-trades acquires skills by necessity, not through theory and is that versatility undervalued?

My survival advantage is being a jack of all trades, which plays well with traditional resilience in economic uncertainty. It highlights how multidisciplinary exposure—encompassing fields such as plumbing and sales, coding and carpentry—builds not only practical ability but also emotional confidence.

I collaborated on a book inspired by Mark Stokes, called ‘Advice to Your Younger Self,’ along with 46 other people. It might help you advise another on being a jack of all trades compared to a master of one.