occupational series as well. In a study conducted over five years with over 250 political science specialists their political predictions were recorded along with a large sample of generalist's political predictions to determine if specialists with their expert knowledge were more effective in their forecasts. The study discovered that those with limited political science exposure were more accurate in their predictions—most likely as a result of their more varied and un-focused exposure to political science as compared to those of the specialists. Arguments for and against The debate between the IT generalist and specialist has been going on for years as companies are trying to determine how to best utilize their IT department skills and assets. Up until recently the general consensus of the market has been the hiring of IT specialists due to the implementation of advanced technologies such as cloud computing, next-generation mobile application development, and the virtualization of technology infrastructure. It has been found, however, that the hiring of specialists has led to the rise of silos of talent within a company leading to difficulty implementing new business processes and taking advantage of inter-departmental collaboration. This compartmentalization of knowledge and skills has led to companies shifting focus to the hiring and implementing of IT Generalists for the purposes of implementing a more mobile, adaptable, and diverse technology department. According to multiple studies in 2010 companies who were surveyed noted their goal was to reduce the amount of specialists they hire and instead hiring “versatilists.” These versatilists are synonymous with IT Generalists because they have an overall general sense of technology as well as business knowledge while also possessing “soft skills” that are considered lacking in technology-minded individuals focused on specific technology skill-sets. Further reading Tetlock, Philip (2005). Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We Know?. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Stewart, Jim (2009). Technology Jobs: Secrets to Landing your Next Job in Information Technology. Equity Press. Rubenstein, Albert (2007). Managing Technology in the Decentralized Firm. Authors Choice Press. References Computer occupations