An information technology generalist is a technology professional proficient in many facets of information technology without any specific specialty. Furthermore, an IT generalist is generally considered to possess general business knowledge and soft skills allowing them to be adaptable in a wide array of work environments. The IT Generalist is often able to fulfill many different roles within a company depending on specific technology needs. In a small business environment, budgets often delegate many different facets of technology to a single individual, especially considering a small business will often require an individual proficient in desktop support, web page design, databases, phone systems, and even server administration. The role of the IT Generalist within a larger company, however, often becomes more of a project leader or integrations specialist due to a project team consisting of a varying degree of IT specialists and interfacing with end-users requiring soft-skills. Industry role The information technology industry consists of many disparate technologies that each serve a critical piece of the total technology puzzle. As technology practices change new methods, techniques, and tools become available that often require human expertise in order to implement and maintain technology systems. The human expertise required in order to manage these new systems has given rise to what is defined as an IT specialist—someone with an expert level of competency and knowledge on a particular piece of technology. In comparison, the IT Generalist does not possess the expert knowledge to implement an advanced system but instead possesses the knowledge and experience to ensure all of the disparate technologies can function properly together. The generalist has become an increasingly valuable asset to a company, especially when it comes to the rapidly changing field of technology. In many cases, companies are more apt to demand hiring and retaining employees that are multi-functional, especially those that have analytical abilities such as critical reasoning and statistical analysis. Market trends Market trends tend to be moving away from the hiring of IT specialists and instead individuals who possess a more broad technical base with additional soft-skills such as enthusiasm, passion, and energy. In even some cases, IT specialists with years of experience may be passed over for more malleable hires because as technology changes innovation may be stifled by specialists not being able to adjust to new procedures and processes in the market. The attributes associated with an IT generalist have been defined in other