# Why specializing early doesn't always mean career success

- Institution: TED
- Department: TEDxManchester
- Speaker: David Epstein
- Year: 2020
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Psychology and the brain
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/david_epstein_why_specializing_early_doesn_t_always_mean_career_success)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

A head start doesn't always ... well, help you get ahead. With examples from sports, technology and economics, journalist David Epstein shares how specializing in a particular skill too early in life may undermine your long-term development -- and explains the benefits of a "sampling period" where you try new things and focus on building a range of skills. Learn how this broader, counterintuitive mindset (and more forgiving timeline) could lead to a more fulfilling life, personally and professionally.

## Lectures

1. [Why specializing early doesn't always mean career success](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/david_epstein_why_specializing_early_doesn_t_always_mean_career_success/bbc63b2162e5), 14 min (TED's player)