Stuck as a 'jack of all trades' at an SME, will it hurt my career?

I spent my first 4 years at an SME doing everything, exactly like you, and I worried the same. When I moved to an MNC, here's what I learned: the generalist experience was actually a huge advantage for certain roles, especially operations, project management, and eventually management, because I understood how the whole business connects. BUT for purely technical specialist roles, yes, I had to prove depth. My fix: while doing everything, I deliberately went deeper in ONE area I enjoyed (for me it was digital marketing), got a cert, and built a portfolio in it. That way I could market myself as 'generalist who can also specialise in X'. Don't see it as a trap, see it as breadth you can later focus. The all-rounder skill is gold for startups and leadership.

Honestly it depends on where you want to go. I stayed a generalist and it led me to a fantastic role as an operations manager where knowing a bit of everything is exactly the point. Big companies do want specialists for junior technical roles, but as you climb, the ability to see the big picture becomes valuable. My advice: don't panic, but be intentional. Pick one or two skills to develop real depth in through online courses or side projects, so your CV shows both range AND a spike. Also, quantify your SME wins, 'grew sales 30%', 'set up the company's whole social media', concrete results matter more than the job title. The SME hustle teaches resourcefulness that pampered corporate folks often lack. Frame it as a strength.