Are You, Or Were You, An Expert In Your Field?

Discussion in 'Jobs I Have Had' started by Ken Anderson, Sep 20, 2022.

  1. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Do you consider yourself to be, or to have been, an expert in any field? Although I am posting this in the jobs category, it doesn't necessarily have to be a paid job, and, since we're seniors here, we may not have kept up on things sufficiently to be considered an expert today. Also, do you think that others would have considered you to have been an expert in that field?

    For example, I can consider myself to have been an expert in the field of Emergency Medical Services because I have worked in pretty much every aspect of EMS, and taught it. In fact, I taught the instructor courses. I have reason to believe that others would have considered me to have been an expert because I was in demand, and because eight different courts accepted me as such when I was called to testify as an expert witness in malpractice suits. However, I have never considered myself to have been the best there ever was in the field; I've had students who became better paramedics than I ever was, and I no longer consider myself to be an expert because I haven't worked in EMS for more than twenty years and there's a whole lot of new stuff that I haven't kept up with, and I've probably forgotten some of the old stuff.

    On the other hand, while I was paid very well as a machine adjuster in a career that spanned three different paper bag companies, I do not consider myself to have been an expert on paper bag machines. My mechanical aptitude is not particularly high, and it wasn't at all uncommon for me to face mechanical problems with these machines that I couldn't figure out. I did well as a machine adjuster because I took it upon myself to see to it that the machines didn't break down, to begin with, by keeping them clean and lubricated, and by paying close attention to the little noises that might signal an impending problem, fixing it before it became a problem that I couldn't figure out. Most adjusters left that stuff to the machine operators.
     
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    Last edited: Sep 20, 2022
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  2. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    Actually, yes, I did consider myself an expert in systems security with the evolution of LAN/WAN in the early 90s. I was promoted out of support roles and from that point my "expertise" began to be replaced by supervision of personnel and other administrative duties. These days it annoys me to have to change my password.
     
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  3. Hedi Mitchell

    Hedi Mitchell Supreme Member
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    Expert at none. However was very good at certain jobs. My favorite and job and was told -You are really good- was as cosmetic advisor. Organizational skills -,planning , display set up to increase sales.
     
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  4. Mary Robi

    Mary Robi Veteran Member
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    A boss once told me, "Your biggest talent is knowing whose butt to kiss and whose butt to kick." I was pretty darn good at handling people and defusing situations.
     
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  5. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I got my professional certification in my field (Purchasing/Contracts/Inventory Management) early in my career and worked in it for 20 years before I moved on to something else. I don't know about being an "expert." In my home life I prefer being a dabbler more than anything else. I love learning new stuff, getting obsessive about it, and then moving on to something else.
     
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  6. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    Nope. Just good at doing my job.
     
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  7. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Motherhood, I did a great job of rising 3 very independent, hardworking kids and adults who are now all seniors in early to mid 50s. I learned to be a professional 'jack of many trades' in doing so. Hubby made a great stepfather from ages 6,7and 8 till now, may not could have done it without him.
     
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  8. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    I am/was an expert wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, fisherwoman, and librarian.

    I'm modest, too. ;)
     
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  9. Thomas Windom

    Thomas Windom Very Well-Known Member
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    I did, at one time, consider myself an expert at my job and was valuable to clients as a consultant on such matters. However, the collective expertise available on the internet (once you wade through the B.S.) is intimidating for sure. It is easy for me to find people more knowledgeable than I am on pretty much any topic. So, my expertise was niche expertise, having knowledge of a number of things not available to the general public, not because of any security concerns but just because of the detailed technical nature of some of the things a company had in its bag of products.
     
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  10. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Yes, I am an expert 'Jack of All Trades ', teasing, I'm an expert mother, grandmother and a jack of trades.
     
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  11. Krystal Shay

    Krystal Shay Very Well-Known Member
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    No. I don't feel I am an expert at anything, but I am good at many things.
     
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