Are you an expert?

[catin8oots]

In your field of work? Would you describe yourself as an expert?

Just made me laugh today as a colleague described us as experts and it's not something I would ever say but it's probably true 😀

Nobody? 😀

Yes i would
I’m highly skilled with many years of experience in my field

Well, I’m very qualified and experienced. But would I describe myself as an expert? No, as I’m not a wanker.

In my particular specific niche wthin the wider field, yes I would say I'm an expert. But in my field lots of people can build up expertise within their own specialist areas, which might be quite small.

Well I have a lot of expertise in my field of work. I’m more of an expert than someone who doesn’t have the experience I do. I wouldn’t describe myself as one though. There’s always more to learn!

Is there anything wrong with being an expert in your field? It just means you are the person people will go to. People who don’t like experts don’t like the fact the experts don’t agree with them (was it Michael Gove….)

i am the expert in my very niche field but I wouldn’t say it’s anything to brag about or something I am called outside my boss referring to me as ‘the expert’ when someone needs advice

Yes.
I was actually asked at a career best interview what I consider to be my area of expertise and I flailed about being very British and female, diminishing my expertise with many "I suppose I might be an expert in x" etc. I've published in academic journals, teach at PG level etc!

Oh the shame. Now, I own my expertise! People don't always appreciate it though!

That would have been the perfect response to my colleague 😀

My partner is an expert in his scientific field as it is very niche. He is a world renowned and well published academic. I mean, he’s just a normal bloke who snores, doesn’t put the loo seat down and is crap at texting back to me 😂😂

Am I an expert? I’m not sure. I needed a degree to qualify so I guess i must be pretty knowledgeable at least 😂

Also I would class someone who is a highly qualified breast surgeon or whatever as an expert. But there is probably hundreds of them worldwide.

My job is so niche. And this is not a brag - maybe 10 people in the country do the same.

Maybe less expert and more uni loser dropout that fell into a weird role 🤩

I salute all you genuine experts out there x

I’ve been told I am, introduced as such, but it’s a constant learning curve so I guess not really.

Well I've been labelled one at my workplace but that is because I have to be one as I work in an advisory capacity in a consultant style role. However, as others have posted I would never describe myself in that way as it suggests to me there is no one who is better than you, you've nothing to learn as it were and I don't think that is true of me.

Worse than proclaiming you are an Expert or at least on a par of awfulness is a person going on one little course in your area of work who doesn't work in your area of work and from that tiny bit of knowledge telling you that you are wrong!

I don’t agree! To me an expert is someone who is specialist in something and someone’s whose advice is evidence based etc. it doesn’t mean they are the best of the best or the only person worth listening to. Just now on the radio they were talking about passwords and spoke to a ‘cybersecurity expert’. That sounds fine to me - if they’d just said some dude who knows stuff about computers I wouldn’t have bothered listening

politicians have been trying to make it a dirty word!

Not at work, but I've had a hobby for years and years of researching a particular niche aspect of a country, and I've been interviewed about it before by someone researching a book and others researching for videos. I don't know if I'm quite an expert in it, more just the only weirdo obsessive enough to research it!

I occasionally get called it, but I am really a Jack of all trades

Well, yes. I have a doctorate qualification, have practised in my field for two decades and now teach other doctorate trainees.

I could be all self deprecating and British and claim not to be, but if I'm not an expert, I don't know who is.

That having been said, I often come across a complex case and feel I know nothing. There's always more to learn.