Show of cyber hands – how many of you consider yourself an expert in something? What does “expert” mean to you? If you think it’s someone with an exhaustive knowledge of one particular topic, industry, or some such notion, you’d probably be female.
I’m basing that on what I’ve seen in the corporate world and on the resumes I write. In nearly every case where a man is seeking a CEO position, he’s climbed up the career food chain in big steps, using job after job to attain his goal. I’ve written resumes for guys who have had maybe 4 or 5 years of experience in management. And they’ve secured interviews. The girls, on the other hand, have to be convinced. I remember one woman in particular had about 15 years of experience in managing others, had all the skills equivalent to what CEOs needed, yet still had to ask if she was aiming too high. Given that she had multiple layers of experience compared to the men who were shooting for similar titles, I was a bit surprised by the trepidation. And she’s not the only woman I’ve worked with who was reluctant to aim higher.
To me, being an expert takes understanding what you’re doing/talking about, but it also takes building a bit of a niche for yourself and having enough experience in that niche to run with the big dogs, so to speak. For instance, I know risk management stuff quite well. Never worked as a risk manager, but I’ve written about it extensively. The first time I got an email from a risk manager asking my advice on something was a bit of a surprise, but in his eyes, I was an expert. (Just goes to show that a little BS and a lot of attitude can fool a lot of people!) But am I? That would depend on who you talk to. I know a few people who would scoff at the notion, but I’m no slouch on the topic. I’d consider myself an expert only because if I don’t, you’ll say, “But you’re just as guilty as the rest of womankind!” Okay, okay. Maybe it’s a bigger issue than just experience.
How about ego? We girls aren’t always ready or willing to subscribe to the notion that our talents are something to brag about. We rock, but we won’t tell ourselves that. We celebrate those little victories, but we tend to overlook that it’s our talent and our own perseverance that got us there. Why aren’t we allowing ourselves to say, “Damn right we’re good!”?
If someone gave you a pass right now that said “This coupon allows bearer total bragging rights with no repercussions or guilt” would you use it?
So here’s your cyber-pass: Tell me what you’re expert in. No apologies. Remember, you’re the expert. 🙂
Interesting point. I have a list of what I call “Areas of specialized knowledge” that I present to clients.
Which is another way of saying “expert.”
My list includes:
Production knowledge in theatre, film, and television;
Wardrobe and costuming;
Continuity;
Throughtbred racing and equine care;
Ice hockey;
Lighthouses;
Tarot;
Paranormal;
Technical writing skills including research, concept development writing, editing, grammar;
Tenants’ rights;
Diaries, journals, personal writing;
Proposal development;
Fiber crafts (quilting, knitting, crocheting)
Character development relevant to advertising and marketing campaigns;
Northumbrian history;
Scotland;
American history, revolutionary war era;
Whaling;
High seas; historical piracy
That’s all I can think of right now!
Believe it or not, you’d be surprised how often a knowledge of lighthouses comes in handy!
Wow, Devon; impressive list! I have “areas of expertise” on my resume:
Real estate marketing (worked as a marketing assistant at a NYC real estate firm)
Human resources, particularly recruiting
Employment law (background in HR)
Health/medicine (I’ve had surgery 16 times – I could probably school some medical students on the finer points of diagnosing and treating some illnesses, lol)
Legal – I worked as a bankruptcy paralegal and one of my major clients is a law firm with a few specializations
SEO/Internet marketing – I’ve written over 100 articles on the subject and can “talk the talk.”
Wow, Devon, I need to borrow your confidence. Girl, you are truly impressive! This is an uncomfortable thing for me, lori. I’m one of the girls you speak of in your ost. But I am determined to overcome it, so here goes:
* SEO and Web Copywriting (I’ve learned from the best and they’re training me well)
* Sales and marketing techniques(8 years, baby)
* customer service ( I like to make folks feel imortant – even virtually)
* teaching (I home schooled and created my own curriculum for a few years, and love to share knowledge that could help others)
Another thing I usually toss into the cover letter is my motto:
If I don’t know, I can learn it — fast.
I’m fortunate to have a really quick learning curve.
You’re dead on with your reasons why lots of (most?) women undervalue their skills. So, here’s my list:
*Upper management expert (mom of 3, stepmom of 2, domestic engineer, taxi, chef, maid)
*Skilled in time and money management (see above)
*Teacher (also see above, plus 4 years actual classroom experience)
*Team player
*Encourager
*Field experience in private investigation
*Multiple small biz owner (cleaning, freelance, catering/cooking, to name a few)
*Thinker outside the box
*Creative and talented in communications fields
*Jill of all trades
*I’ll stop here before my head explodes. LOL