Do You Know What The Difference Is Between You and An Expert?

I'm sure you're thinking about how experts really smart, have tons of schooling, make a lot of money... any number of things. But the truth is, there is no difference.

This is how it boils down... you can work the same job for 10 years and admit to yourself that you have some good job security, good experience under your belt... you might even say you have a solid career.

An expert, on the other hand, would work for 10 years and call him/herself an expert in their field. Simple as that.

See how that works? No? Let me break it down to you like this. It's about self confidence. Not to be confused with the confidence one has in their work.... it's self confidence.

Your issue is that you feel emberassed, shy or just awkward telling someone you're an expert. Because that sounds like you're bragging or boasting. Maybe they won't even believe you.

This is where your confidence comes into play. It has nothing to do with your actual job. The truth is, anyone can get any job and anyone can call themselves an expert once they know how to do that job. I didn't say do it well, just do the job.

Let me put it another way... do you think your boss will ever call you an expert? Co-workers? Friends? You could live your entire life just being some other worker hoping for someone to finally recognize you for who you are. Very few 'experts' in the world were ever given that title. They called themselves an expert and proved it.

If you're now asking yourself how you prove it, don't feel alone. The reason for that is because you've never thought about it before and chances are, still don't think of yourself as an expert. Give it some time, get used to telling yourself you know your work. You are an expert!

Chances are the opportunities to prove it have been there all along and will be there again. You just didn't recognize or sieze them because you didn't think of yourself as an expert.

Once you do though, the chances will come. People will come to you for advice and presto, you're a consultant! Peope will need an expert rather than just a bunch of worker drones from some company they don't know... presto, you're an independant contractor/entrepreneur.

Stop telling yourself that you're just an employee or that it's just a career. That's the old way of thinking. No one has careers any more. It's just a job. And either you think better of yourself and take charge of it or you'll just keep doing that job or some other job for the rest of your life wondering why the new guy went off and became an 'expert' when you've been doing it for 20+ years and can't do the same.

You are an expert. Act like one.