Using expertise as a career vehicle

Posted by Sarah Hobbs

When it comes to your career, if you love learning more about your specialist subject, want to work on the leading edge of ground breaking projects and are well known in your field (or aspire to be!) – today’s article is for you.

So if you’re someone whose focus is building a career based on your expertise, here are five tips you can use to increase your value to your organisation without limiting your career options –

1. Get well known in your profession. Take the time to attend conferences, be a part of professional bodies and speak at industry or specialist events.
   
   
2. Show the value you bring. Think about how you can demonstrate to your organisation not just your knowledge, but the direct benefit your knowledge and experience has.
   
   
3. Develop your commercial skills and judgement. As you get promoted you’ll need to take on management responsibilities, so make sure you develop those skills alongside your expertise.
   
   
4. Speak like a manager. Show that you can communicate things in people’s own words and that you can simplify very complex ideas – don’t sound like a boffin in an ivory tower!
   
   
5. Get know across the business. Make sure that your colleagues and associates know who you are, what you’re about and the value you’re contributing to the business.

TAKE AWAY
Remember, building your expertise is great, but make sure there is a commercial purpose to doing it – and communicate it!