How to Talk About Your Expertise When You Dont Think You Have One

How to Talk About Your Expertise When You Don’t Think You Have One How to Talk About Your Expertise When You Don’t Think You Have One Do you know your expertise? If you had to describe your career, would you say that you’re a jack (or jill) of all trades? Maybe you know enough about a lot of things, but not enough that you would say qualifies you to call yourself an expert. But everybody is good at something (and most are good at a lot of things). So even when you don’t think you have one, below are a few tips on how to talk about your expertise. Heres how you should talk about your expertise, even when you dont think you have any: 1. Forget about work experience. Lack of relatable work experience is perhaps one of the biggest reasons you might think that you don’t have expertise- but you do. It’s important to ditch that mindset of believing that without a tangible job that related directly to your expertise that you don’t have any. While employers are looking to correlate expertise to previously held positions, you can prove your expertise in other ways. Such as…. 2. Think about your education. Remember that degree you have in medical technology? Or all of those certifications you have in phlebotomy? All of your education counts directly towards your expertise. Just because you haven’t put it into practice in every position you’ve held doesn’t make it less relevant. So if you have considerable knowledge in a specific field (but lack real-world work experience) you can absolutely still talk about your expertise in job interviews! 3. Factor in your extracurriculars. Maybe you took time off to raise your children and helped out at their school doing fundraising. Or perhaps you wanted to find work with more meaning and volunteered at a non-profit doing grant writing. All of your “non-jobs” count towards upping your expertise, too! Take some time to go over your extra curricular activities and see which ones have skills that can be translated into experience that expands your expertise. Chances are, you’ll find some that helped to add to your knowledge and make you more of an expert than you realized. 4. Consider your soft skills. Soft skills are a critical component during the hiring process. They can give you that extra edge over job candidates who might not even realize how important they are or lack them. Soft skills, (such as communication skills, adaptability, problem solving, self-managing, collaborating, and conflict resolution), are particularly important for job seekers who want a remote job, since those skills are imperative no matter what type of telecommuting job you want. During a job interview, you can stress your expertise in communications, and pinpoint specific examples when your communication skills came into play. Or you can highlight your ability to work as a team player while still being able to self-manage. Remember, expertise isn’t always about knowing what is written in books or job experiences, but also showcasing your expertise as a remote worker. Even if you feel that you don’t have any expertise to talk of, don’t sell yourself short! Without even realizing it, you are an expert in probably a few different fields. So think beyond past jobs and look at your life (and life experiences). Chances are, you possess a lot more expertise than you might think! Readers, have you struggled with finding your expertise? Has this inhibited you from applying for jobs that you wanted? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below!