This time of year, we often reflect on what’s happened in the past 12 months and what’s next in the year to come. Some of us make resolutions: we will be more present with our families, take that big trip, lose weight/make it to yoga more often/eat healthy, or grow professionally, whether that means getting a promotion or building our personal brand or business. I’d like to share some thoughts on the last one, because I think it’s something that many of us strive for. How can we move onward and upward in our careers in 2017?
Three words: become an expert.
Not just an expert witness, although that’s certainly a viable option once you’ve achieved expert status. Pick a niche, and learn everything about it. Yes, there is value in generalization, but to truly distinguish yourself and, I would argue, find the kind of inner fulfillment that makes you want to get out of bed and go to work every day, you need to focus on something distinct.
A recent Forbes article makes this argument very nicely. It breaks down five reasons that experts in their field are more successful, including customers’ preference for professionals with specific expertise, the ability to command higher prices, and being able to remain ahead of the curve more easily. These are all accurate. In my experience, however, focusing on a precise area of expertise carries another tremendous benefit that possibly outweighs any financial incentives: it forces you to pick your passion.
For me, that meant narrowing down my professional ambition from “be a lawyer” to “provide a service that connects attorneys and experts.” There are hundreds of thousands of lawyers out there; very few expert witness selection services. I am a bigger fish in a much smaller sea. It enables me to laser-focus my efforts, to feel like I am making a unique contribution to society, to burn the midnight oil because I know I’m doing something that many people need and not many people provide. As a result, I can take advantage of all the aspects described by the Forbes article, plus the inner satisfaction that comes from deep and meaningful knowledge and commitment.
Of course, the satisfaction of expertise needn’t only be professional. While you may not increase your profitability, becoming an expert in a hobby or side project can be just as fulfilling (and for our purposes at ECS, just as relevant. We have requests for experts in things like rock climbing almost as often as more traditional pursuits.)
This year, think about what makes you excited. Determine where your talents and interests intersect. Then do whatever you need to do to become an expert. Research, read, and write. Talk to anyone and everyone, hunt down other experts, go where they are and learn from them. Scour the Internet. Hunker down in the library. Carve out time at work or at home to get to know something in a profound way.
You may, as a result of your expertise, “specialize and grow rich” as promised by the Forbes article. You may become part of our network of expert witnesses, using your expertise to contribute to justice (which may help with the growing rich part.) But I guarantee you that the pursuit of expertise will be worth the effort no matter the outcome. Wealth or witness aside, choosing and pursuing a passion gives you focus, energy and drive. This year, what will your expertise be?