Would you consider yourself an expert in your chosen field?

[|Zach|]

I know the question is a bit open ended.

Been reading and watching a number of things about people working on their craft or becoming experts in their chosen jobs and it is always interesting to me. Saw a few documentaries with a few guys...one is a famous fashion photographer for the NY Times and the other owns one of the world's most highly regarded sushi restaurants (it only has 10 seats).

It was eye opening how both of these guys made their work their lives...there wasn't room for anyone else. They are at the top of their game professionally and still are never content rest or even admit success. In the first example so much that they wondered if he ever had a romantic relationship in his life.

These are extreme cases but do you constantly work and strive to improve your abilities or what you bring to the table in your line of work? Would you call yourself an expert? Or do you get to that point where you reached a level of happiness where work maintains the life you want to live away from it.

Currently contemplating my own work life balance and I always find the varied perspectives of CP'ers compelling.

[LiveSteam]

I take great pride in my work. & will put my skills up against any mason out there.






Looking out across the Platte river bottoms. Stoning the chimney






Rebuilt this tunnel opening couple summers ago




The start of a 200 foot railroad trestle


Free standing arch.

[Floridafan]

I just retired after 37 years in health-care and every day I went to work it wasn't work, it was a love affair. I know I have a lot to learn yet but I am very good at fixing spines. I can fix most herniated discs that I see and can restore the natural curves to a patients spine if they will do what is asked of them, which will cure a myriad of problems. My field is constantly changing so I am still learning more and more. I love it. I had to retire because after 37 years an old spinal cord injury finally caught up with me. Although they said I would never walk again I was out of my wheelchair within a year of being told I would never walk, which was 40 years ago, and tried to help as many people as I could with disabling injuries or conditions. I have a Masters Degree in nutrition also but always felt that spines were my forte'. I just wish I didn't have to retire because I love helping people so much. Am I an expert? No because there is so much more I could learn and will endeavor to do so until my time here is up.

[LiveSteam]

Originally Posted by Floridafan

I just retired after 37 years in health-care and every day I went to work it wasn't work, it was a love affair. I know I have a lot to learn yet but I am very good at fixing spines. I can fix most herniated discs that I see and can restore the natural curves to a patients spine if they will do what is asked of them, which will cure a myriad of problems. My field is constantly changing so I am still learning more and more. I love it. I had to retire because after 37 years an old spinal cord injury finally caught up with me. Although they said I would never walk again I was out of my wheelchair within a year of being told I would never walk, which was 40 years ago, and tried to help as many people as I could with disabling injuries or conditions. I have a Masters Degree in nutrition also but always felt that spines were my forte'. I just wish I didn't have to retire because I love helping people so much. Am I an expert? No because there is so much more I could learn and will endeavor to do so until my time here is up.

Nice post man. I wish i had those kind of smarts. I dnt. Not even close.
I do use what god gave me. Brute strength & I do love what I do for the most part.
Loving what you do for a living IMO is the most important part of a choosing a career
Choose wisely,all you lil whipper-snappers

[lewdog]

Started my career in May 2012. Hasn't been a year but I don't think I will ever been an expert in my field. Anything in the medical field is constantly changing, which is a reason I love my job so much. Not to mention how everyday is vastly different from the next. Learning never stops!

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by LiveSteam

Nice post man. I wish i had those kind of smarts. I dnt. Not even close.
I do use what god gave me. Brute strength & I do love what I do for the most part.
Loving what you do for a living IMO is the most important part of a choosing a career
Choose wisely,all you lil whipper-snappers

Well, if it makes you feel any better, knowing you're a dumbass makes you smarter than most dumbasses.

[Floridafan]

Originally Posted by LiveSteam

Nice post man. I wish i had those kind of smarts. I dnt. Not even close.
I do use what god gave me. Brute strength & I do love what I do for the most part.
Loving what you do for a living IMO is the most important part of a choosing a career
Choose wisely,all you lil whipper-snappers

As long as your doing what you love, you're ahead of most people. I have found a lot of people hate what they do everyday. As far as smarts I would say I don't consider myself all that smart. Any intelligence one has is from their parents anyway so we don't have that much to do with it. I am glad you love doing what you do and enjoy it. I have learned we need people in all fields from ditch diggers to brain surgeons. I believe all people, regardless of job description deserve respect. Some of the people I respect the most are hard working people who might not have a lot in the way of "stuff" but they have the important things like integrity, they love their family, they work hard and are a good neighbor. Personally I don't like hanging around with most doctors and other "highly educated" people because all they do when you are around them is talk about themselves and what they have. While you're talking to them they might as well say something like, "well, enough about me, let't talk about you, how much do you love me?" lol

[Floridafan]

That is some beautiful work. I envy your skill.

Originally Posted by LiveSteam

I take great pride in my work. & will put my skills up against any mason out there.






Looking out across the Platte river bottoms. Stoning the chimney






Rebuilt this tunnel opening couple summers ago




The start of a 200 foot railroad trestle


Free standing arch.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Floridafan

As long as your doing what you love, you're ahead of most people. I have found a lot of people hate what they do everyday. As far as smarts I would say I don't consider myself all that smart. Any intelligence one has is from their parents anyway so we don't have that much to do with it. I am glad you love doing what you do and enjoy it. I have learned we need people in all fields from ditch diggers to brain surgeons. I believe all people, regardless of job description deserve respect. Some of the people I respect the most are hard working people who might not have a lot in the way of "stuff" but they have the important things like integrity, they love their family, they work hard and are a good neighbor. Personally I don't like hanging around with most doctors and other "highly educated" people because all they do when you are around them is talk about themselves and what they have. While you're talking to them they might as well say something like, "well, enough about me, let't talk about you, how much do you love me?" lol

Nailed it, and what LiveSteam said is spot on, too.... find what you're good at and work your hardest at it. Do what you love. No way in hell I could design or create a house, and I could definitely see why it would be more satisfying to be able to point to what you've accomplished for decades to come, as opposed to sitting in a cube all day and having to deal with office politics and what not.

[BigRedChief]

I guess I've got it down but in my field you constantly have to be learning. It never stops. You stop learning, you stop working.

I work with stuff people don't even know exists yet. Thats pretty cool. Like the others said.....whatever you do, do what you love.

[Stanley Nickels]

I started doing medical research about two years ago, and HOLY **** DO I FEEL LIKE I DONT KNOW WHAT IM DOING. I study metastatic breast cancer (laboratory science has an APPALLING lack of [literal] hands-on experience, but I digress) and I can tell you that in science, expert is a tough term. If an expert is someone who understands biochemistry, then there are a metric shit-ton at any university. But if you define expert as "someone who has the answers", in cancer research there are none. Every day I learn something new about receptors or kinases, or G-coupled protein receptors, or chemokines, or even the behavior of mice. I'm a good lab tech, decent research assistant, but goddamn do some people at work make me feel stupid. My PI (lead investigator and owner of the lab) has an MS from Northwestern, a PhD from Harvard, and worked at MD Anderson Cancer Center for a decade. I might as well just be smashing bricks together when she talks to me.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Phobia

I'd rather write and interact with my community on a full-time basis but that doesn't pay the bills right now so it remains a hobby.

Run for Mayor and then take bribes to make a living?

[jAZ]

This thread made me think of a post from a friend on FB. He was reading this book during his holiday break and came into the new year focused on improving his own professional skills.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1455509124