Sep. 26, 2024
Read time: 3 minutes and 0 seconds.
tags:TITLE: Experience Alone Doesn’t Equal Expertise
Description: Years on the job are overrated.
INTRODUCTION
We often assume that years of experience automatically translate to expertise. But that’s simply not the case and is often revelled by others who are onlookers about how someone’s experience immediately gives them credibility. You can accumulate years of bad experience, and that is often undersold and undertold. I mean, think about it, few dedicate their lives to something and will admittedly tell the truth about being subpar if they are.
Experience is often cited as proof of credibility and there’s reason to believe that this used to be true to a certain extent. If you were learning something or were an apprentice of someone who was, let’s say, a carpenter then I could believe that getting experience under a carpenter with years of experience could be a way for you to learn. That the experienced carpenter is likely more performant than the apprentice.
However, experience can be flawed. You can have years of experience doing something incorrectly.
I have played soccer on and off again since I was a child. I think I started kicking a soccer ball when I was like 4 or 5 years old. However, I am far from an all-star soccer player. Yamal, the 17 year old all-star in the Euro cup this year shattered records playing in the men’s league. It’s virtually impossible for me to quote that my experience is even slightly matched to his expertise from being persistent and practicing time and again.
I use this example because something similar has happened in my life, but with teaching. Despite being a new teacher, I received positive feedback (hurray me, yeah, cool). Not because of extensive experience, but because I focused on teaching problem-solving. I focused on the skill set I believed students needed more than the way I was taught or taking lessons from lecturers and university professors. I understood what to learn and what not to learn in my training as an instructor because I wanted to do the job well. Experienced teachers, with 20+ years, sometimes lacked engagement and helpfulness that could impact the way others might learn. People will accept this form of teaching, but it’s often not as helpful as one might think.
Sadly, students will tolerate this because of customs more than demanding that their professors or instructors show up every day eager to learn just as the students are eager to learn.
The rise of AI and new tools is rapidly changing the landscape, especially for newbies. Skill sets are developing faster than ever, emphasizing best practices over outdated “experience.” If the same experienced people are not willing to upskill themselves and continue to grow, the eager pupil will leave the master in the dust because they’ve relinquished their ego while accepting that they can continue to learn. True expertise comes from a constant desire to learn, adapt and remain fluid to a changing landscape.
Expertise isn’t about clocking in and out; it’s about a strong work ethic. Persistence to want to know more and become a master. Yamal wasn’t happy as a soccer player with his friends and getting experience or court time. He was setting micro goals for himself to continuously grow and extend his ability to perform.
Expertise is brought from understanding a subject deeply, not just accumulating years. Younger engineers, who are always hungry to learn, become masters far quicker than the senior architects that are far removed from new developments.
Experience can be valuable, but it’s not the sole indicator of expertise. Real expertise comes from continuous learning, adapting to new information, and a commitment to best practices. If you’re focused on developing your skills, staying curious, and embracing a strong work ethic then you’ll never have anything to worry about. Experience will come and it will mold you alongside good working (and learning) habits.