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07 November 2010

let's talk about expertise y'all ever feel slightly Imposter Syndrome-y?[More:]

I'm beginning to feel I can go a looong time 'applying skills' without actually expanding them or retaining new information

What's your thoughts on individual professional development? I guess this is very vague and I kinda know what I can do on my own to improve my skills in my own field but just in terms of more generic structural approaches.

I'm almost on the verge of printing out this Education Competency Wheel from MSFT heh but it's very much ambiguous jargon but I'm curious if anyone has resources or books in mind about that go through areas of just being competent.
Ambitious jargon, indeed. Hella.

(I was hoping to have mostly one color on that wheel, so that I could focus my efforts. I have a little bit of each color, though. Ah, well. At least I'm well-rounded.)

I think the Myers-Briggs makes predictions about what sorts of jobs and skills you'd be good at.
posted by aniola 07 November | 20:27
I know right? You can't really wake up and work on "action orientation" or "compassion". I guess in a way professional development has to be focused on what you actually do .. I don't really work within a larger structure or organization, haven't for years and don't intend to anytime soon so e.g. there's no promotions structure so I guess I have to take some responsibility for articulating what defines 'advancement' myself. I guess it can be focused on expertise in specific environments, or types of expertise in them, and doing stuff that isn't just related to work (e.g. volunteering or hobby style projects), and engagement with larger communities to work on communication and leadership style skills
posted by Firas 07 November | 20:38
I think a really good way to improve skills is to work on solving problems or challenges. Maybe you can find a buddy or two to collaborate on something outside of "work"?
posted by gomichild 07 November | 20:51
What are you curious about? Is there anything that engages you to the point of forgetting time?
posted by chewatadistance 07 November | 21:29
I soothe my impostor syndrome by reminding myself that everyone else is faking just as hard as I am.

Jargon is invented by impostors to caulk the cracks in their façade.
posted by Eideteker 07 November | 22:44
I figure I can't gauge my own progress because I'm inside of it and you can only really see it from a distance. Frustrating, but keeps me sane.
posted by The Whelk 07 November | 23:28
I think the Myers-Briggs makes predictions about what sorts of jobs and skills you'd be good at.

The first time I ever heard of the Myers-Briggs test was when I went through my college's required "career counseling." They told me I would make a good minister. (Of course they were missing a couple of key pieces of information.)
posted by BoringPostcards 08 November | 04:19
I just was sent off to a workshop for work (which they completely paid for, which seemed to be a miracle to everyone else) and so now they all were telling me that I'm being 'groomed' for a job after I get my degree (which is something I've kinda figured).

I'm always faking it and it freaks me out when people assume I'm competent at something. The other day, my boss called me smart! Dude, I can barely dress myself in the morning. How the hell can I be smart?
posted by sperose 08 November | 09:22
What's your thoughts on individual professional development?

It's kind of a cyclical process for me, and the steps in this cycle are:

1. Take on a new role. Feel very stressed, overwhelmed, in way over my head. Learning is essential.

2. Learn enough to feel competent and in control. Feel relaxed, enjoy going to work, life is good.

3. Bored bored bored bored bored. Eventually, find another opportunity for something new and return to step 1.

I tend to be in Step 1 for 3-5 years, and Step 3 for about a year. Step 2, where I actually like what I'm doing, feels like it lasts about 48 hours sometimes.
posted by FishBike 08 November | 09:49
I wonder what the correlation coefficient would be for the feeling of confidence measured somehow against actual confidence.
posted by Obscure Reference 08 November | 11:02
I wonder what the correlation coefficient would be for the feeling of confidence measured somehow against actual confidence.


cf Dunning-Kruger Efect.
posted by fogovonslack 08 November | 13:57
Mazlow's 'Four stages of competence' theory fits well into this, too. It fits pretty well with Obscure Reference's stages, with the unconscious competence stage leading to boredom, perhaps because of a strong desire to learn?

I like the idea of the 'fifth stage' included in the link, which is where I see teachers as well as anyone who is responsible for mentoring/leading/managing a team of people. This is maybe a way to avoid the boredom that comes with knowing your job well enough that you aren't learning much - by passing on your knowledge to others, you both keep your mind active by reflecting on your knowledge and will learn new things as people present new challenges.
posted by dg 08 November | 14:55
They told me I would make a good minister. (Of course they were missing a couple of key pieces of information.)

I dunno, man. A lot of the functions you provide to this community are similar to the function of a minister in a more "traditional" community.
posted by Eideteker 08 November | 16:00
Good news/Bad news || Green.

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