THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO EVALUATING CLAIMS OF EXPERTISE

8 min readMar 1, 2021

A Non-Expert’s Methods of Evaluating Those That Know More Than You Do

SMARTY PANTS

I’ve always been known for being somewhat of a smarty pants, as I tend to think quickly on my feet and make sarcastic comments or stupid comments on a wide variety of topics. But I claim no exclusive expertise here. In my case, some would wonder if it’s also an inherited trait from my father. I’m actually more hot air than anything.

SMARTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM

I was never the smartest person in the room, even when in the room alone. Each of us has certain areas of expertise that make us smarter in some topics and not so smart in others. But we can always find someone smarter than us, on any topic, if we look hard enough in the correct places.

NOT SO SMART

Then, there are topics that each of us is not so smart in. As an example, I know next to nothing on the topic of burglarizing a home, as I’ve never studied the who, the what, the how, the why, and the when of the topic. So I’m pretty dumb, ignorant, and stupid on that topic and many others.

CLAIMS OF EXPERTISE

There are many ways that people can make claims of expertise on topics, during daily dialog in written, verbal, or visual form, and they happen all around us every day. Some of these methods include:

Smart Attire
Certifications
Licensure
Scholastic Achievement
Written, Spoken, or Visual Claims of Expertise.
Job Title
Uniform Attire
Demonstrated Expertise
Third-Party Testimonies and Reviews.

UNIFORM ATTIRE

I was first exposed to the claim of expertise in the healthcare field, where uniform attire is common. Doctors and nurses commonly dress in similar uniforms or dress and it has an effect of implying expertise. No one questions a doctor as to their expertise when they enter a room with a white coat and a stethoscope around their neck. But how do you really know they are a knowledgeable medical doctor or nurse?

SMART ATTIRE

I spent many years wearing suit coats and dressing sharply when going into the office. I did not want to, as I find them uncomfortable, but many people view people that look sharply dressed as being an expert or professional in their field. But, can you really judge a person’s level of expertise based on how sharply they dress?

CERTIFICATIONS

Almost every job skill or practical skill now offers some form of certification process, where the person that wants to be certified can follow a specific regimen of study, answer questions on tests, demonstrate specific skills, and then be certified as an expert or professional in that skill. But, since anyone can get certified in just about any skill, how can you determine if they aren’t just a certified moron?

JOB TITLE

Many companies bestow their employees or contractors with flowery and descriptive job titles and descriptions. So, while someone has that job, in theory, they are experts or professionals with the skills to complete that job. But you have to wonder if that person is really the “Vice President of Special Projects” or just the “Special Project.”

SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT

Individuals can now almost go to school perpetually and accumulate many honors, grades, and degrees from many schools at almost every level. But is that person just an expert or professional at getting student loans, studying, memorizing answers, and taking tests? Or, do they actually have the skills necessary to accomplish the tasks assigned to them?

LICENSURE

Most programs for licensure, for claims of expertise in topics, include requirements for study, skills demonstrations, and testing both initially and on a continuing basis. But are these experts and professionals just experts at maintaining their licensing, or do they actually have demonstrated expertise in their claimed areas of expertise?

DEMONSTRATED EXPERTISE

Often, you will see people demonstrate their skills in a practical way, and this can help inform your decisions as to their level of expertise. You can learn a lot about a gardener or a car mechanic by observing them when they are in their element, attempting to grow and fix things. But, does that always make them an expert?

THIRD-PARTY TESTIMONIES AND REVIEWS

Many people will provide third-party testimonies and reviews to provide backup for their claims of expertise in some form of subject. This is often done in the form of a reference when someone is applying for a job. But, in this era of general corruption, how do you know that the third-party testimony, reference, or review is factually based, or just purchased nonsense?

WRITTEN, SPOKEN, OR VISUAL CLAIMS OF EXPERTISE

Many people will spend much of their time crafting written, oral, or visual claims of expertise in the form of things like CVs, resumes, spoken or visual presentations, as well as advertisements of their expertise. But, are they experts in their fields, or experts in making claims of expertise?

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

Part of the challenge in evaluating experts or professionals in a given field is that you don’t have a good idea of what you want in an expert. You don’t want to hire a golfing coach that specializes in long drives, when your primary area of challenge is putting. So you need to invest time in developing the requirements and abilities that you want in your experts. If you don’t know what you want from your experts, they are unlikely to know what you want.

KNOW WHEN YOU NEED THEM

You also need to know specifically when you need the expertise or profession. If you don’t know when you will require the services of the expert or professional, they aren’t likely to know either. So, save yourself some money and time, and carefully define when you will need them. They may not be accessible when you need them.

KNOW WHY YOU NEED THEM

If you have been told that you need a specific type of expert, but you really don’t understand why you need their expertise, then you need to acquire the knowledge and wisdom to understand why you need an expert first. They will certainly fail in their tasks for you, if you have no idea why you need them.

SHOW AND TELL

I like to evaluate experts based on their previous work, and their ability to communicate their talents and gifts. If someone can demonstrate examples of solving a problem that is similar in nature to the problem or challenge that I have, then I will gladly choose them over someone that confidently tells me about their expertise.

THE CHARACTER OF AN EXPERT

It is my observation that most true experts have character and will not likely demonstrate the following character traits while going about their tasks.

Taking Themselves Too Seriously — I avoid them if they claim that everything will fail without their involvement.
Fear — If they try to use fear to motivate you to action, then they are relying on your emotional reaction and not their expertise to get you to act.
Predictable — If their actions are predictable, this tends to indicate that they think all challenges are the same and have the same solution.
Certainty — If they never express feelings of uncertainty, I usually question if they are evaluating their actions or tasks.
Conspiracy — If they claim everyone else in the field is out to get them or is against them, then you have to really question their expertise.
Credentials — If they continually refer to their credentials and licensure, then you have to question their practical knowledge of their topics.
Claims of Expertise — If they are claiming to be experts, then they are likely not. Most experts are experts because others claim they are experts.
Politics — Most experts don’t rely on politics to advance their careers in their area of expertise unless that area of expertise is politics.

THAT ONE THING

There is that one thing that I will usually use in my evaluation of an expert and that is time. If an expert or professional has stood the test of time and maintained a good living, then they have survived experiences and external forces that will keep them going when the tough times come.

ME

I’m not an expert at most things, but I’m always learning and trying to grow. But I hope I’ve made you consider how you evaluate and use experts. I hope this makes your interactions with these experts better experiences for them and for you. And, if you are looking for a non-expert on expertise, feel free to follow my ramblings at the links listed below.