Two words have historically made me quite uncomfortable: expertise and advice. I guess I’ve always been skeptical of both. What does it mean to be an expert? And is any of us really equipped to dispense advice? Anyway, I don’t pretend to have answers to these questions, but I’ve become more open-minded about these things recently. Tomorrow I will be donning my Career Expert hat to give live professional advice to young women as part of the Office Hours program at the wonderful Levo League.
I’m not yet sure what exactly what I will say, but I’m excited. I’m excited because I welcome this opportunity to tell a bit of my professional/personal story. Ultimately, that’s what advice is, right? The lessons we have learned, and the gems we have gathered, as a result of trial and error, success and failure, experience and time.
Ultimately, I’ve decided that the only advice I’m willing to give here and elsewhere is advice to myself. Advice to myself now, and then. Things I wished I had known all along, but things I arrived at in a less than linear, and often much more rewarding, way. Anyway, I’m thankful in advance to Levo League for giving me this chance to pause and ponder what insights the years have brought and to realize that there is nothing wrong with embracing our inner expert.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow and hope you’ll all tune in here at 2pm EST to watch me stumble – somewhat gracefully, I hope! – through whatever it is I end up saying.
•
How do you feel about “expertise” and “advice”? Are there any topics you’d be interested in hearing about tomorrow? What is it that you wish you had known when you began your professional life?
There are a lot of moving parts to those questions you asked. I keep going through them in my head and they seem to boil down to two things: (1) Does the giver of advice have true knowledge to be dispensing such advice, and (2) Is the receiver of such advice truly open to receiving it? I’m sure there are countless other questions, too, but those are the two that keep coming to the top for me. Personally, do I think you have knowledge to dispense advice? I’d probably have to listen to what you’re saying before coming to such a conclusion. The real question that remains largely unknown is whether I’m open to what you have to say and how it could potentially impact my life. =)
Thoughtful comment, Nilsa. I am left wondering about the distinction between “true knowledge” and experience. I am not sure I believe any of us has the former, but I know that all of us have the latter… And that is why I am beginning to believe that on some level we all have some breed of expertise – broadly speaking. Anyway, much to think about but do hope you and others tune in tomorrow. Have a good night!
Oh, so cool! I am unfortunately in a meeting tomorrow afternoon so can’t tune in but I am so psyched you are doing this (I have been a member of Levo since the beginning though haven’t yet engaged much, to be honest) and can’t wait to hear about it. xo
Oh good luck you.
What an amazing way to use your voice, and yes – your expertise!
xo
Just listened/watched your Office Hours…wanted to stop by and say I loved everything you had to say. You did a great job!