What does it mean to be an expert?

Question

I've been developing in C++ for over a decade, for quite a few of those years as a full-time job. But I still find things about the language I wasn't aware of.

I've worked with MFC for years, but there are still big areas I know little about.

And so on. Yet if I was applying for a job I'd call myself an expert in both, because otherwise I wouldn't sound very experienced with everyone calling them-self an expert after using something for a year or 2.

So how do we distinguish between experienced developers, like me, and those who know the entire thing inside out, wrote parts of it, know undocumented features, etc?

Answer 1

I think the term "expert" is a bit ambiguous. As you said, there are those who can use the tools well, and there are those who are versed in the internals. A marksman could be an expert at riflery, without knowing exactly how the rifle works internally down to every detail. A driver could be an expert at racing, without understanding how every detail of the automobile works.

If you've been using a particular set of tools for over a decade, and you can code efficiently and quickly, rarely finding a problem that stumps you for too long, I'd say it's fair to call yourself an expert. Just make sure this isn't mistaken for "expert" with regards to knowing the internals inside-and-out.

Answer 2

I'd say it depends on the company you're applying with. With your experience, in the vast majority of companies you'd probably be called an expert. If you'd apply for a job at Microsoft (where there actually are guys that wrote MFC) you'd be 'experienced'.

So for all intents and purposes, I'd say you're an expert :)

Answer 3

Being an expert is the self-realization that you'll never be an expert.

Answer 4

A expert can be less than decade experience. By example how define an expert about technologie release since less than decade ?

For me an expert is someone to know this technologie better than average people.

Answer 5

The meaning of the word expert is dependent on the domain, and is probably relative anyway. One person is more expert than another. Only two people are unique: the most expert and least expert persons in a given domain. Even this assumes that it is possible to tell whether one person is more expert than another.

Answer 6

An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.

-- Niels Bohr

Answer 7

"An expert is one who knows more and more, about less and less" - Can't remember from who!

Answer 8

In the book Outliers, by Malcom Gladwell, he shares research that shows that the magic number seems to be 10,000 hours of actual hands-on practice before one has actual expertise.

Being an expert doesn't mean you know everything, but it's safe to say that you pick things up quickly, you know how to teach yourself, and you know where to go look for information you don't know.