Becoming an expert in any particular field does not mean that one must be famous.
An expert is someone who has researched as much about the subject as possible; in large subject areas there will be experts specializing in one small area of the subject.
The medical field has numerous examples of this specialization.
An expert doctor is someone who starts out as a General Practitioner and then usually goes into some specialty, such as Family Practice, Gerontology, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Internal Medicine, etc.
From there, a further specialization will be in one certain area of that specialty, such as an Orthopedist who specializes in Sports Medicine.
There is further possibility of specialization in one or two particular areas of the more refined area too, such as someone who is an expert in a particular type of surgery on the one area only.
The designation of 'expert' also depends on the organization requiring that expert.
Expert witnesses are those who are well-versed in their field-someone who is extremely familiar with a certain area.
They are not required to be famous or even well-known in their local area; it is only required that they can provide expert testimony in a case.
Such things usually involve the query as to whether someone who is being sued performed according to 'community standards'-as any other person in that arena would have performed.
Getting paid for services as an expert is another thing but it isn't difficult.
One can start with an online expert advice site and get paid per minute; most sites have a button that can be placed on a website that is connected to your listing.
When online, the button on the website shows the online status.
The only problem with that is that some might not want to do that on their own websites, where they can charge the usual professional fee.
Perhaps that button and the attendant services can be offered on other websites that might want to have an association with an expert-that helps both sides serve their clientele.
It is also a good idea to send a resume with the expert status around to places that might need an expert, such as attorney's offices, government associations, etc.
At any rate one who purports to be an expert should have at least the basic skills for the job and years of experience, plus be informed on changes and new discoveries in their particular field of expertise.
If someone is paying for the expert services it is expected that the expert will perform adequately.
That doesn't mean that the expert has to know absolutely every little thing about the field.
When approached as an expert, just be honest about qualifications and experience.
Some agencies that hire expert witnesses expect that the witness will have many contacts in the field in question-so the information will be current and reachable.
Becoming an expert and getting paid for it is like icing on the cake: do what is interesting for work, gain experience, and get paid for it at the same time as being appreciated as an expert.
©2010 Dr.
Valerie Olmsted All Rights Reserved