How to Establish Yourself as an Expert in Your Field

Make a name for yourself outside of your company.

Like a Boss - You’re kicking butt at work and on the fast track to running your own enterprise one day. You can speed up the process by making a name for yourself outside of your company. Follow these tips to make yourself an authority in your area of expertise. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel  (Photo: Hero Images/Corbis)

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Like a Boss - You’re kicking butt at work and on the fast track to running your own enterprise one day. You can speed up the process by making a name for yourself outside of your company. Follow these tips to make yourself an authority in your area of expertise. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel  (Photo: Hero Images/Corbis)

Be a Bookworm - While the days of required summer reading are long gone for grownups, there’s nothing better than losing one’s self in an amazing book. Dust off your personal "must-read” list and make it a point to finish at least one book by the end of the season. Need some recommendations? We’ve got you covered!(Photo: Hero Images/Getty Images)

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Master a Topic or Skill - You can’t be an expert unless you know the ends and outs of your niche. Identify what space you want to own, then do everything you can to learn about it, whether that means taking a class to brush up on the latest techniques or delving into the theory behind the work you do every day.  (Photo: Hero Images/Corbis)

Form and Share an Opinion and Mission - What do you want to change or improve about your industry or the people it serves? It’s not enough not just be knowledgeable — take a stand on an issue and use your platform to push that mission.  (Photo: 68/Oktay Ortakcioglu/Ocean/Corbis)

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Form and Share an Opinion and Mission - What do you want to change or improve about your industry or the people it serves? It’s not enough not just be knowledgeable — take a stand on an issue and use your platform to push that mission.  (Photo: 68/Oktay Ortakcioglu/Ocean/Corbis)

Photo By Photo: 68/Oktay Ortakcioglu/Ocean/Corbis

Getting Digital - Online courses at colleges and universities offer flexible options for busy students, and millions of students nationwide are taking advantage. In the 2012 Survey of Online Learning published by the Babson Survey Research Group on Jan. 8, more than 6.7 million students said they took at least one online course during the fall 2011 term, up 570,000 students from the previous year. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Start a Website and Blog - Creating and regularly posting to a blog will show readers that you are knowledgeable about your subject matter and have unique opinions on relevant topics. It will also help drive traffic to your website, as your posts will come up in relevant searches.  (Photo: GettyImages) 

PRO: You Will Deepen Your Knowledge - Besides the satisfaction that comes from learning and thriving, you’ll also gain a deeper, theory-based understanding of the strategies that you use at work. That could make you better at your job and even open new avenues for your career, such as education and research.  (Photo: Simon Jarratt/Corbis)

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Take Leadership in an Industry Organization - There are trade organizations for everything. Join yours and volunteer to lead a committee or run for regional or national office.  (Photo: Simon Jarratt/Corbis)

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Teach a Class - Do you know everything there is to know about photography or jewelry making or ghostwriting? Teach a class at a local or online school and boost your cred.  (Photo: Hero Images/Hero Images/Corbis)

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Teach a Class - Do you know everything there is to know about photography or jewelry making or ghostwriting? Teach a class at a local or online school and boost your cred.  (Photo: Hero Images/Hero Images/Corbis)

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Write a Book - Are you passionate about a particular topic? Write a book about it! It’s easier than ever to self-publish, and it makes you an instant expert, perfectly packaged for television and radio interviews.  (Photo: GettyImages)

Photo By Photo: Jamie Grill/Getty Images

Collect Recommendations and Testimonials - Not just the old school kind, though. Did someone just big you up on Twitter? Reply and retweet, then screenshot it and post it on your website.  (Photo: Stockbyte/Getty Images)

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Collect Recommendations and Testimonials - Not just the old school kind, though. Did someone just big you up on Twitter? Reply and retweet, then screenshot it and post it on your website.  (Photo: Stockbyte/Getty Images)

Give Speeches - Start by creating a list of every industry-related topic you are well versed enough about to speak for 30 minutes, then create talks and workshops that you can deliver — for free at first at conferences and conventions. Once you have some practice, consider joining a speaker’s bureau, which will help connect you with opportunities.  (Photo: Dave and Les Jacobs/Blend Images)

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Give Speeches - Start by creating a list of every industry-related topic you are well versed enough about to speak for 30 minutes, then create talks and workshops that you can deliver — for free at first at conferences and conventions. Once you have some practice, consider joining a speaker’s bureau, which will help connect you with opportunities.  (Photo: Dave and Les Jacobs/Blend Images)