Becoming an expert in your area of work specialization is not that difficult; a friend of mine describes an expert as "anyone who is from out of town." There is a bit more to it than that, however. You need a third party endorsement, someone to say, "Listen to this person, she's an expert." To be recognized and respected, you need to stand out. In this article, I'll supply you with the tactics to stand out from the pack, and become a recognized expert in your field. In my opinion using these steps is a must for the self-employed or those with small or new consulting firms. It can be a great lead generation machine.

This week marks my 10-year anniversary as a recruiter, and over that time I estimate I've reviewed about 50,000 resumes. After 40,000 or so, they start to look very similar, but occasionally one really stands out. I am currently working on a search for an IBM business partner who needs a DBA (Database Administrator) to help with WebSphere implementations. One candidate really sparked my interest when I read near the top of his resume this bullet point: "Authored textbooks on DB2 entitled..." and it went on to list three books he had published on the subject. When I called to interview him, I gave him the warm up question, "tell me about yourself" and his reply was, "Well, my latest book is selling well." Now that's a sure way to grab a hiring manager or colleague's attention!

You too can have a standout career or resume by simply sharing the technical knowledge you have with others. You don't need to write a book. Simply follow one of these tips. Boosting your exposure requires two ingredients: quality information and a reputable media outlet to publish that information.

I have contacted or researched media entities that would welcome your knowledge about Lotus Notes and peripheral products, professional tips, or similar topics. Go ahead, follow these steps and become a recognized expert! We'll start by exploring how to be published on the Web, beginning at home with DominoPower.