Becoming a subject matter expert can accelerate your career advancement. This is especially true earlier on in your career. I was thinking about advice for people early in technical careers, so I went back and read some of my performance reviews from 15 years ago. The common theme that I kept seeing over those years was subject matter expert. The subject changed almost every year, but the theme was the same. This sounds hard, but I believe it is simpler than you might expect.
First, pick your subject.
🪜Something that will help you in your day-to-day work.
🦄A skill that your team uses, but could use more.
🤿An area that has depth to explore.
Second, build a community around the subject.
🗣️Organize technical talks.
📃Create content others can re-use to capitalize on your knowledge.
💬Start an open dialogue that encourages share exploration of the topic.
Even if you are not the one who knows everything about the topic, you will still be known as a go-to expert. This identity will help build your network and increase your visibility more broadly. Identity and visibility are key elements for increased opportunity and recognition.