Experience as a marketing strategy

Consider the role of experience in a job listing. The job listing might want someone with 5 years experience and expert status (“rock star” or “ninja” or “guru”) in a several technologies.

This is, of course, impossible.

True expertise requires years of focused and deliberate study.

But the “required experience” in these job listing is a red herring.

Experience is a stand-in for value, the value being the capability of getting the problem solved.

“Experience” is supposed to indicate an ability to deliver solutions in a timely and cost effective manner, regardless of subject matter expertise. Some times it does, sometimes it doesn’t.

Experience, really, is a marketing strategy.

Experience is also a social construct, but that’s a discussion for another time.