The Experience Experience

I have recently found a need to label myself. In a world full of labels this is both terrifying and satisfying at the same time. I have never really enjoyed being labeled or categorized for any reason so coming up with my expert level defining my skill is scary. 

What we define ourselves as in genealogy research helps others to know more about us in a simplified way. My discovery however is that we are not accurately portraying our own skills and others are not yet aware of how skilled or not we are so they can not accurately rate our skill either.  That's quite a quandary. 

The Barefoot Genealogist- Crista Cowan suggested I read an older conversation about this very topic written and discussed in 2010. AI is now retired but the questions still remain. 
The Ancestry Insider: Genealogical Maturity Level
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​After reading this blog as well as all the comments below and every link suggested including those comments on all those links, I found myself asking questions like: "Does anyone really care what skill level a person is OTHER than those who aspire to be a Professional Genealogist?"

How do we help people who are coming to learn more if we do not have an accurate way to assess their current skill level? We do need some sort of way to know how best to help someone without talking down to someone who may already know a certain amount, or speaking in technical terms that perhaps someone has yet to learn.  My concern is that some are overly exaggerating a skill level because as Crista states, "They don't know what they don't know" or perhaps we may be under valuing our current skill set due to lack of a way to accurately rate ourselves in that in-between zone.

If you are new to genealogy, if you are not new but not interested in becoming a certified genealogist, Or if you are somewhere in the middle:  please comment and tell me how you feel about the degrees of experience associated with this wonderful hobby and your thoughts on this topic.
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Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Professional. (Maybe you have a different term you use?)

Where do you place yourself?
What skills do you have and where do you think you could improve?
What helps you decide where to rank yourself with your skills?
Do you think you are accurately rating yourself, underestimating yourself, overrating yourself? None of the above?

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