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Thread: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

  1. #1
    Jenny's Pet Monkey Ghost's Avatar
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    Question Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Since I'm still LFW I figured I'd try to see if someone here can fill me in (I know at least one of you mentioned SME in an ancient thread that died in the purge).

    What is an SME's role?

    How do you become certified or what are the required credentials?

    Are SMEs typically full-time or part-time/contract?

    Where would an SME typically find employment?

    What's the salary range?
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    Senior Member mdub's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    SME....Subject Matter Expert. someone obviously an expert at a specific function. Mngt position right under a supv. Full time. Rare to have a sme as a contractor. Most sme's are in technical fields. 60-75k. Hope that helps.

    role: to help the occupational employees on their responsibility. SME the go to person

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    Senior Member Jason ON's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Depends on the industry and the role. Usually a SME is someone who knows the product or service inside and out. Could be an engineer, could be someone certified in X, could be someone who's jusy been around long enough to know.

    In my experience they're usually someone who goes out with the sales team to answer any technical questions the buyer might have. They can be a contractor if, for example, the product or service is contracted out.

    Again, depends on the role within the organization: the SME can be part-time, however that's probably rare.

    Any company that has need of an SME -- IT, software, engineering companies for example.

    Did you have a specific company, industry or role you're interested in?
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Thanks guys.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jason ON View Post
    Did you have a specific company, industry or role you're interested in?
    No specific company, industry would be either automotive (I used to work for an OEM) or academic (I was a National Science Foundation Doctoral Research Fellow prior to my turn to the Auto Industry).

    Indeed (job search engine) lumped a few SME positions in my searches a while ago, and some friends were talking about it over lunch once, but I really had no familiarity with the term, the role, or the job and wondered if I'd qualify--if I found an SME position that I fit.
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    Senior Member GixxerCarrie's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    We talk about it all the time in the Finance Accounting world. SME is always the go to person. Usually one who knows in/outs of whatever they do. It can be either technical or just expierence driven. And its never your boss..lol.


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    Senior Member Ninja2's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Quote Originally Posted by Ghost View Post
    Indeed (job search engine) lumped a few SME positions in my searches a while ago, and some friends were talking about it over lunch once, but I really had no familiarity with the term, the role, or the job and wondered if I'd qualify--if I found an SME position that I fit.
    I think it is rare that an employer would list an SME as the job title or as the position. As mentioned above, an SME is a subject matter expert in a specific area, and can be almost any kind of area.
    If you tell us what your interested and qualified in, we can probably help you find the right search terminology, if that's something you want to do.

    Good luck!

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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninja2 View Post
    I think it is rare that an employer would list an SME as the job title or as the position. As mentioned above, an SME is a subject matter expert in a specific area, and can be almost any kind of area.
    If you tell us what your interested and qualified in, we can probably help you find the right search terminology, if that's something you want to do.

    Good luck!
    It was in the title, a start-up consulting group (similar, I guess, to BCG) was looking for "Subject Matter Experts" in various fields, but the position was in CA so I didn't really look into it.

    As to me, I'd be qualified in one of two realms, really:

    Ontology (a subset of Philosophy involving logical relations, typically between real-world entities and artificial constructs such as databases, keyed indexes, etc. The two most basic examples of everyday Ontology are a Phone book or a Library Catalog, both match real entities to assigned values, locations, and statuses.)

    Automotive (Sales Field Operations, Sales Distribution, Model-mix Analysis, Forecasting and Projections, Polk data mining, Parts-accessories pricing/development/marketing, etc.)

    Not sure any of that helps...but thanks to all for answering my questions, it did help shed some light on "SMEs".
    Last edited by Ghost; Wed Dec 14th, 2011 at 01:50 PM.
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Quote Originally Posted by Ghost View Post

    ...Ontology (a subset of Philosophy involving logical relations, typically between real-world entities and artificial constructs such as databases, keyed indexes, etc. The two most basic examples of everyday Ontology are a Phone book or a Library Catalog, both match real entities to assigned values, locations, and statuses.)...
    if you ever see a job listing for ontology, please let me know. i have a degree in philosophy and i have never once seen a job listing except, of course, for teaching positions that require a PhD. i'm not looking for a job in the field but it'd be cool to see a job listing.

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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Quote Originally Posted by CraigB View Post
    if you ever see a job listing for ontology, please let me know. i have a degree in philosophy and i have never once seen a job listing except, of course, for teaching positions that require a PhD. i'm not looking for a job in the field but it'd be cool to see a job listing.
    I've actually seen some for medical ontology, working for a pharmaceutical company, but my specialty was in geographic ontology and I lacked the specific medical/chemical background they were looking for.

    So, there are some sporadic listings out there, but they are very few and very far between.
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Quote Originally Posted by Ghost View Post
    I've actually seen some for medical ontology, working for a pharmaceutical company, but my specialty was in geographic ontology and I lacked the specific medical/chemical background they were looking for.

    So, there are some sporadic listings out there, but they are very few and very far between.
    very interesting

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    Junior Member GoldenBoy's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    SME as a job Title= Senior Mechanical Engineer
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    Senior Member mdub's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    SME = Senior Mechanical Engineer
    here is one work of a senior mech. eng.


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    Gold Member Yearly Supporter mtnairlover's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    I had asked many eons ago for Subject Matter Experts to write course materials for online college courses on a contract basis.

    We still could use SMEs, but I'm at a different online college now. The programs at my new employer include:

    • digital graphic design
    • retail management
    • nursing
    • computer support
    • paralegal
    • criminal justice/homeland security
    • web development
    • hospitality management
    • internet marketing
    • medical billing and coding
    • business management
    • human resource management
    • medical administrative assistant

    Right now, we offer Associates Degrees with the hopes to eventually move to bachelors and who knows.



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    Senior Member Ninja2's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    I had to read several sites to understand what geo ontology could potentially be. This stuff is way over my head. But it seems that one of the areas has to do with data collection and bringing different data and knowledge together.

    I recall a project where we had to collect and provide information from various sources to sales reps; it ended up being a website. An intern actually wrote a paper on something like "yellow pages for sales." He studied Business Information Systems, or something to that extend. I could imagine that your degree might be helpful in areas like software, sales, marketing. For example, where the vendor sells software that manages/houses data, such as Oracle's Siebel or Salesforce.com. It is called CRM or Customer Relationship Management software.

    Let me know if I am completely off-track.

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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninja2 View Post
    But it seems that one of the areas has to do with data collection and bringing different data and knowledge together.

    I recall a project where we had to collect and provide information from various sources to sales reps; it ended up being a website. An intern actually wrote a paper on something like "yellow pages for sales." He studied Business Information Systems, or something to that extend. I could imagine that your degree might be helpful in areas like software, sales, marketing. For example, where the vendor sells software that manages/houses data, such as Oracle's Siebel or Salesforce.com. It is called CRM or Customer Relationship Management software.

    Let me know if I am completely off-track.
    Not off-track that I can see, in fact that's pretty much it in a nutshell.

    I did Geo Ontology, but the basics are the same for anything--a phone book, library catalog, NetFlix queue, Google Maps, Vehicle inventories, sales, marketing, customer databases, at the core, they're all the same--bits or points of data that correlate (somehow) to real-world entities. Fwiw, most current ontological research is currently in medicine, studying various cancers and drugs and whatnot, the "craze" for Geo Ont has pretty much died out since the major companies interested in it shipped most of it overseas. In theory, I could do medical ontology, but while the basic ontological structure works regardless of the subject matter, it seems that since it deals with a lot of clinical experiments and human subjects testing, they want people with actual medical backgrounds and/or experience.

    But, when I had to transition out of academia and into the auto industry, I was using basic formal ontology to construct a lot of the vehicle-related reports I was generating for the execs. Pull data from the various corporate databases (Oracle-powered or internal proprietary software), arrange it to fit the real-world entities (the actual cars, parts, sales/profits or whatever they were tracking) and then put it all in a report format.

    In theory, Basic Formal Ontology could be used on/for anything, and could be output as a website, or excel sheet or whatever you want--the format, data, or entities don't really matter (or are interchangeable) it's the correlation and correspondence that's the key to everything.

    ...if that helps...
    Last edited by Ghost; Thu Dec 15th, 2011 at 12:17 AM.
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Quote Originally Posted by mtnairlover View Post
    If you want more info, just send me a pm, or get a hold of me on FB.
    Not sure I have the expertise required in any of those, but I'll FB you when I'm on next. Thanks C!
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    Gold Member Yearly Supporter mtnairlover's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    I think the toughest thing about getting SMEs for my line of work is the fact that we ask them to write. I know not everyone enjoys writing. It takes a special kind of person to look at some sort of subject matter and make it easy to understand for the student...and engaging. I've gone through several SMEs (out of a couple dozen) in my time where they may know their job inside and out, but to actually be able to translate what they do onto (virtual) paper...that was a whole different story.

    Anyway, I've never had any luck finding people here to share their knowledge. My guess is that it's the writing that turns people away...only a wild guess, but yeah. Meh... The thing is that I love what I do. I enjoy taking hard to understand concepts and making them understandable. I get a kick out of knowing that our work is helping people move up in their lives.

    Speaking of...I'd better get my tail end moving and off to work.
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    Senior Member Clovis's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Ghost,

    Does this mean you might still be in CO for the 2012 riding season?
    "If not us, who? If not now, when?"




  19. #19
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Quote Originally Posted by mtnairlover View Post
    I think the toughest thing about getting SMEs for my line of work is the fact that we ask them to write. I know not everyone enjoys writing. It takes a special kind of person to look at some sort of subject matter and make it easy to understand for the student...and engaging. I've gone through several SMEs (out of a couple dozen) in my time where they may know their job inside and out, but to actually be able to translate what they do onto (virtual) paper...that was a whole different story.
    I've never minded writing, and I taught 11 full undergraduate classes when I was in my research fellowship. Even now I'm freelancing as a writer/editor.

    But, of the subjects you listed, I'd probably not qualify as an SME in any of them. I did some research into the geographic nature of terrorism, but that was in 2004, and much has changed in that field since then.

    Quote Originally Posted by Clovis View Post
    Ghost,

    Does this mean you might still be in CO for the 2012 riding season?

    It's looking like I'll be in CO, the jobs in KC and Chicago didn't pan out (they went with local candidates to avoid paying relocation--understandable but annoying), but whether I'll still have my bike and/or cash to ride...that remains to be seen...
    Last edited by Ghost; Fri Dec 16th, 2011 at 12:31 PM.
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    Gold Member Yearly Supporter mtnairlover's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    hmmm...we're also in the beginning stages of adding new programs. It's a long drawn out process with lots of research to determine the right programs to meet specific job placement objectives, as well as meet all the various accrediting agencies' requirements. But, again...I love this stuff.
    ...ready to take on the world...one canyon at a time...

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    Jenny's Pet Monkey Ghost's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Was going to start a separate LFW thread, but maybe it makes more sense to just post my credentials here:

    Automotive:

    Field Operations, OEM Auto Manufacturer
    § Sales Field Operations & Market Development; Sales Planning & Distribution; Parts-Service, including Accessory Marketing & Development, OEM Performance Tuning products, Customer/Dealer Services; OEM Added Security, and CARE programs.
    § Created and developed a new, unified, post-corporate-reorganization National Weekend Traffic Sales Report for use at all levels from District Managers to Senior Corporate Executives.
    § Created new Chairman’s Top 50 monthly sales report used by Senior Corporate Executives and the Dealer Advisory Board.
    § Developed new National Monthly Re-Cap Sales Report for Field Operations executive management.
    § Created projects, reports, and professional presentations in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OEM proprietary internal report formats for each department and/or for use by corporate, field and senior executive staff.
    § Redesigned several key reports used by Field Operations in order to be ready for the digital transition to direct online reporting.
    § Excelled at sales analysis, sales projections and sales forecasting across all model lines.
    § Developed new reporting format for OEM performance parts for parent company.
    § Developed Ad Fund market reports and dealer AF utilization models.
    § Developed a special MY Customer Feedback report for model-year Customer Satisfaction studies.
    § Planned and supported local marketing and promotional events for both corporate and regional marketing departments. Helped develop customer attitude & brand awareness surveys for use at national media/marketing events.

    Dealership (auto and bike):

    Service Writer, Internet Sales Manager


    Academic:

    National Science Foundation Doctoral Research Fellow.

    § PhD Graduate work in Geographic Ontology: Philosophy (Ontology) and Geographic Information Science.
    § Conducted research and develop systems of logical relations for ontological structures, complete coursework in two disciplines (Geography and Philosophy).
    § Produced and published research papers, reports, and conference abstracts for national and international distribution.
    § Worked in local and international multidisciplinary research groups including groups in Kyoto, Japan and Leipzig, Germany.
    § Created, designed and instructed multiple undergraduate-level academic courses within primary areas of study.
    § Delivered original research at international, national, and local conferences.
    § Secured a research grant from the Japanese and United States governments to fund a research trip to Japan.
    § Ranked first among all professors in teacher evaluations for the 11 undergraduate courses taught.




    Freelance:

    Freelance writer, editor, contributor, technical writer
    § Contributing editor Rite Publishing, Wayfinder, Pathfinder Chronicles, MotoringZen
    § Contributor/Writer/Technical Writer Thunder Roads, RPM
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  22. #22
    Senior Member JKOL's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Quote Originally Posted by Ghost View Post
    It's looking like I'll be in CO, the jobs in KC and Chicago didn't pan out (they went with local candidates to avoid paying relocation--understandable but annoying), but whether I'll still have my bike and/or cash to ride...that remains to be seen...
    Sorry to hear the KC/Minnesota job opportunities didn't pan out.


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  23. #23
    Jenny's Pet Monkey Ghost's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about Subject Matter Experts

    Quote Originally Posted by JKOL View Post
    Sorry to hear the KC/Minnesota job opportunities didn't pan out.
    I'm getting used to it by now--I just don't get why they bother going through the process if there's no way I'll get an offer due to my location. Frustrating.

    Anyway, thanks man!
    Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.
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