There is no definite checklist for figuring this out, but if you don’t have at least a few years and a few failures under your belt, you cannot consider yourself competent in a circle.

The expert has a point of view (or perspective). The expert is concise. The expert is believable. The expert can answer follow-up questions without choking. The expert seems confident. The expert holds many principles subject to later modification. The expert—in a work setting—believes the “how” is just as important as the “what.”

New research led by Erik Dane shows us why: our intuitions are only accurate in domains where we have a lot of experience.