Almost every recruiter I talk to says they need an expert on some technology, and every time I says I'm not really an expert, and explain in minute detail everything I don't know about it. They're invariably impressed.
In my experience recruiters are always impressed and push you forward. It takes very little of their time to put someone forward (relative to your time and the company's time), and if you happen to impress, they get their commission. If they don't put you forward, it's guaranteed they don't get that additional chance. Every time I've come to the conclusion a certain opportunity wasn't right for me, they've always argued that I should try for it anyway. We (talking developers here) are their product and we are a scarce resource. They're not going to turn anyone away.
Yeah, I always need to remind myself that recruiters are irrelevant. It's the client that matters, and the recruiter is just in the way. I wish they weren't part of the process, but I'm not sure how to get around them.
I think this is great advice. Knowing what you don't know about something is the first step in the journey toward learning more about the topic.
The ability to apply the knowledge you do have, and efficiently learn what it takes to appropriately complete a task is often more valuable than the academic exercise of research without application. I've found that during that time however, there is hesitation which makes people feel less confident, not only in the task at hand, but in their career in general, as some feel their current work and position is the sum of their accomplishments.
I try to resist the feelings of self-doubt by getting energized about learning something new and having a supportive team around me that has witnessed me overcome similar challenges to achieve success. However, some learning and application is done in a bubble, isolated from others' support either by working independently, not having a support system, or failing to sincerely communicate the existential crisis that one feels.
The catch 22 seems that many people that are feeling like an imposture further isolate themselves as they think that communication about their feelings are an insincere attempt at gaining flattery from their support network, potentially perpetuating their feelings of inadequacy. Creative professionals often go through periods of self-doubt, but it's the mature understanding that it's common and occasionally difficult to articulate, that prepares one to overcome those feelings to accomplish the feat.
