To gain better understanding of Unconventional Experts, here are 30 generalized characteristics. Possible interview questions are written in green, under each characteristic. These questions are very specific to expert-level work. If candidates are asked these questions, the should be given ample time to explore their work history for an appropriate answer.

1) Unconventional Experts do not typically recognize themselves as experts
Unconventional Experts do not always know that they are experts, as the knowledge they seek brings them to a new starting point.

Possible interview question(s):
In what specific areas do you consider yourself an expert?
Are there any areas where you do not consider yourself an expert, but others may? 

2) Unconventional Experts have intellectual curiosity
For Unconventional Experts, everything  starts with curiosity. They not only have intellectual curiosity, they are void of hesitation when it comes to pursuing it. They know that one discovery might raise two more questions, and are open to expanding the focus of their curiosity.

Possible interview question(s):
Name one specific topic that holds your curiosity?
What efforts have you taken to explore this curiosity?

3) Unconventional Experts do not take short cuts
Unconventional Experts work within a complex individual work-process of their own creation. To take a short cut would mean to short change their own process. When their intellectual curiosity forces expansion of their projects, Unconventional Experts will often take the longer of two paths.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific project you worked on where you chose to take a longer path to get more out of it?
What did you get out of it that you might not of gotten if you had taken a short cut?

4) Unconventional Experts believe in activity
Some people, within their careers, will not move forward with complex activities unless they are being directly compensated. These same people might have paid tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars for their college education, but once they are in their careers, they want all activity to pay. Because Unconventional Experts test ideas within their individual work-process, they are used to the risks associated with failure. They do not expect employers to cover all of their career risks and can commit to activity that does not come with direct monetary gain.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific project that you worked on voluntarily, only compensating in terms of experience?
What did you ultimately get out of it? 

5) Unconventional Experts focus on relevant information
Unconventional Experts focus on knowledge that is closest to the action. Within a complex project, there are many moving parts. Strategy, the creation of ideas, the realization of ideas and the testing of ideas all requiring relevant information. Through trial and error, the relevancy of information is constantly being updated. Where task-oriented individuals want to see stability, Unconventional Experts thrive in an environment that evolves.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific project that you worked on, which required you to collect relevant information in order to move forward? 

6) Unconventional Experts love strategy
Unconventional Experts love to strategize. It leverages their creativity to bridge their intellectual curiosity with activity.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific project that you worked on, which required you to strategize to a large degree before taking action? 

7) Unconventional Experts have a flexible vision
Every project is preceded by a vision. Unconventional Experts are not fixed on one definite result, so their vision has some flexibility. To them, the promise of the journey is more present than a singular and specific vision of the potential results.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific project that you worked on, which turned out much different than your original vision?
What made the difference and what benefits, if any, came with the actual results over your original vision?

8) Unconventional Experts discover possibilities
Unconventional Experts discover possibilities and use them as primary motivation for their exploration. They understand, however, that this path never leads to an exact future. They do not bound themselves to any single direction. Along the way, they are constantly redefining what is possible. They are also open to finding hidden treasures, as exploration can lead to more possibilities.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific project that you worked on, which led to a completely different project, due to its surprising results?

9) Unconventional Experts make their own opportunities
Because Unconventional Experts work within their own complex individual work-process, it is not common for them to drop everything they are doing to chase an outside opportunity, for which they cannot themselves control. Within their work-process, they see opportunity as small vacuums that they can uniquely fill. For Unconventional Experts, opportunity is everywhere and their work-process is designed to explore it.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific opportunity that you saw and chased to the end, even though there were other opportunities to potentially pull you away? 

10) Unconventional Experts take comfort in complexity
The work of Unconventional Experts is complex. Unconventional Experts are not necessarily complex people, on a personal level, but the complexities of their efforts easily come through within specific conversations surrounding their expertise.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific project that you took on, even though it was very complex?
What made it complex?

11) Unconventional Experts are project-oriented
At some point in time, Unconventional Experts put a border around their momentum and commit to it as a project.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific time when you noticed forward motion and committed to it, organizing it into an actual project?

12) Unconventional Experts think big
Because Unconventional Experts are project-oriented, they are used to projects of all shapes and sizes. Over time, they learn that the size of the project is only limited by their life span. Unconventional Experts take on huge projects. They do get frustrated when they bite off more than they can chew, but they continue to chew.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific project that you worked on, which would be considered huge by any standard?

13) Unconventional Experts have small ideas too
Unconventional Experts have ideas; large and small. It is easy to discuss ideas on a grand scale, and even romance invention. For Unconventional Experts, a new idea might be as simple as a new way to explain a product feature, so that customers can better understand. Small idea after small idea, good ideas are realized, realized ideas are tested; some ideas fail. Unconventional Experts use failure as a platform for new and better ideas. If the explanation of a product feature does not work, maybe a diagram will show better results. Sometimes, small ideas add up to big ideas. Over time, small ideas accumulate and amplify skill.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific idea that you worked with, that started very small and grew to be large?
Why did it grow to be large?

14) Unconventional Experts test ideas
Unconventional Experts aren’t only idea people, they are execution experts that are not afraid to develop ideas, test ideas and measure the results. Unlike traditional Institution-guided experts, they advance themselves outside of a purely scientific approach. Without hesitation, they put their ideas to use, within the real world, as an extension of their efforts. Sometimes, they don’t even recognize their ideas as ideas, but modifications to their individual work-process. With a trial and error mentality, they constantly evolve.

Possible interview question(s):
Name an idea that you put to work wkthin the real world, with a trial and error mentality?

15) Unconventional Experts become engulfed within a work-journey
When Unconventional Experts think about financial success, they do not see an end-situation that is void of a journey. When thinking about the purchase of a luxury item, they will not fully understand pride of ownership, as it might exist on its own. Unconventional Experts have an individual work-process. When it is encapsulated within a project, it takes on a life of its own. This is the heart of the story; the rabbit hole that leads them to the other side. Yes, Unconventional Expert do want to reach achievement. Call it, the end of the story. It is the work-journey, however, that will engulf their attention.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific project that you worked on which engulfed your attention? 

16) Unconventional Experts are not wishful thinkers
Unconventional Experts do not wait for their ship to come in. They know that all real achievement is followed by a complex process. Luck is not factored in as a part of their complex individual work-process. They will never see complete value within windfall luck, as it is void of a work-journey.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific project that you worked on where you could have waited for luck, but chose to work diligently?
What was the end result?

17) Unconventional Experts see failure differently
Because they create ideas, realize ideas and test ideas, Unconventional Experts see failure within the scope of exploration; to-find or not-to-find. Not-to-find simply means to look in other places.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific project that you worked on which required you to accept failure quickly, make adjustments and moved on?

18) Unconventional Experts use failure as a platform
As they explore, Unconventional Experts springboard off of their failures. As relevant information experts, failure updates their information, as well as the relevancy of their information. This puts them in a position to create new and better ideas.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific idea that you worked on that was a direct descendant of a failure that came before it? What was the failure and how did it lead to new and better ideas?

19) Unconventional Experts are ever changing, always evolving
Because they are relevant information experts, Unconventional Experts are always changing. Even when obstacles are absent, they will improve the efficiencies and results of their individual work-process. When they look at accomplishments within a project, they see the accumulation of good ideas. When they see accomplishments within the world, they understand the inherent complexities and necessary evolution.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific project that you worked on that voluntarily improved and evolved over time, without any real failures to forced improvements?

20) Unconventional Experts use tools
Unconventional Experts are very focused on the tools, materials and medium used to forward a project. This is because they embrace the work-journey as much as they embrace the results of the work. Within their work-journey, Unconventional Experts see their tools within the same light as musicians see their musical instruments.

Possible interview question(s):
Name work that you performed, were you had mastery over a tool, using it so successfully, it seemed like a part of you?
What results did this tool allow you to accomplish?

21) Unconventional Experts seek methodology
Unconventional Experts look for situations where parts of their individual work-process can be repeated within a complex methodology. Within an organization, they might consider their methodology a secret sauce or a trade secret.

Possible interview question(s):
Name work that you performed that used unique methods that were specific to the way you would do the work?
How were your methods better than those of others who were performing the same tasks?

22) Unconventional Experts research
When using the internet as a tool, Unconventional Experts will research everything; including but not limited to: articles, manufacturer specifications, user reviews, instructional videos and Q & A through forums. To Unconventional Experts, the source of information can be as important as the information. Multiple sources of information can be important, to cross reference information.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a specific project that you worked on where you did intense internet search and/or general research?
Did you look at multiple sources to compare and confirm information?

23) Unconventional Experts are opinionated
Unconventional Experts create ideas, realize ideas and test ideas. Because of this, they have strong confidence in their findings. In addition, they are very passionate about the expert-trek they travel. For topics within their experience and expertise, they are very opinionated.

Possible interview question(s):
Name an expert whom you worked with who was both very knowledgeable and very opinionated?
How were the opinions helpful to the work progress? 

24) Unconventional Experts hold responsibility
One of the greatest advantages of Unconventional Experts is that they feel responsible for their individual work-process, as they create it. With responsibility comes hard work, commitment, loyalty, self-motivation and cooperation.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a project that you worked one where you took a high level of ownership?
What did that ownership look like, in terms of responsibilities that you took on, above and beyond expected responsibilities?

25) Unconventional Experts do not need to be micro managed
Because they work within their own individual work-process, Unconventional Experts can find their own way. They do need guidance, however, as they are still responsible for the requirements of their position and they still need to move in a direction that benefits the company.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a project that you worked one where you were self-directed in your efforts?
Name a specific task that had you going in a direction that benefited the company, even though you might have done things differently if you had owned the company?

26) Unconventional Experts thrive within unstructured environments
Within structured environments, Unconventional Experts can follow company-process, and revert to individual work-process, when needed. Within unstructured environments, where individual work-process needs to dominate, Unconventional Experts thrive.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a project that you worked one where you could no longer follow company process and needed to move in your own direction?
How did this benefit the company, over blindly following company process?

27) Unconventional Experts might not be book smart
Professional-level traditional institution-guided experts are generally classically educated. Unconventional Experts are relevant information experts, through the use of the internet as a tool. They do not need to be book smart, as the internet puts the world at their fingertips. Often, in the age of the internet, Unconventional Experts use internet search skills as a substitute for book smart.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a project that you worked one where you could use the internet to find information that was not readily available 40 years ago?
If you would not have had access to this information, how could this work be completed?

28) Unconventional Experts are self-educated
Whether or not Unconventional Experts have a college degree or trade school certification, they are informally educated through their individual work-process. Their knowledge may not always overlap that which is taught in the traditional educational institutions, however, they eventually learn the fundamentals of every practice, one way or another.

Possible interview question(s):
Name one of your skills that was self-taught, with little help from others and no help from a formal educational system?

29) Unconventional Experts are often extreme hobbyists
Unconventional Experts make good use of their free-time. Whether it be a hobby, art, DIY home improvement, connoisseurship, invention or discipline; Unconventional Experts have a tendency to apply themselves to personal projects within their spare time. Certainly, raising kids or working 70 hours a week can affect extracurricular activity, however, Unconventional Experts will have a history of personal projects.

Possible interview question(s):
Name a complex hobby, art, DIY home improvement, connoisseurship, invention or discipline that might demonstrate expert-level skills?
Describe the end results of your efforts?

30) Unconventional Experts are everywhere
… and no one is even looking.