Imposter syndrome is a fun little buzzword that represents a very real issue that everyone faces at some point in their life - whether at work, at school, or in their own personal relationships. But what actually is it? 🤔
Imposter syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where individuals doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud, despite evidence of their competence and success. Many times people will dismiss their achievements, attributing them to luck or external factors rather than recognizing their own abilities and efforts.
You have probably faced imposter syndrome in your career if you’ve done any of these things:
➡️ Doubted yourself and questioned your own capabilities and competence.
➡️ Feared that others will discover you’re not actually as competent as you appear to be, even if you have evidence to disprove that.
➡️ Attributed your success to luck, timing, or help from others rather than acknowledging your own skills and hard work.
➡️ Had such a desire to be perfect that anything you did felt inadequate.
➡️ Compensated for feeling inadequate by overworking or overachieving to prove your worth through constant accomplishment.
Sound familiar? It sure does for me.
Imposter syndrome can be caused by a whole host of things, including cultural and societal pressures, high-achieving environments, personality traits, attribution bias, and other personal factors.
But we’re not here to talk about why you have imposter syndrome. We’re here to help you beat it.
If you don’t address your imposter syndrome head on, you’re putting yourself at risk of hindering your own professional growth and development.
❌ You won’t take risks or accept new opportunities because you’re afraid you will fail or that you’re not ready.
❌ You won’t meet new people or build strong relationships because you don’t put yourself out there.
❌ You could even put a strain on your relationships with your manager, your colleagues, and your company’s leadership if they think you are not living up to your full potential.
Story time.
I used to be scared to post on LinkedIn. All I posted was the standard new job announcement, photos from a recent business trip, recap of some event that took place in the office, and sharing open roles from my company.
But I wanted to be posting more. I looked up to those who were posting their thoughts on industry news, sharing stories from their career, and providing advice to their followers. I saw how their followers looked up to them and how they got certain recognitions for their contributions like awards, public praise, and speaking engagements.
I wanted to be more like that but I told myself I couldn’t.
I remember specifically thinking, “I’m only in my 20’s. I don’t have all this experience to share with people. I’m in no position to give advice to others when I haven’t even done that much myself. My coworkers and former managers will think I’m stupid for trying to act like I know everything.”
I stayed in this space for years. Never pursuing my passion because I thought I wasn’t deserving of it. I thought I had to be older, wiser, and more experienced.
I was wrong.
After 7 months of sharing my thoughts on LinkedIn, I became a LinkedIn Top Voice. 🏆
Here’s how I continuously work on overcoming my imposter syndrome (and how you can too!):
👋 Acknowledge it. Come to terms with the fact that you are experiencing imposter syndrome. Know that you are deserving of success and you are ready for it.
💡 Quick Tip - I wrote down some affirmations on post-it notes and taped them to the wall next to my desk. Things like “I am competent and people value my experience” and “I am confident in my abilities”. I read these every morning before I start the day and also sometimes before big meetings if I’m feeling a little less confident.
🙅♀️ Don’t turn down opportunities. If someone offers you a job or an internship and you feel like you don’t deserve it or that you aren’t ready to take that step, take it anyway. You wouldn’t be offered something if the person offering it didn’t think you deserved it or that you were ready. All you’re doing is turning down what could have been a life-altering opportunity for you.
📈 Learn from your mistakes. Embrace failure as a part of the learning process. Understand that making mistakes does not diminish your competence but provides valuable opportunities for growth and improvement.
💡 Quick Tip - I have a note on my phone titled Successes & Failures. I write down any wins, achievements, or things that I am proud of (no matter how big or small) in the Successes column and then any losses, mistakes, and rejections that I encounter in the Failures column. When I analyze both columns side by side, I realize that my Successes column is always longer than my Failures column. And that some of those failures actually led to future successes because I learned from them. It helps put things into perspective.
🤝 Seek mentorship. Find a mentor or role model who can offer guidance and share their own experiences with overcoming self-doubt. Talking about these feelings and getting validation from an external source can do wonders for imposter syndrome.
🧠 Develop a growth mindset. A growth mindset views challenges as opportunities for learning and improvement. Embrace the idea that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.
💪 Seek professional support. Hire a career coach! Yes, I know I am at risk of being too self-promoting but this is actually a valuable tool. Career coaches can be instrumental in your personal and professional growth. Lucky for you, you have 11 great options to choose from!
Imposter syndrome never completely goes away. You have to keep challenging it little by little almost every day. But it’s worth it. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish without that little voice in your head holding you back.
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