Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome is defined as “the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts or skills''.  It’s something a lot of people are very familiar with. I am definitely in this category.

I was already working as a Senior Business Analyst on the current project I'm on and asking for more responsibility as I like to be challenged and thought I could be doing more. I was then given the role of Product Owner and suddenly felt this immense feeling of not being good enough, feeling like everyone was going to see through me and realise I don’t have the skills for the job…and plenty of other negative thoughts. Then unexpectedly, I was awarded for “Outstanding Performance” for picking up the role so well and succeeding in it. This was the trigger that reminded me, I am GOOD enough, I am pretty damn good at my job and I just need to remind myself of it. 

I tend to go through these feelings every time I’m going through a transition from one role to another, a more senior role or starting at a new company. This feeling that I’m just lucky and it isn’t my skills, hard work and dedication that has got me here. 

This is Imposter Syndrome AND it is known to disproportionately affect high-achieving people. An article on Forbes shows that research shows 98% of professional women experience at least one of the 7 most damaging power gaps and one of the most challenging of these power gaps is not recognising your special talents, abilities and gifts. 

Imposter Syndrome is also more likely to affect women, a study by KPMG found that 74% of executive women believed their male counterparts do not experience feelings of self-doubt as much as female leaders do. 

Have you ever faced Imposter Syndrome, or even currently going through it? Don’t worry, we’re here to help you overcome Imposter Syndrome. In this article I'm going to go through why Imposter syndrome is so damaging to your success, how common it is for women in tech and go through some ideas of how you can keep it at bay. I’ve included  some advice from personal experience, and advice from Next Ventures, a tech recruitment company on how they think women can overcome Imposter Syndrome. 

Why is it so damaging to your success?

Imposter syndrome instils self doubt and low self-esteem, both of which can prevent you from achieving your full potential. Individuals suffering from Imposter Syndrome are likely to downplay their achievements, reject the praise they get and allow others to take acclaim for work they may have had the most input on. 

It can impede your career growth, because you don’t feel like you’re deserving of a promotion so find it more difficult to even apply for that raise - this can have a significant negative impact on your career growth. You’re stopping yourself from being able to reach your full potential! 

Most importantly, it can affect your mental health. Imposter syndrome is related to feelings of stress, anxiety and feelings of isolation. What’s the point of doing something if it isn’t bringing you happiness? 

If you’re good at your job and actually enjoy what you do, you don’t want Imposter Syndrome getting in the way of your happiness and success! That’s why it is crucial to find ways of minimising this as much as possible. 

How common is it for women in tech?

We already mentioned women are more likely to get Imposter Syndrome, compared to their male counterparts, but why? This is usually because there is a significant under-representation of women in senior positions, even today, so women in these positions tend to doubt themselves and their worthiness of having this role. Studies show that women wait until they meet 90% of the criteria of a new job before they apply, whilst men are happy to apply with just about 60%! 

This is even more common for women in tech. We spoke to Next Ventures, a tech recruitment company and they have said “Imposter syndrome is something we see a lot in our line of work - and unfortunately the problem seems to be particularly prevalent amongst women entering a male-dominated industry”. 

This is because the IT industry is notoriously known for being male dominated, so a lot of women feel like they aren’t as skilled as their skilled male counterparts and feel this huge sense of responsibility for having to represent all women but not feeling like they’re deserving of it. 

Technology is also an ever changing industry, there is always something new to learn, so as individuals get more senior, they feel an immense pressure to keep up with the changes and increased responsibilities. 

To be truly successful in your role or even have the confidence to apply for tech roles, you need to first try to manage Imposter Syndrome. This includes accepting that you have Imposter syndrome and then addressing it so it isn’t continuing to impact your career and life. 

What do I need to do?

There is no “cure” for Imposter syndrome and most people experience it at least once in their careers, but there are definitely things you can do to cope with it and keep it at bay. 

Reframe the narrative in your head

Next Ventures have said  “Our thoughts hold infinite amounts of power, so reframing the narrative in our heads really can do wonders for our self-esteem” and this couldn’t be more true. 

Get into the habit of questioning the negative thoughts you have and if they’re rational or not. If you were incompetent you wouldn’t be where you are today.

Here is some  more sound advice from Next Ventures on reframing the narrative in your head -  “Keep in mind that feelings are based on fear, not reality…so try to keep them separate from the facts. Look at the evidence (how far you’ve come, what you’ve achieved, the fact you’ve been offered an opportunity over X amount of other candidates) and use that to assure yourself you deserve to be here and have a lot to offer.”

Don’t stay quiet 

You need to remember that most people in your social circle and colleagues at work have all probably had these feelings at some point, so do NOT suffer in silence. Speak up. 

By talking openly about Imposter Syndrome with your colleagues, you will realise that you are not alone and they can even advise you on what they may have done to overcome it. These individuals can also remind you how good you really are and that you are deserving of the promotion you want, or the new job you’re looking to get into. 

The reassurance and good feedback from others can definitely help with the Imposter syndrome. It certainly helped me as it reminds you that you are NOT a “fraud” like your mind is telling you, in fact everyone genuinely does think you’re great, that is why YOU are being recognised for your achievements. 

If you want someone to speak to regularly, finding a mentor within your company or outside of it (through networking) can also help significantly with this and your career progression. 

Set yourself realistic goals

One of the effects of Imposter syndrome is setting yourself unrealistic, unachievable goals which feed into your feelings of failure and self doubt.

 It’s important you set yourself realistic and attainable goals - this doesn’t mean your goals should be so small you can achieve them easily. They should be ambitious, but realistic. Can you really go from a Junior Consultant to CEO in 6 months? Probably not, but you can definitely go from a Junior Consultant to a Senior Consultant in a year (depending on your company), so you could set goals around that. You can definitely have some long term goals of becoming a CEO though 😉.

You can also speak to your career counsellor or line manager to help you establish some realistic goals. 

Take action

It’s all good thinking “I can overcome this”, but what are you doing to actually overcome it? You can speak to a therapist who can support you if the feelings of self doubt and constant criticism are affecting your mental health. 

However, there are also changes in your behaviour you can do. For example, wake up every morning, and tell yourself positive affirmations, such as “I’m good enough”, “I’m successful” etc. If you do this every single morning, you will soon believe what you are saying. It will also combat the negative thoughts you’re having. 

You can do it, just believe it. 

Imposter syndrome is very common, most people go through it at least once in their life, but what is important is to not let that one time become a pattern. Having the constant self doubt and negative thoughts can have a detrimental effect on your mental health, and your career. 

Take up the advice we’ve given in this article and you will see the positive changes. You just need to believe that you are good enough, and you are a QUEEN who is great at what they do. You can also book a consultation with us to discuss this further and get coaching on how to overcome it from our perspective. 

We’d also love to read your own experiences of Imposter syndrome, so please add it to the comments section below, and if you enjoyed reading this article, subscribe to our blog to get more free advice straight to your inbox.