Three reasons why imposter syndrome takes hold

Have you heard the phrase “imposter syndrome”? It affects a lot of people in their work and personal lives. It effectively refers to the idea that you are not as good as you are, and one day you will be found out:

“Have you ever found yourself in a personal or professional situation where a feeling of `What the heck am I doing here? This is not my place, I will just make a fool of myself!` suddenly crept up?” (Andreia Corlade)

Professionally, some studies have shown that this can affect people in range of types of job, including those in managerial roles and senior leadership positions such as chief executives, company directors and even doctors and lawyers.

From a careers viewpoint, there are three common situations where we might find ourselves suffering from imposter syndrome (and even as an experienced careers practitioner, I have suffered from all three of these myself):

1. You are looking for work but don’t think you will get the job: Have you ever thought about applying for a job, but decided not to because “they won’t be looking for someone like me” or “I don’t have enough experience?”. My advice is to try and ignore the dissenting voices – if you like the look of the job, then go for it and you may be pleasantly surprised how much they like you. Recruiters often suggest that it is worth applying for the job if you meet 70% of the job requirements.
2. You are in a job but are worried that you are not good enough to do it: This is often felt by people who are in managerial or professional roles, carrying the fear that one day they will be “found out”. To combat this, try and have regular meetings with your managers and colleagues, which can remind you of the skills and expertise you have, and also remind you of the things you enjoy about your job.
3. You have an idea but come up with reasons why it won’t work: Many freelancers and entrepreneurs hit the wall for this reason – it could be an idea for a new product, a marketing campaign or if you are thinking of starting your own business. I would recommend that you write down a list of pros and cons; think about how much time, money and effort is likely to be involved, and balance that with the potential rewards. This is how I started Karuna CV!

If you would like to discuss your situation, and how imposter syndrome might be affecting your career, then get in touch for a free initial consultation.