Imposter syndrome is defined as “the psychological occurrence in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud”
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As programmers, Computer Scientists, coders, students, and professionals there are times when you feel like your accomplishments may have been a stroke of luck or just by coincidence. There have been times when learning new concepts or technologies when I have just felt lost and confused. Just leading to a slew of negative emotions such as,
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“If I can’t figure this out I’m not a real programmer”
Or
“How did I get this far, there's no way I’ll be able to continue.”
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Similarly, you may feel like this when applying to jobs,
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“I’m not smart enough, this job won’t accept me.”
Or
“There is no way I am going to get [x] internship”
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The first factor to recognize is that
You are NOT alone
Everyone at some point in their life, even if they aren't programmers, has felt some sort of Imposter Syndrome in their life. Recognizing that you are not the first person to feel like a fraud, (and for sure will not be the last) is the first step in overcoming feelings of insecurity.
Document Your Progress
When I started learning about programming I was in high-school going through the freecodecamp.org Javascript Algorithms and Data Structures Certification along with some Web Design. Learning how to make HTML, CSS, and JS files was something that seemed like such a big goal when I was working on it. After years of putting in effort along with making my own personal projects along the way I have realized that I have come a long way. Being able to see your progress in a tangible way will make recognizing your growth more easier. You can use version control software such as Git/Github in order to track your progress along your coding journey. There have been projects that I have worked on in the past that I think are awful now, looking back on it there are myriads of lines of code I would change. But knowing that you would have made your code better now is realizing that you have grown as a programmer since then.
Join a Community
Whether that be through your work, a discord server, a group of friends in school, or even through open source contributions join a supportive community that will help you along your coding journey. Having a community of like minded people will help you grow as a programmer and as a learner. To be able to bounce ideas off of your community will improve your communication skills and will help you overcome feelings of being alone with your problems. If you have a problem, chances are someone has also had that same exact problem too.
Don't Compare Yourself with Others
There is always a bigger fish in the sea, so they say. Track and field coaches always emphasize one thing to their athletes. To never look behind them or at other contestants. Always look at the track in front of you, and don't worry about the other athletes. This philosophy is similar in many aspects of life, and is crucial in overcoming Imposter Syndrome. Compare yourself to the person you were yesterday, if you learned something new or became a better programmer by 0.000001%, that is something to proud of.
Please leave your thoughts in the comments below ;)
Hope this helped you!🔥🔥🔥
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