Imposter Syndrome: A menace in my career😔

Have you ever felt like you don’t belong? Like your friends or colleagues are going to discover you’re another Mike Ross of Suits or a fraud, and you don’t actually deserve your job and accomplishments? Or that your boss might figure it out at any moment? Or maybe you’ve felt like you’re only pretending to be an adult who’s capable of buying a home or raising a human being, even though everyone else you know has it totally figured out.

Spoiler alert: Most other people have felt this way, too!

WHAT IS IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Impostor syndrome— the idea that you’ve only succeeded due to luck, and not because of your talent or qualifications, It’s the feeling that everyone else knows exactly what they’re doing, but you feel lost.

“You have this fear that the people around you are going to figure out that you don’t know what you’re talking about and expose you as a fraud.”

The worst part about imposter syndrome? It can easily turn into a cycle with seriously negative consequences. But recognizing it and having the tools to get past it can stop you from getting in your own way.

Today, impostor syndrome can apply to anyone
“who isn’t able to internalize and own their successes,” says psychologist Audrey Ervin.

People suffering from imposter syndrome have a sense of inadequacy and insecurity concerning their ability to make a contribution at the workplace. In reality, they may be perfectly capable of doing their work, and often contribute successfully to their tasks.

Imposter Syndrome is very common among people who are new to their role and lack the experience of some of their co-workers.

Throughout various industries, imposter syndrome is very common with highly successful people. Studies have found out that two out of five ‘successful’ people consider themselves frauds/imposters. And other studies have shown that up to 70% of people experience imposter syndrome as one point in time or another.

If you suffer from imposter syndrome you may have a sense of inadequacy or insecurity about your ability to contribute. In reality, you may be perfectly capable of doing your tasks well.

SYMPTOMS OF IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Imposter syndrome and its symptoms can manifest in many ways, These thoughts are fairly common if you struggle with imposter syndrome:

“What am I doing here?”
“I am not a developer. I am fooling myself and other people.” (feels fake)

“My colleagues are much smarter than I am; I could never match up to them.” (undermines own achievements)

“My coworkers have told me I’ve achieved a lot, but I feel like it’s never enough.” (discounts praise)

“I have no idea how I got through the interview process.” (feels only luck dictates results)

“I will be ridiculed and fired when people realize I am not as smart as I portrayed myself as being.” (fears failure)

“My IQ is not high enough to work here.” (doubts inherent ability)

“I need more training to feel like I deserve to be here.”

"Crediting luck or other reasons for any success or Fear of being seen as a failure."

"Feeling unworthy of attention or affection or Downplaying accomplishments."

"Holding back from reaching attainable goals and objectives"

People with an imposter mindset often attribute their success to luck rather than their own abilities and work ethic, which could hold them back from asking for a raise or applying for a promotion. They might also feel like they have to overwork themselves to achieve the impossibly high standards they’ve set.

OVERCOMING IMPOSTER SYNDROME

The first step in overcoming imposter syndrome is to learn that there is a difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.

People with a growth mindset believe that their skills and talents can be developed through hard work, practice, conversations with others, etc. Alternately, those with a fixed mindset tend to believe their talents are set abilities that they were born with.

When you change your outlook to a growth mindset, you allow yourself to take on challenges that may seem out of reach. If you believe that your skills and competence can be nutured and nourished over time, you would worry less if you don’t know how to do something (as long as you are willing to put in the work).

Many talented, successful people deal with Imposter Syndrome. Not only does success not eliminate Imposter Syndrome. Many times, success makes it worse. So, it isn’t something we conquer once. We conquer it every day, every time we take on a project, task, and so on.

Conclusion:
You’re a developer
Suffering from developer impostor syndrome can be debilitating, but it can help to remember that you’re not alone. It’s completely normal, and more widespread than you might realise.

Developers are in a role where they’re always learning because it’s impossible to know everything all the time. So, if you are willing to adapt and learn new skills, tech and languages as you need them, then you aren’t a fake. You’re a developer.

Mind you, YOU COULD BE INCOMPETENT AND STILL HAVE IMPOSTER SYNDROME DON'T MIX THE BOTH..

Have a nice time
Adios