3 Ways to Beat Imposter Syndrome
Imposter Syndrome is the phony enemy of so many in the workforce.
Imposter Syndrome is when we attribute our successes and skills to outside factors other than ourselves. It’s when we, incorrectly, decide that we had little to do with our achievements and give the credit to luck or just about anything other than our own abilities.
This is an extremely common phenomenon that so many experience. It can make you feel stuck or lost when you’re searching for the perfect job. It can crush your confidence when you’re interviewing for, or starting out at, that new job. Imposter Syndrome can be a real jerk. But the good news is, if you’re someone who tends to feel these things, there’s plenty you can do to fight back.
- Identify Your Skills
The first step in taking control against Imposter Syndrome is knowing where you stand in the first place. A majority of these feelings of inadequacy can come from not being tapped into your value to begin with. If you don’t truly know your worth and can’t easily identify the skills that you already have, it will be so much easier to allow that sneaky feeling back in. A great start to keeping this under control is laying out exactly what skills, talents, and qualifications you DO have, instead of focusing on those that you feel you don’t. The chances are, you probably not only have a lot more than you realized, but you also already have a good amount of the skills you will need to move forward in the workforce.
Sit yourself down and get these skills laid out in writing. Confidently share with yourself all of the things you’re good at. Like, really good at. Give yourself the pat on the back that you deserve and let things flow and you might soon see that you’ve got a lot going for you. You might soon see that you’re far more ready to take the next step in your career than you thought and that old imposter lingering around didn’t know what the heck he was talking about after all. Now that you’ve got that list, take it over to us at CareerCircle and we can give you a free personality assessment to find out what careers you can already perform with the skills you currently have.
- Get Even More Proof
So you already have far more skills than you may have realized, but what next? That imposter still hangs around sometimes and just doesn’t take a hint very well. Give yourself even more to work with by upskilling. Upskilling is one of the imposter’s worst enemies because it takes the fight directly to them. When you upskill through the right courses and certifications, you are equipping yourself with even more assuredness that you are on the right path, that you do have everything you need to perform at your complete best.
Taking the best course for you will put you in a new position against Imposter Syndrome. Like the above detailed further, knowing your skills is a great first step, but having even more of them takes things up a notch. By taking the right course and getting certified, you give yourself tangible proof to point to when that imposter sneaks back up and you can always remind yourself that you’ve put in the work, you’ve made the investment, and you’ve put yourself in the greatest possible position you can. When you sign up for a career course, the imposter dies a little bit inside.
- Raise Your Voice
The imposter’s greatest ally is silence. It’s making their target retreat and internalize everything to shoulder the burden alone. When we convince ourselves that we are not deserving, we can sometimes do so in silence because we don’t want to involve anybody else with it. In reality, if we simply shared some of our feelings with someone who knows our true value and skills, they’d help shout that imposter back down where it belongs.
Connect with somebody who understands. By taking a step, like talking to a recruiter, you can gain nearly-instant validation of your abilities and be on your way to approaching your career in a more confident way. While it might help to speak with a loved one or friend about the feelings you’re having, being able to connect with a real professional who can tell you from a place of authority that you’re not only valuable, but here’s exactly how, is beyond helpful. The imposter that sometimes lives within many of us doesn’t have to be given so much respect and these are only a handful of tips for shutting them up for good.