Struggling with self-doubt is a common occurrence at least once in everyone’s career. There’s always a time when a little voice in your head tells you that you aren’t good enough, that you aren’t ready for a promotion, and that you didn’t pick the right shirt for this interview. That little voice can sometimes keep talking, to the point where it begins to affect your performance at work. This is called imposter syndrome, and it’s a big challenge that many women face when they advance their careers.

Understanding Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you aren’t qualified to do your job, or that you took the position from someone more capable. This often manifests in feelings of fraudulence and inadequacy, with some people isolating themselves for fear of being “found out.”

Some common symptoms of imposter syndrome are perfectionism and overworking. These both begin to happen when the person tries to overcompensate for what they believe is an imbalance in performance between them and their coworkers. They also might have difficulty accepting praise, believing that the work they do isn’t good enough. Imposter syndrome can also often cause procrastination or an unwillingness to work, which stems from a general fear of the outcome of that work.

The Impact Of Imposter Syndrome On Career Growth

A sinister side effect of imposter syndrome is the ramifications of a lack of self-advocacy. Many people struggling with imposter syndrome have a very challenging time standing up for themselves and promoting their own work. They assume that what they’re doing isn’t good enough, and they go out of their way to make sure that no one sees what they’ve been working on. This is a vicious cycle, where they stop themselves from having a chance to be recognized for their work, and their lack of recognition increases feelings of self-doubt. A lack of self-promotion is one of the larger obstacles facing those with imposter syndrome on their path to career advancement.

Another way that career growth is impacted by imposter syndrome is overworking. People with imposter syndrome believe that they have something to prove and that they need to earn their spot. Of course, this isn’t the case, but the self-doubt caused by imposter syndrome has a sneaky way of impacting work-life balance. These people are oftentimes doing enough work, but their self-doubt pushes them over the edge and into the overwork territory. They keep pushing themselves to compensate for a perceived lack of value, and they end up crumbling under the weight of their increased workload.

Strategies To Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Overcoming imposter syndrome is not an easy task, especially considering how isolating it can feel. There are a couple of different ways that you can make progress towards overcoming imposter syndrome, whether alone or with other people. The first step to overcoming anything, however, is recognizing the problem. It’s ok to acknowledge that you struggle with imposter syndrome; in fact, it’s a crucial first step.

Acknowledge & Validate Your Feelings

Imposter syndrome is something that happens to many people throughout their careers, especially women in male-dominated fields. It’s alright to have moments of self-doubt as long as you understand that they are just that–moments. Use your recognition of imposter syndrome as a tool to overcome it, and hold solidarity with the fact that you are not alone in this struggle.

Challenge Negative Thoughts

A crucial aspect of overcoming imposter syndrome is to challenge negative thoughts. One of the best ways to do this is to adopt a growth mindset, a way to reframe the way you think. The growth mindset effectively means that instead of thinking you can’t do something, you think “I can’t do this thing yet.” Instead of telling a coworker “I’m bad with numbers and details” you say “I haven’t quite gotten those numbers down.” Doing this allows your negative thoughts to turn into opportunities for change.

Seek Mentorship & Support Networks

A great way to combat imposter syndrome is to develop a support network. These relationships will allow you to share your experiences and get reassurance. A mentor can be particularly helpful, especially if they’ve worked in your role before. Connecting with other people will allow you to see that you aren’t alone in your struggles and that we can push back against the effects of imposter syndrome if we work together.

Empowering Women To Take Charge Of Their Careers

The hard truth of the professional world is that promotions aren’t handed out for free. To move forward in your career, you need to acknowledge the areas in which you’ve shown growth and improvement and highlight your strengths. While that acknowledgment often comes from within, advocating for others and receiving recognition in turn is a great way to put yourself and others in a position to be promoted. Advocacy is something that can be shared: help recognize others for their achievements and they’ll recognize you in return.

Advocacy can come into play in other ways, too. If you pursue and achieve leadership roles, you can help advocate for other women to do the same. Advocacy can also mean promoting equal opportunities for yourself and others. Most importantly, though, recognize imposter syndrome and don’t let it be the stumbling block on your path to new career heights.

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