The Imposter Syndrome

The imposter syndrome refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. Basically you feel like you are doing something that others perceive you to be good at when you feel like you really are not. Let me tell you, I face this every day at work. With my job we are constantly challenged to do technical things that we haven’t done before. It adds unnecessary stress to my life. It’s something I have to combat every day. Stress is unhealthy. So why did I take such a job? Why did I get hired if I didn’t have the skills to perform it? I took the job because I wanted to push myself. I wanted to grow my technical skills and not become stale. My boss hired me not for my technical knowledge but for my ability to learn fast and solve problems. When the imposter syndrome creeps up on me, I have to remember that I have the ability to learn anything I need on the fly to get the job done. I have to mentally calm myself down, not panic, and just put my head down and get the job done. Whenever you feel the imposter syndrome take hold of you, just remember, there is nothing you can’t do with a little learning. It may take you longer than someone who already knows how to do it, but in the end you will grow as a person for persevering and not giving up. So take a deep breath, and believe you can do it.