(2/7) Impostor Series: Being a Student/Learner
According to Dr. Valerie Young's book The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, there are seven “good reasons” to feel like an impostor. I invite you to see how many of these resonate with you.
Messages from Childhood
2) You are a Student and/or Learner
Impostor Syndrome runs rampant on college campuses. It impacts students, faculty, and staff alike. Why? Because you are rarely the smartest person in the room, and there is always more to learn.
Even if your college days are long behind you, your inner impostor may get activated if you have a job that requires a lot of learning and innovation. This is why Impostor Syndrome shows up in fields that require a lot of learning, such as tech, finance, law, business, and medicine.
When you feel intimidated, overwhelmed, and inferior to your counterparts, it's easy for fraudulent feelings to take root. Self-doubt grows, and confidence wanes.
This phenomenon frequently happens in the first year of taking on a new role. Before the interview, you prepare yourself, showing up as powerfully as possible. After you get the job, there's a steep learning curve as you navigate new team dynamics, systems, and norms.
Many people who feel like an impostor think they need to get one more degree, one more certification, or be a SME (subject matter expert) in one more field, which will eradicate these feelings of insecurity.
The truth is Impostor Syndrome is an inside game, and gaining more skills won't always make you impervious to it. In fact, those new skills often lead to promotions, advancements, and bigger opportunities, which increases Impostor Syndrome once again.
What you can do:
Normalize learning. If you have a job requiring a lot of research, learning, and/or innovation, remember that it's OK that you don't know everything. Learning is part of the process.
Trust your ability to figure things out. When your mind says that you must know all the things or else you will fail, remember that the most important skill is the ability to learn new things, problem-solve, and figure things out. Remind yourself that you have this skill.
Remember what you know. It's easy to focus on the things you don't know or have yet to learn. This kind of thinking feeds your inner critic. To balance things out, list all the things you have learned since you started your role. My guess is it will be a very long list.
Pause before certifying. If you want to go to a training because you love learning and think it will be helpful in your job--go for it! If you think you need another training to take the edge off that panicky feeling because you are not a SME--pause and remember what you know.