Abby Connolly
We’ve all been there and experienced moments where we’ve felt inadequate, unqualified, or ‘not good enough’ in certain aspects of our lives. Everyone has insecurities, and there will always be moments in life where we question our capabilities.
There’s also the matter of ‘imposter syndrome,’ which is a behavioral health situation where people deal with self-doubt and worries of not being good enough for something even though they are.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found that some of my friends and I tend to develop imposter syndrome regarding work and our careers.
Many of my friends and I have only been in the professional workforce post-college graduation for less than five years; therefore, many of us are insecure when it comes to work and building our careers.
I know many people who are too filled with self-doubt to take risks and put themselves out there for the jobs they really want, and then when they finally get them, they feel like “frauds” or like they’re nowhere good enough as their coworkers.
If you feel as though you’ve been having imposter syndrome at work and it’s been preventing you from taking your career to the next level, here are some tips for shaking it off.
Focus on the positives
I think it’s easier to slip into imposter syndrome when you focus on any negative experiences or mistakes you’ve made at work or while trying to find your dream job.
Instead of constantly beating yourself up for something silly you said during a job interview or a mistake you made during work, focus on how far you’ve come and all the good things you’ve done to push your career to the next level. Don’t forget to celebrate even the small victories and give yourself a pat on the back.
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