Ever feel like you’re in over your head at your job? You’re not alone. One study found that 80% of workers have experienced impostor syndrome.
These feelings of inferiority can be most acute early in your career. As you begin to push your professional development forward, it’s easy to feel you’ve outpaced your experience and have gathered responsibilities you can’t handle yet.
However, don’t let this halt your progress. Don’t get sidetracked by unfounded skepticism about your abilities. Here are some strategies to break through imposter syndrome and feel more confident on the job, especially for young professionals:
Tackling imposter syndrome and feeling better in the workplace
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You’ve heard the expression: fake it til you make it. The “fake it” part drives imposter-syndrome feelings. However, don’t forget about the second part — the “til you make it” component.
You might feel behind the competition now. But if you continue to improve, you’ll either close the gap or get further ahead. As your competency grows, so will your confidence.
Look for ways to participate in projects with coworkers you admire. Absorb as much as you can from them. This will add to your abilities while also providing additional social support.
Meanwhile, in your spare time, try to learn more about your position. Pick up new skills and integrate them into your everyday performance. Over time, you’ll get even better at your job, which should help you eliminate your initial doubts.
Lean on Others
We get it. At work, you want to present a confident and competent demeanor. When you get hit with self-doubt, you’d rather not signal that to those around you. Otherwise, you worry that signs of weakness will leave you a step behind when it comes to promotions and other career advancements.
Still, there are ways to maintain a self-assured bearing while receiving support at the same time. As such, don’t deal with your insecurities all on your own. Here are some steps you can take:
- Build a Support Network: Look for places outside of work where you can vent and find emotional fortification. Turn to your friends and family to reassure and encourage you.
- Savor Your Accomplishments: Focus on the positive. Take time to note your victories and share them (in a constructive way) with those around you.
- Learn to Believe Compliments: Your supervisors keep putting you in places of responsibility. At the same time, your coworkers like and respect you. Accept their judgments. When you receive a compliment or get an expanded role, trust that they reflect your true abilities.
Give Up on Being Perfect
Few people will hold you to a higher standard than you do. Much of imposter syndrome comes from the perception that you are falling short of a certain expectation. Usually, these represent overly lofty standards that you’ve invented for yourself.
That said, it’s hard to strike the right balance. You want to push yourself to get better. However, it doesn’t help to create mental anguish about your perceived shortfalls. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Get Better, But Don’t Get Emotional: If you hit a roadblock, don’t get upset. Learn from it and move on.
- Create Reasonable Standards: Set achievable goals. Building up successes will help boost your confidence.
- Find Objective Performance Measures: Numbers don’t lie. Target quantifiable KPIs, so there can be no doubt about your success.
- Stay Humble: Realize that you have limitations even as you attempt to minimize them.
Imposter syndrome becomes less pronounced when you feel confident that you have found the perfect job for yourself. Expert advice can help this process. A top recruiter, like Hiregy, will make sure you locate a position ideally suited to your skills and background.
Want to know how to further break out in your career and away from imposter syndrome?
Contact Hiregy today to push your career forward with confidence.