Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Last night my wife and I attended an awesome potluck held by non other than @ladyleet. It was a fun Mexican themed party with lots of friendly, tech-loving folks.
On the way home my wife said to me, “It seems like a lot of people don’t feel like they’re the ‘real deal’.”
I smiled and said, “Yeah, in fact that’s so common that we have a term for it. It’s called imposter syndrome”.
Wikipedia defines imposter syndrome as,
A concept describing individuals who are marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a “fraud”.
As a (mostly) self-taught developer I thought I’d share a few thoughts about how to overcome imposter syndrome so you can stand tall and feel confident at your next tech party 🎉🕺💃🏻
The best programmers are still learning
The first concern many people have is that they don’t have the experience or education that other developers have. Although that may be true, what makes developers successful is less about where they went to school and more about how well they can adapt to the ever evolving technology and opportunities. Experience is huge and you may be early on that road, but everyone starts at the beginning. Take a deep breath, relax, and dive in.
Share what you’re excited about!
Sharing a side project or success at work can help you feel more relaxed and will make you more interesting as well. Technology is a vast space and you undoubtedly have had experiences that others have not, no matter how new you are.
Ask questions and listen
If you’re worried about being in the spotlight, asking questions is a great way to engage while keeping the pressure off of you. You might try thinking of a few interesting questions beforehand.
Build your vocabulary
Words give us power. They enable us to express our thoughts and embody our ideas. Words can also make you feel paralyzed if you don’t know what they mean. Get in the habit of looking up words you don’t know and try to work them into your vocabulary. Even if you don’t have any experience with a topic or technology, knowing what someone is talking about makes a huge difference.
Be genuine
Put your best foot forward, but don’t be afraid to be honest about what you don’t know. Your conversations will be much more engaging if you’re not pretending you know something you don’t.
People are kind
My experience is that as a whole the developer community is very supportive and encouraging, especially to newcomers. Don’t be afraid to be genuine, ask questions, and be vulnerable.
