Someone told me that if you have imposter syndrome, it means that you are not going to be overconfident and cocky. It also means that you understand the seriousness of the work. I suspect that all people I’ve worked with and that I respect felt like imposters all the time.

I used to suffer from this, and at an appraisal my manager told me that people with imposter syndrome compare themselves with the brightest people they work with, whereas you should compare yourself with the average person on the street. It’s ok to not be the world’s foremost expert in your field of work (but keep striving to learn more every day) and ask yourself how many other people “out there” could do what you do.

People say "fake it til you make it"; and it sounds clever. However, you're not faking it. You were hired for a reason. Someone believed in you enough to hire you over many other potential employees, so you must have something to you. You need to understand that you don't have to fake it, because the fact that you got the job means that you're not fake. Listen and learn, be a sponge. Then you'll usually understand why you were good enough to get the position in the first place, and you'll improve and be awesome!

I keep this short (under 4 min) video bookmarked on my phone’s home page, as if it were an app. Must be decades old but has really helped when I was frozen when running a large project (30-40 people under me). https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S2qHu_1VDEw

It’s called "The Fastest Way To Build Self-Confidence" and is a seriously helpful video, even if the fashion is really dated. Ineffective vs. effective ways to build confidence. Go direct!

I struggled really badly with imposter syndrome since I’m a woman in a male-dominated field. It just took some time and realizing that actually I know a lot more than the average man about my field. I recognized that the people I look up to also don’t have all the answers and we all have something to learn. You have to start somewhere, you’re not an imposter!

Fake it till you make it.

You think the CEO of Walmart is smarter than you in every way? Fuck no, that bitch couldnt pull a proper pint.

No ones an imposter, we all learn on the job. Also, ask your manager for a comparison of target hitting between you and a few colleagues (without their names) And itll put it into perspective.

No one truly knows what we're doing. You breathing and eating? Sounds like you're a fucking King mate.

Most people at work ARE imposters

As long as you get paid and people are not complaining that you are useless then... What's the problem? You clearly are good at your job and people who pay you are happy to do it.

It's just a job, you don't have to be the best you.

Just show up and do the work. If people aren't constantly asking WTF you were thinking when they see what you did, then you aren't an imposter.

Seriously, just ignore what your brain is saying and do the work, and everything will almost certainly work itself out.

The times I’ve felt like this it was because I felt disconnected from other people at work.

If you’re new, it’ll go away once you have your work besties. If you’ve been several years there, I recommend you to start looking for a new job, if you don’t feel comfortable and not getting promotions.

Like someone else said, fake it til you make it. With a little luck, you’ll keep faking it successfully until your retirement day.

That depends. Are you actually capable or do you have to Google every aspect of your job and ask everyone around you for help constantly? Did someone see you vent? If you know the job and are just new get a plant for your desk or work area. Make yourself at home. Get comfortable. Show up a little early. Relax and have a coffee before anyone else shows up. Make yourself at home. Even if it is just a coffee cup from your kitchen. When you feel relaxed you will feel like you belong.

Fake it til you make it.

It's all about context. When you start out and don't know much, you're going to look at everyone and see them as better than you, even the less than average folks. It's just a function of time and exposure to the work. You will improve over time as you learn and you'll have less and less people that seem better than you and more and more that are "imposters", compared to you.

I work in a field (engineering) where a crap load of people have advanced degrees. When I was younger, I would look around me and feel like I was so behind that I was never going to be able to compete. Everyone was speaking to each other using terms that I had no concept of. It was easy to see them all as up on these pedestals and I would never get there.

Eventually, I realized that the lingo they were using was specific to the work, not to the discipline of engineering. That's just a function of being exposed to the work. As I came up to speed on that lingo, the pedestals came crashing down for the majority of the people I work with because I could see that while they knew the work, they didn't seem to have any special abilities that I lacked and, in fact, plenty of them were mediocre. Sure, there's some that are stand outs, but there's also some that just suck. The average is just a plain engineer...and they're not so intimidating.

Be the worse you can, if you KNOW you don't deserve to be there, there's no doubt anymore, no fear, no syndrome. Happiness throught mediocrity!

Remember that everyone didn't know what they were doing at one point, and most people are just pretending they do know what they're doing.

You're obviously competent to have gotten the job in the first place.

In order to learn you have to admit what you don't know and ask for help. Even if it's something that seems silly, someone else will have asked how to do it before you, you're not the first person to not know or to make that mistake.

You're better than you think you are, likely better than most have been at the job before you, already.

It's not advice, just probably true.

After a few years it just kinda went away. I proved to myself and everyone else I can handle the responsibility and do the job. Most jobs are the same basic principle..... take care of your responsibilities and solve problems when they arise. Kiss method..... keep it simple stupid.

Enjoy the growth you’re experiencing.

It takes time but you will eventually realise how shit everyone else is at their jobs.

Revel in the subterfuge! Glide past those too inferior to match your awe inspiring talent! Knowledge is power and peasants shall fawn at the feet of your throne!

Are you getting your assignments done? Are you trying your best and your work is not below average? Does anyone ever appreciate your work? .. i keep reminding myself the answers to these questions, then i feel more wholesome.

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It's a huge struggle for me and several of my co workers as well. It's a huge problem for our industry in general (cyber security) but the main way I deal with it is asking the questions and getting help when I need it, that's how you realize the people who you think are so much better at what you do than you are actually pretty similar and working it out together shows you that your thought process may have been on the right track, but lacking insight, or just lacking experience, both of which come in time.

Idk about .ost industries but in my position (penetration testing) being able to fool people is a good skill for the job so the way my boss put it is, "look I hired you because I saw the confidence and potential to do this job and do it well. I've only made 2 mistakes when hiring employees, and when you consider the nber I've hired that's an impressive track record, so if you are an imposter than you were good enough to fool me... Which means you are good at this job.

Idk if I have imposter syndrome or nah, but I've definitely related to some of the signs.

What helped me is 1) I had a few managers (fortunately) who did not shy away from telling me when I did do well. 2) choosing to believe (gets easier over time) when they gave me feedback, both the bad and the good. And 3) noticing that alot of ppl around me really weren't up to the standards I had thought a position like theirs deserved.

It also helped that I have multiple projects that have run successfully, and even projects that my managers thought deserved to be submitted for awards, which costs money to the company to do so, so they wouldn't do it just to make me feel good.

First, ask yourself, "Am I even good enough to have Imposter Syndrome?"