We know almost everyone suffers from imposter syndrome, no matter how you learned to code, or what stage of your career you’re in. I speak to a lot of developers – both self and traditionally taught, junior and senior – who believe they don’t belong where they are, and that they’re in way over their head. And it might never go away. I don’t know if it does for anybody.
One developer I know recently wrote about turning her imposter syndrome into an ally. It was a take on the concept I’d never heard before. You can read the whole article here, but I've listed a few key suggestions she made:
Realise that because you think you’re an imposter, you probably aren’t.
If you feel like an imposter, you probably really care about doing a good job! If you didn't care, you wouldn't feel bad about being where you're at.
Find someone to be your mirror
Find someone you trust and who can see things objectively, and give you honest input on any given situation.
Change your internal dialogue
Take notice of negative self-talk. A method she suggests is the rubber-band method – check out how it works :)
Try to find out what the imposter inside you is trying to tell you
Imposter syndrome is there for a reason; it’s ultimately a reaction to something, and you can figure out the root of it! You just have to know which questions to ask yourself.
Turning your imposter syndrome into an ally isn’t going to be easy, but the outcome will be way worth the investment.
Full article was originally written by Mynah Marie, and you can find it (including some questions for the last point), here. You can also visit her website: Earth to Abigail
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