Imposter Syndrome- How do I overcome it?

What is it?

The BBC defines ‘Imposter Syndrome' as “the feeling that your work achievements are undeserved and that you are likely to be exposed as a fraud”. Essentially, you've got yourself into a professional position, which you do not see yourself as worthy of; fearful that this unworthiness is going to be exposed. Does this sound familiar?

Is it normal?

The International Journal of Behavioural Science has established that more than 70 per cent of people are affected by thoughts of Imposter Syndrome. This is an absolutely striking figure!

Even if you do not suffer from Imposter Syndrome yourself, based on these statistics, one of your colleagues or peers does. Everyone is affected in some way; whether that be experiencing self-limiting thoughts, or needing to empower those around you so that they have the confidence to overcome it.

Whilst it is, unfortunately, a common underlying feeling, it is important to acknowledge that individuals may experience Imposter Syndrome in different ways. For example, one person's Imposter Syndrome may be onset by specific situations, such as attending a meeting and feeling like they have not achieved enough to be in attendance, or maybe the individual does not feel like they deserve the role they are currently in and that it was for someone “more qualified”.

Does imposter syndrome affect young professionals?

Simply put, yes!

Often young professionals can be a victim of their own success - they find themselves succeeding, maybe climbing their respective internal hierarchies quicker than expected, but feel like perhaps this string of success was merely “luck”.

Perhaps it is a young professional's specific role that they are undertaking, which makes them feel as though they do not have the standing to fulfil it.

For me, advising Directors and Business Owners, on various employment law issues, really made me feel like an imposter, because of my age. Despite having obtained an LLB Law Degree at a Russell Group University, achieving a First in Employment Law, and having four years of experience under my belt, I still felt like I was “too young” to be advising people who had “made it” in their industry.

What can you do to overcome it?

Whilst these tips and tricks will not be a silver bullet, my tips and tricks are:

• In situation-specific scenarios, take a deep breath and ground yourself - be present and reminded that your thoughts of Imposter Syndrome are not reality. You did not just magically appear in the room; rather YOU, specifically, have embarked on a journey that led you here.
• Find common ground with the people around you - instead of focusing on how “superior” everyone else is, start realising that they are just people (like you). Build informal relationships (where possible); start seeing just how much you do resonate with your peers.
• If you feel comfortable, ask your peers what they think about you - self-compassion is not at play when imposter syndrome is: sometimes external validation can trigger self-compassion!
• Reflect! What do you excel in? What do you know your strong traits are? Remind yourself of these, constantly.

Last, but certainly not least, join a young professional networking group (i.e., Future Faces!) where you can network with like-minded individuals.

Building relationships through this network, and slowly being more open and honest about my Imposter Syndrome, made me realise just how shared it is. As the burden started to lift, I replaced it with these fulfilling relationships, which help remind me that I am a valued and unique young professional.