5 signs of imposter syndrome (and what to do about it) - SEEK Career Advice

Around half of us – 51% of women and 47% of men – have felt imposter syndrome at some point, SEEK research reveals.

Even someone who has objective success, such as running a business for 20 years, can have self-doubts about the value of what they’re offering, Read says.

Imposter syndrome is most common among people working in junior management, mid-level employee or graduate roles, with 65% of those employees feeling imposter syndrome at some point, the research shows.

“Firstly, imposter syndrome isn’t a clinical diagnosis,” Read points out. “It’s a description of thoughts and behaviours. It can happen if you were raised to value achievement, or if you don’t have the traditional qualifications for a role” Read explains. 

You might also feel like an imposter if you can’t invest as much time and energy into your work as you would like – such as if you have caring responsibilities, Read says.

“Imposter syndrome describes high-achieving individuals who, despite objective success, fail to internalise their accomplishments. They fear that they'll be exposed as a fraud, and someone will find out that they're not as good as they appear to be” Read says. 

Impostor syndrome can change your behavior in the workplace – it could stop you applying for jobs, asking for pay rises, or make it hard to sell yourself in an interview, Read says.

If you run your own business, you might be unsure how much to charge or be afraid to market yourself, because you don’t think what you’re offering is as valuable as what someone else is.

“It can have a significant impact on the way we work, our job satisfaction and cause burnout and mental health issues,” Read says.

“But doing a job well and being satisfied in your own work should be the main metrics of success, not whether you got the same degree as everyone else.”

Normalise it by sharing: If we talk about it with other people, we realise that others experience it, too. “If you keep those thoughts to yourself, you can feel like you’re the only one,” Read says.

Appreciate your achievements: Celebrating your achievements will help challenge your imposter syndrome thinking. If you find that difficult, ask people you trust to tell you about times when they see you at your best.

It’s entirely appropriate to ask your boss for an example of how you’ve made a valuable contribution to the workplace, Read says.

Take your thoughts to court: This is a favourite phrase that Read uses to challenge negative thinking. If you had to prove your case of being an imposter in court, could you really provide the evidence? “Your thoughts would pretty quickly get kicked out of court,” Read says.

As well as challenging the psychological impacts of imposter syndrome, there are several practical steps you can take to combat the negative impact this phenomenon can have on your daily work.

According to Relaunch Me founder and career coach Leah Lambart, it’s key to stick to routine and implement a strategy when you feel those feelings creeping back in.

• Regular self-assessment

“Regular self-assessment is necessary to remind yourself of what you bring to the table,” Lambart says. Reflection on a semi-regular basis to help you identify your skills, strengths and unique attributes can build confidence in the workplace or when it comes time to search for a job. This can be as simple as making a list of things you do well, and the skills you can use – whether it’s a mental list or you write it down.

• Document your achievements regularly

“It may sound simple, but practice getting in the habit of writing down your achievements on a regular basis, even the small wins,” advises Lambart. “Consider keeping a daily ‘accomplishments journal’ and get into the habit of writing down one small win or accomplishment every single day. You may find that you are achieving more than you think.”

• Don’t compare yourself to others

There are many different avenues to career success, and everyone treads their own path. Just because you’ve reached your position via a different pathway to others doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be there, explains Lambart.

“Focus on what you are achieving rather than how you arrived there. Everyone has their own unique set of skills, strengths and attributes that they bring to an organisation and no employer wants everyone to be exactly the same.”

• Practice talking about what you have achieved

Many people find it difficult to ‘sell’ themselves and often find that the first time that they need to do it is in an interview scenario. But you can get plenty of practice in when you’re working. “Make an effort to keep your manager informed of what you are working on and your successes – in regular catch-up meetings be sure to focus on ‘results’ rather than ‘activities’,” says Lambart.

If you sometimes feel like a fraud, recognising those challenging thoughts is the first step to tackling imposter syndrome. Sharing your feelings with others and asking for objective feedback will help you overcome self-doubt and boost your self-confidence. That can help you gain a new perspective, give you renewed work satisfaction and give yourself the assurance to take on new opportunities.