Summary
Imposter syndrome is a psychological condition where individuals doubt their accomplishments and feel like they are frauds despite evidence to the contrary – data science and tech roles are no exceptions.
If you experience imposter syndrome, don’t worry! You are not alone. Here are 7 tips to help you deal with imposter syndrome in the data science and tech industries
What Is Imposter Syndrome?
Impostor syndrome (also known as fraud syndrome or theimpostor experience) is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments, and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”
Imposter syndrome is described as “feelings of self-doubt and personal incompetence that persist despite your education, experience and accomplishments.”
Despite evidence to the contrary, people with imposter syndrome feel like they are not good enough and that they will be exposed as a fraud at any moment. This syndrome can cause people to avoid opportunities and hold themselves back from success.
Imposter syndrome typically shows up when we decide to take on new roles or new responsibilities, and it can result in feelings of self-doubt, anxiety, and guilt.
What Is The Cause Of Imposter Syndrome?
The cause of imposter syndrome is not fully understood, but a variety of factors likely contribute to its development. Some of the most commonly cited causes include:
- A lack of self-confidence
- Perfectionism
- The fear of failure
- Social comparison
Imposter syndrome is likely the result of multiple factors, including personality traits, family background, upbringing, culture, social anxiety, etc.
If you are curios to learn more about the origins and symptoms of imposter syndrome, then check out our post: How To Deal With Imposter Syndrome In Tech: All You Need To Know
7 Ways To Deal With Imposter Syndrome In Data and Tech Industry
Here are 7 actionable advices to help you deal with imposter syndrome in the data science and tech industries
1. Recognize the signs
We often neglect and try to minimize the signs of imposter syndrome that arise in our daily lives. Recognizing the signs of imposter syndrome is the first step toward overcoming them and learn how to handle your emotions.
Signs of imposter syndrome can include:
- Feeling like you’re not good enough or that you’re a fraud
- Constantly second guessing yourself
- Fearing that people will find out you’re a fraud
- Difficulty accepting compliments
- Perfectionism and have almost impossible high standards for yourself
- You’re convinced you’re not enough
If your personal achievement or the praise you receive from others makes you uncomfortable, think about where these thoughts come from and what they indicate in your professional life.
Remember, the first step to change is awareness and knowing the signs.
2. Know you are not alone
Many people working in tech have experienced imposter syndrome on one or several occasions. It can happen to anyone, regardless of their level of experience or education.
This can be especially true if you’re new to the industry or if you haven’t been at your current job long enough to feel like an expert yet. Most people struggle with impostor syndrome at one point or another — even those who are very successful and/or have been working in data and tech for several years (myself included).
It’s easy to feel alone when you’re experiencing this kind of anxiety, but there are plenty of other people who have felt the same way as well. Take comfort in knowing that you’re not alone with this feeling!
3. Acknowledge and confirm, then let the feeling go
When feeling these unpleasant feelings related to imposter syndrome, a good coping technique is to acknowledge and confirm the feelings, and then try to move on from them.
The first step is to acknowledge and confirm the feeling. This means that you take the time to understand what it is that you’re feeling, and you give it validity. This can be hard, especially if the feeling is unpleasant, but it’s important.
The second step is to let the feeling go. This means that you allow yourself to experience the feeling fully, and then you let it go. You don’t have to act on the feeling, or do anything with it. You just let it go.
When you have imposter syndrome, it feels like you are constantly being scrutinized and that someone is always waiting for you to mess up. It can be difficult to open up about how you’re feeling, but it’s important to do so.
Sharing your thoughts and feelings can help you feel less alone and by just talking about it and acknowledging it usually helps you feel a bit better. No one should be worried in silence
Talk about it with a mentor and your manager. You should remember that it is okay to share your feelings with others. It can be helpful to talk to someone about it.
Impostor syndrome is a very isolating feeling. But as we shared above, these feelings are really common in the workplace
5. Be kind to yourself
Imposter syndrome is common among people working in data and tech. It doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you or that you’re less capable than others. It just means that sometimes you feel like you don’t belong and worry about being found out as unqualified for your position.
Self-compassion and being kind to yourself is an important skill you can have in your personal and professional life. It’s the ability to be kind to yourself, especially when you’re going through a tough time and experience difficult emotions.
Many people think self-compassion is the same as being soft or weak, but that’s not the case at all. When you have self-compassion, you’re actually more likely to set boundaries and be assertive. You also have more resilience and are better able to cope with stress and setbacks.
There are three key components to self-compassion: mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity.
- Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of your thoughts and feelings in the present moment
- Self-kindness is being gentle and understanding with yourself when you make a mistake or experience difficult emotions
- Common humanity is recognizing that everyone makes mistakes and experiences tough times in their personal and professional life
6. Track and visualize your accomplishments and success
We often tend to focus on the things we don’t know and have not done (yet). Instead, try to look at all the things you have done and all your hard work to get where you are today! Shift the focus to all of your accomplishments so far, I think you will realize that you have done a lot of great things up until this day!
One way to counter imposter syndrome is to track and visualize your successes. This can be done in a number of ways, such as keeping a success diary, setting goals and tracking your progress, or creating a vision board.
Seeing your progress and all of your current successes can help to remind you that you are capable and that you deserve your current role and assignments.
7. What you don’t know is an opportunity for learning, not a failure
When you don’t know the answer to something, it can feel like a failure. You may feel like you’re not smart enough or that you’re not doing well in life. But what you don’t know is actually an opportunity for learning. It’s an opportunity to find out more and to get better at the things you care about.
Working in Tech and Data science is all about learning new skills and challenging yourself by trying new things. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or admit when you don’t know something — everyone starts somewhere!
There are a lot of things you don’t know. And that’s okay! It’s not a failure on your part, it’s simply an opportunity to learn. Many people view their lack of knowledge as a negative thing, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, not knowing something can be a great opportunity to learn and grow.
So don’t be afraid to not know the answer to something. Embrace it! Ask questions and learn as much as you can. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn when you change your mindset.
When you’re open to learning, you can gain knowledge in any area you desire. You don’t have to be an expert in everything, but by being open to learning, you can expand your horizons and become knowledgeable in many different areas.
Summary: 7 Steps to Overcome Imposter Syndrome in Data and Tech
Conclusion: 7 Ways to Deal With Imposter Syndrome In Data and Tech
Imposter syndrome can be a major obstacle in the tech industry. Often, people feel like they are not good enough or do not deserve their place in the industry. In this post we looked at 7 different advices that you can use if you are experiencing imposter syndrome
The 7 advices are:
- Recognize the signs
- Know you are not alone
- Acknowledge and confirm, then let the feeling go
- Be open and share your thoughts and feelings
- Be kind to yourself
- Track and visualize your accomplishments and success
- What you don’t know is an opportunity for learning, not a failure
FAQ: How To Deal with Imposter Syndrome in Data and Tech
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments, and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”.
Imposter syndrome is described as “feelings of self-doubt and personal incompetence that persist despite your education, experience and accomplishments.”
Is Imposter Syndrome common in Tech?
Impostor Syndrome is a common problem in the tech industry. Many people feel like they are frauds, and that they will be exposed as incompetent at any moment.
How to handle imposter syndrome when working in Tech?
The best way to deal with imposter syndrome is to acknowledge it and learn how to cope with it. Accept that you may feel like an imposter at times, but remind yourself that these feelings are not based in reality.
You can also use coping techniques such as positive self-talk and reach out to friends, family and co-workers to help you manage your impostor syndrome feelings.
