Imposter syndrome happens to us all. Here’s what it feels like, where it comes from, and how to overcome it:
Imposter syndrome is made up of feelings of self-doubt, inadequacy, and anxiety, which can lead to feeling like a fraud. You may feel like you’ve only gotten to where you are due to pure luck or a fluke, not because of your hard work or qualifications.
Imposter syndrome can stem from many things, such as setting unrealistic expectations due to perfectionism, comparing yourself to others in your field, or your anxiety telling you that your gaps of knowledge will expose you as unqualified in your field.
These feelings may be especially common when learning or starting something new, whether grad school or a coding bootcamp, or a new role at work as a junior or senior. Web Developers and those learning to code may experience imposter syndrome more than usual, since the tech industry is in a constant state of flux and innovation.
No matter what field you’re in, imposter syndrome is normal - but it’s important not to let it take over. So, how can you beat imposter syndrome? While it's impossible to fully get rid of, it is possible to process and cope with in a healthy way. Here are some tips:
Acknowledge The Feelings
An important first step is to acknowledge your emotions and remember that while you may feel alone, you're far from it. “Imposter syndrome exists in all industries at all skill levels,” says Owen Craig, a Web Developer and Juno College Instructor.
Feelings of not being good enough are not evidence of a deficiency on your part. Acknowledging that those feelings are natural is the first step towards understanding that they don’t define you.
“Something that helped me was to realize that everyone suffers from imposter syndrome,” says Owen. “Your mentor? They suffer from it. That developer you follow on Twitter and look up to? They suffer from it. Your teachers? They suffer from it, too.”
Try to be aware of when you feel imposter syndrome, and what feelings you associate with it. Are there patterns to when these feelings seep in? If it helps, try writing out these feelings as full sentences. For example:
- I'm scared of looking weak if I ask for help (pride)
- My colleague started at the same time as me and is already better than I am (jealousy)
- I've never done this before - I'm going to mess up and get fired (fear)
Make a point to remember that while your feelings of imposter syndrome come from a valid place of wanting to be the best you can be, these feelings of inadequacy are not the truth. Now, think of how to approach these feelings from a place of truth. Next to your feelings, write out these truths. For example:
- Asking questions will show my eagerness to learn, and will teach me new things
- Everyone learns differently and has different strengths
- This is a new experience, so it's okay if I don't get it right this time around - I'll learn for next time
While this exercise may not feel natural at first, it can help train your brain to both identify your feelings and rethink them so that they are framed more rationally.
Value What You Know And Stay Curious
Industries are always changing - especially tech. This means that part of being a developer is being a lifelong learner. While this is a big draw for many, it can also feel overwhelming. Asaf Gerchak, a Web Developer and Instructor at Juno College, explains an all-too-familiar anxiety loop:
“Anxiety takes everything we're capable of and reduces and devalues it, based on the logic that ‘If an imposter like me can do those things, they must be very simple and irrelevant.’ Then it turns around and uses that as evidence that we're imposters, because look how simple and irrelevant all our skills are. It's circular and unfair to ourselves, but it's also pernicious and hard to stop."
Imposter syndrome always looks at what you don't know (or don't know yet), and never gives equal weight to what you do know, what you have learned, and how far you've come to know all the things you have learned and can do.
How can you break this loop?
“For me, the place to push back on the cycle is to try to not let myself devalue the things I'm capable of or good at,” says Asaf. He often shares this with his students: if you can do things and think they're nothing of value because they're easy for you, you've got it backwards!
“You've not only learned and built amazing things, but you also don't see them as significant because you've learned them so well you don't even think about how huge they are anymore. Things are only familiar and banal to those who know them deeply; those things are incredible and mystifying to most other people, and, more significantly, seemed incredible and mystifying to you before you knew them, too.”
Remember that it’s okay to focus on your own interests, strengths, and capacity as a developer. Think about what you're curious about demystifying for yourself: can you pick up a new skill with a free workshop or a part-time course? Bootcamp grads and other experienced front-end developers often level up with our Full-Stack Development course to solidify their skills. How can you apply your new learnings to your portfolio?
“Take the time to learn a little every day, even if it’s an hour and nothing more,” advises Sui Young, a Juno Bootcamp Alum who is currently working as a developer at Open Minds. “I found that when I took the time to sit down and dedicate time to learning the fundamentals of what I was working with, suddenly it didn’t feel like I was wading through quicksand when I returned to the project.”
Juno Bootcamp Alum Alex Calia also experienced imposter syndrome when he started out at his last job. “I would get tickets to work on products or technologies I had never worked on before and it was messing with my confidence," he says. "I brought it up with my manager and what he said to me has stuck with me since:
It's okay to not know how to do something right away. But you will know how to do it in the end.
“With research and eagerness to learn, it is possible and you will learn it,” says Alex. “A LOT of my last job involved researching - Googling, let's be honest! And once you start learning things on your own and solving problems, you'll become more confident in your ability to do almost anything.”
Compare Yourself To Yourself
While it’s easy to compare yourself to others, especially if you’re close to the community of the industry you’re in, try to get in the habit of comparing yourself to yourself.
No, that isn't a typo! Here’s what we mean:
“There are other people who don't yet know what we know, and they are looking at us the way we look at the people we are intimidated by," says Asaf. "It's most important to only compare ourselves to who we used to be and to see how far we've come."
We would all be happier if we looked at who we were, who we are, and who we want to be, because all of those people are real, and all of them are exactly where they should be.
It may help to literally write out who you were, who you are, and who you want to be as a list.
• I used to work as a freelance video editor. I worked with over 100 different clients.
• Today I work as a junior front-end developer. I've built X websites from scratch.
• One day I want to become a full-stack developer and lead a team.
“Trust yourself, and believe in your ability to learn. I felt so small next to the great senior devs on my team,” says Sui. “I looked up to them like gods of my tiny universe who could do no wrong. Thing is, they make mistakes too. The difference is just that right now, they know enough to fix mistakes more efficiently than me, who is a junior.”
Remember that mistakes happen, no matter how many years of experience you do or don’t have - it's the learnings you gain from them are more important and everlasting.
If you're having trouble giving yourself a pep talk, that's okay - you can also:
Get Support From Your Community
Sometimes it’s more helpful to talk/think things through with someone other than yourself. Sharing your feelings can help identify what is causing them, approach them from a different point of view, and process them in a positive way. You can tweet for advice from the public, message a fellow coworker or classmate, chat with your manager during a weekly 1:1 meeting, or reach out to a friend completely outside of your field.
Imposter syndrome can also be more common among those who are underrepresented in their field - if you’re a woman, LGBT2Q+, and/or BIPOC for example, you may feel like you stick out or don't belong. Try to surround yourself with a supportive and inclusive community who you can lean on for support, and who can advocate for your successes and talents with you - like Juno's alumni community, now thousands strong! Other ways to connect include meeting like-minded people through attending events about topics you're passionate about, volunteering, or joining online discussion groups. And remember: you deserve to be here, just as much as anyone else.
Looking For More Career Tips and Insights?
Our monthly newsletter will keep you inspired, informed, and in the loop with our community and the tech industry: