How to Tackle Imposter Syndrome at Every Stage of Your Career

Whether it’s your first bout of imposter syndrome_{Switching to Tech? Here’s How to Keep Imposter Syndrome at Bay} or your most recent, there’s nothing enjoyable about feeling like you don’t belong somewhere or are less competent than your peers. 

Especially when you’re taking a big leap of faith, like starting a new job, learning a new skill, or changing industries altogether. That’s when it can be helpful to know that you’re not alone — 70% of adults may experience imposter syndrome at least once in their lifetime (or even more).

Ultimately, the trick is to not let imposter syndrome prevent you from developing your potential. Rather, you want to be able to recognize it while affirming both your abilities and belonging. 

The following tips by career stage can help.

Starting out

The first years of a career come with a steep learning curve as you transition from student to professional_{TripleTen Student and First-Generation College Grad Jackie Lu Lands a Job at Tesla}. But any feelings of nervousness or even worry you have in the early months of a new job should dissipate as you become more comfortable with both your job and company. If you’re still feeling like you’re a phony by month six, it’s likely imposter syndrome is at play.

What imposter syndrome looks like at this stage

Struggling to accept praise. You don’t believe colleagues when they compliment your work or contributions to a project or goal. Instead, you rationalize that the success was temporary.

Hesitance when describing role or title to others. You feel like you aren’t really performing the responsibilities of your role, or you think that you haven’t done enough to earn your title yet.

Excessive perfectionism. You worry about making mistakes, because doing so will reveal that you’re just pretending to know what you’re doing at work. So you agonize over every little thing.

Overthinking simple tasks. Because you’re so afraid of being found out as a “fraud,” you put way too much energy and time into mundane tasks that nobody else looks twice at to ensure they’re good enough.

Downplaying abilities to team members. Since you have less experience than some colleagues, you might feel uncomfortable owning your areas of expertise or abilities because you feel you have so much more to learn.

How to tackle it

• Schedule weekly 1:1s with your manager. Ask your manager for a weekly sync where you can check in on projects, get feedback on your areas of strength and growth, and ask for help managing self-doubt.
  

• Seek out new challenges and opportunities. Getting out of your comfort zone, whether professionally or outside of work, can help you build up confidence in yourself. Go learn a new skill!
  

• Understand that everyone experiences self-doubt sometimes. It’s human to encounter uncertainty when growing professionally. Remember that even CEOs struggle with imposter syndrome now and then.
  

• Keep a log of accomplishments. If you’re struggling to remember the wins you’ve had and are focusing on only the failures, you’ll have a lopsided view of your performance. A logbook can help you maintain balance.

Having a growth mindset is really the primary thing that you need in order to make any sort of conversion. And being ready for the unknown — you're not going to know a whole lot at the beginning, but there are so many resources.

Mackenzie Wells TripleTen grad

Mid-career

By the time you’re in the middle of your career, you’ve spent enough time learning the skills, tools, and topics you need for work to show up with confidence. But it’s also the time of life professionally when you might get promoted, make a lateral move, or even change careers altogether_{Getting an Entry-Level Tech Job With No Experience: Why You’re an Asset}, leading to fresh opportunities to experience imposter syndrome’s fears and anxiety.

What imposter syndrome looks like at this stage

Dread of entering unfamiliar territory. You might be resistant to learning new things outside of your comfort zone because you see it as setting yourself up to fail instead of growing.

Anxiety at transitioning into a new role. Whether a lateral move or a promotion, you may see starting a new role with different responsibilities than you’ve mastered so far as above your skill set.

Seeing unexpected setbacks as proof of inadequacy. Perhaps you didn’t get a promotion, or a younger colleague advances faster than you. Whatever it is, you see it as proof that you’re not good enough.

Comparing yourself to other colleagues. Because you’re constantly analyzing your performance at work, you keep a close eye on how others are doing and feel that something must be wrong with you if you differ.

Downplaying abilities to team members. Similar to the entry above, but with a slight twist — since you have more experience than some colleagues, you might feel uncomfortable owning your areas of expertise or abilities because you don’t want to alienate them.

How to tackle it

• Practice mindfulness. A lot of thoughts that can happen with imposter syndrome are automatic. Learning to recognize these, interrupt the cycle, and gently redirect your mind is key to recovering from imposter syndrome.
  

• Develop self-compassion. Honoring your work ethic, intelligence, and expertise can help you see your professional value and develop a kinder relationship with yourself.
  

• Keep a log of accomplishments. Just like early career, keeping a record of your successes and accolades can be a great resource for combating imposter syndrome.
  

• Speak with a professional. Sometimes, imposter syndrome is rooted in something that’s too hard to untangle alone. This is when professional therapy can make sense.

A friend said, ‘You have good logic and you're very good at mathematics. Why don't you try it?’ His encouragement helped me see that I could do it.

Xia Cui TripleTen grad

Seasoned professional

After spending years dedicated to a career, you become a seasoned professional. But reaching this status doesn’t mean you aren’t susceptible to the occasional battle with imposter syndrome. While it can be even harder stretching yourself_{Doubts and Fears Getting in the Way of Your Future Career? TripleTen Students Share Ways to Fight Them} in new directions at this stage, launching into the unknown with a track record of wins behind you is a strong foundation for building what’s next.

What imposter syndrome looks like at this stage

Intellectual self-doubt. Even though you feel confident in your skills, you might still doubt your intelligence, subject matter expertise, or ability to adapt as new technologies disrupt your space.

Low self-esteem. Despite every evidence to the contrary, you might feel like you’re masquerading expertise at work. Perhaps you’re even starting to feel like your age is a liability, depending on your field.

Fear of failure. The more experienced you become, the harder it can be to fail. Imposter syndrome as a seasoned professional can bring with it an unrelenting need to avoid humiliation or shame.

Fear of success. Alternatively, you might find yourself caught in between the need for achievement and a fear of realizing it. This is a really tough place to be, since it can leave you paralyzed.

Downplaying abilities to self. While demonstrating expertise to others is not a problem, an internal monologue of doubt can be debilitating at this stage of your career.

How to tackle it

• Become a mentor. Coaching others in your field can help reinforce your expertise and get you out of your head by helping younger professionals grow their capabilities.
  

• Reframe failure. By this point in your career, you probably know that it’s okay and constructive to mess up at a new beginning. Give yourself grace to be human.
  

• Create a “curriculum vitae”. Academics use these instead of resumes and the phrase roughly means “life’s work.” Use one to validate all you’ve learned to date.
  

• Take a break. If your nervous system is so activated that you can’t reframe your imposter syndrome, take a break from work. A fresh perspective can go a long way.

I’m in my 40s, and I transitioned to a completely different field, and it was terrifying. I hope that I can be a role model for somebody who's in the same boat.

Marina Kingsbury TripleTen grad

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