What is Impostor Syndrome?
Impostor syndrome is the belief that despite your successes, you are inept, inferior to others, or bad at your job.
In other words, Impostor Syndrome occurs when you believe you are a bad designer even when everyone else is telling you that you are a great designer.
Symptoms of impostor syndrome include lack of self-confidence, feeling like a fraud, constant comparisons to other people, self-doubt, not trusting your intuition and abilities, negative self-talk, or irrational fears about the future. Do any of these sound familiar? In a professional setting, Impostor Syndrome can manifest itself in many ways. Some examples include not applying for jobs if you do not meet all the requirements, taking on extra work to make sure you can do it all, and deflecting compliments. There are countless reasons why we feel impostor syndrome. The good news is that there are some small steps we can take when impostor syndrome sets in.
How to overcome Impostor Syndrome?
We want you to meet new people with confidence without imposter syndrome getting in the way. Here are a few pro tips to get those anxious feelings under control:
Acknowledge your thoughts. Recognize how you feel and try to figure out why you feel that way. This will help you figure out what triggers your Impostor Syndrome so you can better manage it in the future.
Stand by your accomplishments. You have your own unique perspectives and experiences. Think of all the accomplishments and skills that set you apart from other people. Write them down in a list so you can see how much you have to share when you network. You have a lot to offer, so go into conversations with confidence!
Be honest with yourself. Take a realistic assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. Find the areas that make you feel like you are not "good enough" and work on improving them so you can be more confident. Everyone has areas to improve in and there is always more to learn, so do not let your weaknesses hold you back.
Have a conversation. Ask a trusted mentor, friend, or seasoned professional how they deal with Impostor Syndrome.
Wear something that makes you feel confident. Looking good helps you feel good about yourself. If you are going to an in-person networking event, dress in your favorite professional attire so you feel like the best version of yourself.
Help someone else. Sharing the knowledge you have with others helps you feel more valuable. This could be giving advice to someone less experienced than you or sharing a unique experience with one of your colleagues. If you do not think you have anything to offer anyone, go back to the list you made earlier.
Fake it till you make it. Even if you are not confident in your abilities as a designer, if you stay confident long enough, it will eventually become second nature. People are naturally attracted to confident people, so being confident will likely help you make even more contacts in your workplace and in the UX community.
Go with a friend. Attending networking events with someone you know can help you feel less overwhelmed and nervous.
Get to know people. Getting acquainted with other UX professionals will make you feel less out of place. You will find that experienced UX designers are not as intimidating as they may first seem! This will help you feel less nervous about meeting other people in the future.
Know that you are not alone. When you go to a networking event or start a group project with people you do not know, you will not be the only one who feels like you do not belong. Being around seasoned professionals can be intimidating, even if you are one yourself! Besides, even the most experienced UX designers were once in your shoes. We all started somewhere.
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- #impostor
- #selfconfidence
- #fraud
- #comparison
- #negative
- #irrational