How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome in Your Career
Navigating the treacherous waters of self-doubt in professional life can be daunting, but it's not a journey to be taken alone. This article distills the wisdom of industry leaders and seasoned professionals to arm readers with strategies for conquering imposter syndrome. With expert-backed approaches addressing personal growth, confidence building, and objective self-assessment, empowerment is within reach.
- Embrace Discomfort for Personal Growth
- Confidence Comes from Pursuit
- Focus on Facts, Not Feelings
- Hold Yourself to High Standards
- Ask Questions to Understand Better
- Acknowledge and Name Your Strengths
Embrace Discomfort for Personal Growth
When you start to recognize that discomfort and self-doubt, it's actually a good sign. In taking those first steps to acknowledging those feelings, you're actually on the right path of personal growth. Feeling like an imposter can happen when you're pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, and boy does it sometimes feel scary and rightly so. Instead of thinking of these things as failure, embrace those feelings as evidence that you're challenging yourself to strive for something better. It's only by pushing those boundaries that you can actually grow and self-actualize and become the person you want to be.
So, allow yourself to be curious, instead of trying to be perfect, accept that you're a work in progress and be proud of even the smallest of wins and steps. Utilize a lessons learned journal and every time you doubt yourself, write it down and at the end of the week reflect upon the events and if your greatest fear of failure really did come true. More often than not, you'll see that they didn't. That regardless of when things did go wrong, you actually showed strength and found a way through.
Each week set yourself mini challenges and push yourself to do something that scares you a little each day, over time this will grow your confidence and resilience and a belief in yourself that anything is possible.
Confidence Comes from Pursuit
I'd love to contribute to this conversation because my perspective on imposter syndrome shifted dramatically after spending years working internationally.
I never even heard the term "imposter syndrome" until I returned to the U.S. after working in various countries throughout the Middle East for a number of years. To me, it simply seemed like a term for people who lacked confidence in their abilities. Everywhere I worked abroad, professionals weren't questioning whether they "belonged" or "deserved" their roles they focused on learning, adapting, and executing.
My Number One Piece of Advice for those struggling with self-doubt:
Everyone starts somewhere. No one knows everything-it's how you handle not knowing that makes the difference.
Confidence comes from pursuit, not perfection. You don't need to feel qualified before stepping into opportunities you need to develop the courage to move forward despite uncertainty. The knowledge and expertise will come as you take action.
How to Overcome Self-Doubt & Step into Your Power:
- Reframe the Unknown - Instead of thinking, "I'm not ready," shift to "I'm learning as I go-just like everyone else."
- Stop Comparing & Start Doing - The people you admire once knew nothing too-but they kept going.
- Take the First Step & Commit to Growth - You don't have to be the best right now, but if you keep showing up, you will be.
- Validate Yourself First - Waiting for external validation keeps you stuck. Instead, ask: "What actions today will make me proud of myself?"
- Trust the Process - Confidence isn't a prerequisite-it's a result of showing up and figuring things out as you go.
I'd be happy to provide a quote, additional insights, or real-world examples of professionals I've helped break free from self-doubt and step into their next level of success.
Looking forward to collaborating!
Best,
DaVonda St.Clair
Career Strategist | Cybersecurity Expert
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davondastclair
Focus on Facts, Not Feelings
My number one piece of advice for someone struggling with imposter syndrome in their career is to focus on facts, not feelings. Imposter syndrome thrives on self-doubt and the belief that success is due to luck or chance rather than skill. The most effective way to overcome this is to ground yourself in evidence of your achievements. Keep a record of accomplishments, positive feedback, and milestones you've reached. When self-doubt creeps in, revisit these facts to remind yourself that your success is built on real contributions, not luck.
It's also important to reframe failure as a natural part of growth. No successful career is without setbacks. Rather than seeing challenges as proof of inadequacy, view them as opportunities to learn and improve. This mindset shift not only weakens self-doubt but also builds resilience and confidence over time.
Another powerful step is to speak openly about your feelings. Imposter syndrome is more common than people realize, especially among high-achievers. Talking with peers or mentors can normalize these feelings and provide valuable perspective. Often, you'll discover that others you admire have experienced similar self-doubt.
Stay connected to your purpose. When you focus on the impact of your work rather than your perceived shortcomings, you shift your mindset from self-criticism to service. Imposter syndrome loses its power when you measure your worth not by perfection, but by your dedication to growth and making a difference.
Hold Yourself to High Standards
Impostor syndrome is something that is so natural, especially early in your career. I think it can be helpful to remember that the people who have the most impostor syndrome are usually those that hold themselves to the highest standards—if the bar is set impossibly high, you are always going to feel like an impostor. It can also be important to remember that it's normal, and that these feelings will likely fade as you get more experience. If you are several years into a job or career path and the impostor voice is still going strong, you may want to explore where in your life this voice comes from—did you have a caregiver growing up who made you never feel like enough? Working with a trained therapist can help you identify some of these internalized beliefs about yourself and slowly unlearn them by challenging unhelpful thinking patterns and focusing on your strengths and achievements. Asking yourself, "What would I tell a friend in my situation?" can sometimes help put things in perspective—we are usually our own harshest critic!
Ask Questions to Understand Better
Ask more questions of superiors. Ask why. Ask why again. Ask why 3 times. Very quickly, it becomes abundantly clear that we're all just pretending we know what's going on. NOBODY knows what's going on! There is no adulting-license, and the job is just to show up and do our best. Just like everyone else.
Acknowledge and Name Your Strengths
The first thing is to name it and acknowledge it. Once you know it, you can work through the self-doubt. Ask yourself what is true about me? When you ask this question, you can name your strengths, and while you may be fearful of the next step in your career, you will also be acknowledging that the truth includes that you have done hard things before, you have faced the unknown before and worked through, and that you are capable of figuring things out.
