Not everyone feels confident with their skills at work, including those in the tech industry. A new informal study by workplace social media website Blind finds that 58 per cent of people with technology-based careers feel like frauds. These individuals are experiencing what is known as Imposter Syndrome, reports The HR Digest.
What is Imposter Syndrome? It’s believing you are not smart, competent or inventive even if you’ve achieved a high level of success. Oftentimes these individuals are highly motivated but fear being uncovered as frauds. And they usually suffer in silence.
The Digest points out that having these feelings of insecurity is not uncommon among workers. A 2011 study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Science, found about 70 percent of people experience imposter syndrome at least once.
What’s interesting is that so many people in the tech industry are self-doubters.
Blind allows users to post about various workplace-related topics, including culture, compensation, policies, and sexual harassment. The website conducted a survey involving thousands of its users, who are tech professionals from companies such as Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Uber. When asked if they suffer from Imposter Syndrome, over 10,000 users responded.
The survey revealed the following:
- 72 percent of Expedia employees said they experienced Imposter Syndrome, followed by Salesforce (66.8 percent) and Amazon (64.48 percent)
- Just 45.45 percent of Apple employees said they experienced Imposter Syndrome, followed by eBay (49.69 percent) and Cisco (46.67 percent)
- Overall, 58 percent said they suffered from Imposter Syndrome
Imposter Syndrome can be nerve-wracking, but there are ways to overcome it. First, it’s important to acknowledge your feelings and determine whether they help or hinder your momentum. It’s also good to change your way of thinking and understand that it’s okay to ask for help. Another key is realizing that the more you practice something, the better you will be at doing it.
Sharing your thoughts with friends, mentors and even a professional therapist is also helpful, according to Time. These allies can validate your feelings, particularly if they’ve been in a similar position. It’s not uncommon for people to have doubts, but it’s not good for these feelings to control one’s life.
