Ever felt like a fraud professionally? Have you felt that at any moment someone will figure out you don’t know everything there is to know about your profession? Well I have news for you. Everyone feels that way at some point. So what exactly is “imposter syndrome”? Imposter syndrome refers to highly successful people fearing being thought of as a fraud. These folks are unable to recognize their own achievements on their path to success. Some even attribute their success to just luck.

There’s nothing wrong with questioning your own qualifications, but once you do you need to figure out a way to push through and regain your confidence. Honestly the higher up the ladder you go in your career, the more you will have those moments. Here a some things you can do to build your confidence and overcome the imposter syndrome.

Figure out the reason you are questioning your qualifications. You didn’t get to where you are on pure luck. Those above you saw something in you that warranted you being where you are. You should recognise and appreciate your qualifications. Be proud of them. Confidence in yourself allows others to see it and gain more confidence in you. Remind yourself of all the things you have accomplished. Also be sure to remind yourself of the hard work you put in to get to where you are.

Don’t let feeling like a fraud keep you from getting to where you want to be. Imposter syndrome will keep you taking on different challenges because you fear you won’t succeed. In order to continue to progress in career, you have to take on challenges. It’s okay to be afraid, but you can’t let fear hold you hostage. Take a deep breath and make the leap.

Write down your success and failures. Journaling is a great way to keep track of everything you have achieved. I suggest writing down any challenges (or failures) so you can review them and learn from them. You can grow from both your successes and your failures.

Realize no one is perfect. Each and every one of us will encounter problems. Handle them and push forward.

Accept that you will never know everything about your field but be willing to learn as much as you can. Never stop learning. There’s always something new or someone you can learn from. Take advantage of it.

To sum it all up, we all suffer from imposter syndrome from time to time. The key is to not wallow in it. Remember your accomplishments and the hard work you put in to get where you are. If you feel like you are lacking something, take a training or do some reading to help with that skill. Drop the insecurities and walk confidently into whatever role that lies ahead of you.

Have you felt like a “fraud” at any point in your career? What have you done to overcome it? Let me know in the comments. You can also reach out to me on social media.