Impostor syndrome (IS) has been described as a psychological pattern in which one doubts their accomplishments and works in fear that they will be exposed as a “fraud.” Identified by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, impostor syndrome was originally thought to exclusively affect women. The Clance Impostor Phenomenon scale was born in 1985 as a result of their work. Essentially, impostors believe they have fooled everyone into thinking they are something they are not. If this is not something that affects you personally, you can only imagine the feelings of stress, self-doubt, and anxiety that come as a result of this. There are occasions where, when given an assignment, an individual will be more likely to either over-prepare or procrastinate in response to feelings of self-doubt. In fact, 75% of professionals have experienced the need to procrastinate as a direct result of impostor syndrome. If procrastination occurs the individual will discount any positive feedback given through the assignment, and so the vicious cycle of impostor syndrome will begin again.
Although impostor syndrome has been shown to affect both women and men, it is more prevalent in women and exists alongside symptoms of depression, generalised anxiety, and low self-esteem. King and Cooley in 1995 found significant differences between women and men experiencing impostor syndrome. This is a relatively controversial finding; other studies have shown no difference between genders. Here at ScienceGrrl, we have no doubt that men do also experience impostor syndrome. This article is also for you. However, we cannot ignore that women are less likely to report feelings of self-doubt and more likely to underestimate their own performance or abilities. This can, in turn, make a successful woman vulnerable to impostor syndrome. Though women are more likely to be limited by this sensation, men may also be or feel limited by this too.
Impostor syndrome also impacts individuals based on profession. In a study involving 3000 UK residents, the highest rates of impostor syndrome were found in the creative arts and design industry, with the lowest in leisure, sport and tourism industries. Check the image below for a full breakdown of impostor syndrome rates by industry.
What Can We Do?
Many of us will experience feelings of doubt–that’s normal! However, what is important is not letting that doubt dictate your actions. If you’re dealing with impostor feelings, it is important to dispute your inner critic with rational thinking instead of ignoring it. This can include simply observing these thoughts and placing them into perspective. For example, listing achievements, taking stock of your career, and accepting that you are amazing at what you do. Accepting success rather than dismissing achievements to external factors, reaffirming your self-worth, and treating yourself with kindness can all help overcome feelings of inadequacy.
Another important way to tackle impostor syndrome is simply talking about it! Impostor syndrome remains taboo, with sufferers often appearing confident whilst dealing with feelings of shame and inadequacy. Sharing these feelings with people you trust can help reassure and normalise these feelings. If your workplace does not have support available, there are online communities and resources which offer ways of dealing with impostor syndrome and a community of people with experience just like you. Remember you are not alone. You are not a fraud, but strong and capable and deserving of every success.
Here are several resources for dealing with impostor syndrome:
- Fighting impostor syndrome/TED Talks
- Own Your Impostor
- ADA Initiative
- The Impostor’s Survival Guide
- 8 Practical Steps to Getting Over Your Impostor Syndrome
- How do I stop feeling like a fraud?
- Learning to deal with the impostor syndrome
Testimonials
We are grateful to have spoken to women in STEM about their feelings of impostor syndrome and how they have overcome this! We received testimonials from Christine Lester, a software engineer in financial services; Maxine King, a 2nd year PhD student at Plymouth University studying polar marine geology; and our very own ScienceGrrl Glasgow leader, Carla Suciu. What follows is their amazing stories of feeling like an impostor yet going on to achieve great things. We are all strong and capable of anything we want to achieve. Don’t let the inner voice get you down, you are not and never were an impostor.
Christine’s Story
“I work as a software engineer in the financial services industry, and before that I worked in the sports industry. In both careers I regularly experienced impostor syndrome. It does not matter how much I know, the amount of work I have done, the qualifications I have, or the fact that I have won an award for my work in tech: my mind still tells me that I am not good enough to be in my job. It tells me that I do not know enough to be a valuable team member and that it is only a matter of time before other people realise this.
There are some days when I find this voice really hard to ignore, and yet other days where I cannot hear it at all. On the days I struggle to silence the self-doubt, I find myself withdrawing from engagement – not speaking in team meetings, not taking opportunities presented and so on, because you can’t expose your lack of knowledge if I don’t put myself out there or speak up, right? – I do sometimes wonder what would have come of those opportunities had I ignored the voice of self-doubt and gone for them.
The other days? I feel that I am unstoppable: I discuss ideas and work with my colleagues, I seize chances – let’s go on that cybersecurity workshop, why not give a presentation about tech careers to school children, have a go at writing that application whirling around in your head, leap out of your comfort zone – and I realise that I am good at what I do, I was hired for this role for a reason, that I am more than good enough.
The moments in life, not just in my career, when I have tackled my imposter syndrome and leapt out of comfort zone have led to me achieving the things I am most proud of. That allows me, on the days of self-doubt, to turn around and say: I am here for a reason, I am not an imposter, I am worthy and I am enough.”
You can follow Christine on Twitter: @christinelester.
Maxine’s Story
“The earliest I felt impostor syndrome was the first time I got a bad grade when taking mock A-Level exams. I had been a good student up until then. All of a sudden, I failed an exam- something that had never happened to me before! I was so devastated that I rang my mum and she came to pick me up so I could cry without my classmates seeing me. I had spent my whole life taking pride in my ‘natural intelligence’ and getting consistent A-grades, only to then have it crushed with a final D-grade in chemistry. I loved chemistry, so this result was devastating.
I managed to scrape into my first choice of university to study marine geology. I felt as though I wouldn’t belong there. In my mind, science was for ‘naturally intelligent’ people. I decided to work as hard as possible during my first degree. I got good grades despite suffering from serious mental illness, and graduated from a masters in geological oceanography with a first class honours. My primary choice of career was to apply for PhD projects and stay in academia. It took me two years whilst working low-paid jobs in pubs so I could dedicate the rest of my time to do months of unpaid volunteering on cruises and in labs. I faced constant rejections and suffered through many difficult interviews- but the acceptance email finally came through and I was elated.
I love my PhD project. I have been able to travel to some amazing places and meet lots of wonderful people in my subject area. I feel like part of an international scientific community. However, I have felt the poisonous influence of impostor syndrome many times since the beginning. I constantly compare myself to other people and their successes, and it makes me feel like I am not a good scientist. That person went to a better university than me. That person has done fieldwork and I haven’t. That person published their master’s thesis and I couldn’t. That person works 12 hour-long days and I don’t. That person has presented at conferences more than I have. All of these comparisons made me feel like I didn’t belong in academia- I have had to struggle and work for every opportunity whilst it seems so natural for others. It is a constant battle, but being able to deal with these thoughts when I have them has been critical. These days I do my very best to focus on my successes. Sometimes I stand in front of the mirror and tell myself that it is amazing that I got myself here. At the end of the day, I am part of this community. I belong here and I am here for a reason. That reason is that I am smart and passionate about my work and what I do, and as long as I continue to be passionate I will be okay.”
You can follow Maxine on Twitter: @maxine_king25.
Carla’s Story
“Working as a science communicator, I have experienced large bouts of self doubt and impostor syndrome. It’s a big community and it can be a struggle to find your voice or feel that you are doing enough especially when comparing yourself to others. Online presence of science communicators is a double edged sword when it comes to imposter syndrome. It’s so great to belong to a community but also when seeing other sci coms doing their thing on platforms such as Twitter, it’s hard for me to remember that I’m at the beginning of my career and that I will also get to that stage. Instead, I believe that I’m a fraud and have just labelled myself as a science communicator but don’t do enough or haven’t achieved enough. I haven’t figured out the answer to combatting this but I’m hoping that as a community we can uphold each other and get the support we need in those turbulent times. It can definitely make you feel like pulling the plug on what you’re working on. However, it’s important to reflect on your journey, I often forget to look back. Like Maxine, I also scraped by in admission to university. Then going from a university student studying a subject that I liked but in hindsight wasn’t my passion and I wasn’t adequately supported, to living and breathing science communication, having undoubted passion and yes, achieving things even when my brain doesn’t want to believe I have! Looking back is important. I wake up and I don’t dread going to work like I used to. I don’t dread the hand in of assignments that I used to. I love speaking out, breaking down the barriers that existed for me once upon a time and creating a more inclusive/welcoming environment for STEM!”
You can follow Carla on Twitter: @carladoesscicom.