Imposter Syndrome: Why did they let me come up here and talk to you?

April 13, 2019 - Twin Cities Code Camp - Minneapolis, MN

What am I doing here? All these people are so much smarter than me. They’ll find out I have no idea what I’m talking about. Why did they even let me do this in the first place? I should’ve just stayed at my last job. Sure, I hated it, but I knew how to do it.

Sound familiar? You might have Imposter Syndrome. Imposter Syndrome is a very, very common issue that a lot of us face. In the ever-growing world of tech, it sometimes seems difficult to both get and keep up to speed on what’s going on in your company. Especially for those of us that are career-changers, the task sometimes seems even more daunting.

In this talk, we’ll examine Imposter Syndrome and learn how to nip it in the bud! We’ll learn techniques for recognizing and squashing those imposter-y feelings before you let it take over your life and career.

Transcript

1. @meganboczar Megan Boczar Imposter Syndrome: Why did they let me come up here and talk to you?
2. @meganboczar My name is Megan Boczar This is my face I’m a software engineer This is where I work
3. @meganboczar What are we going to do today? • Define imposter syndrome • Explore my journey • Provide practical tips for overcoming
4. @meganboczar Imposter, Impostor. Whatever. Don’t @ me.
5. @meganboczar What is Imposter Syndrome? Let’s start with a clinical definition...
6. @meganboczar “Imposter syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success.” Harvard Business Review - "Overcoming Imposter Syndrome"
7. @meganboczar “Every day feels like the first day and every day you think, ‘They’re going to fire me; I don’t know what I’m doing here; I don’t know how to do this; I don’t know why I’m here; Everybody’s going to find out.’” - Michelle Williams marieclaire.com
8. @meganboczar Bustle.com Symptoms of Imposter Syndrome • Difficulty accepting praise • Discount your success • Overworker to a fault • Compulsion to be the best • Fear failure • Avoid showing confidence • Focus more on what you haven’t done
9. @meganboczar News.com - "High Achievers & Imposter Syndrome" TheCut.com - "Famous Women..." Fellow Imposter Syndrome Sufferers... • Tina Fey • Oprah Winfrey • Sheryl Sandberg • Helen Mirren • Sigourney Weaver • Emma Watson • Denzel Washington • Meryl Streep • Daniel Radcliffe • Margaret Chan • Maya Angelou • Chuck Lorre
10. @meganboczar ImposterSyndrome.com So what does this mean? People with Imposter Syndrome may hold back from: • Applying to jobs they actually want • Asking for raises or promotions • Offering advice to coworkers or management
11. @meganboczar Stack Overflow Developer Survey Imposter Syndrome and Gender
12. @meganboczar xkcd.com Imposter Syndrome and Gender
13. @meganboczar My Experience How I felt and how I overcame it
14. @meganboczar Sorry, I’m gonna talk about myself for a second... Basically, I’ve done a lot of random stuff
15. @meganboczar Then I went to bootcamp...
16. @meganboczar But then this happened….
17. @meganboczar And then I got a job!
18. @meganboczar Overcoming Imposter Syndrome Appreciating yourself and being proud of your accomplishments
19. @meganboczar Steps to overcome Imposter Syndrome • Get educated • Find a support system/mentor • Expand your network • Be confident • Change your thinking
20. @meganboczar Unhelpful Thinking Styles - Psychology Tools
21. @meganboczar CBT Thought Record - Psychology Tools
22. @meganboczar Business Chicks - "9 ways women can grow..." The Muse - "5 Words Not to Use" Simple (?) hacks for self-confidence • Watch your language ◦ Avoid “just”, “hopefully”, “kind of”, “sorry” • Ask for it • Own it (good or bad) • Power poses! • Don’t be afraid to say no • Make new friends
23. @meganboczar Additional Resources
24. @meganboczar @meganboczar Thanks!