Let’s start with an obvious statement – changing careers can be challenging. Of course, people have different circumstances, but for many, the jump to a new field is difficult. The learning curve may feel more like a series of walls to be scaled, and the adjustment period may feel never-ending. Sometimes, you’ll feel like you’re failing, not meeting some standard, or simply out of place… That’s okay. Someone has probably told you these feelings are natural. This blog will cover why you should believe that person (at least on this point) and tips for opposing Imposter Syndrome when changing careers.
Who Am I and Why Am I Writing This
Hi, I’m Kyle Stanford. I recently made a career shift from teaching to data analytics, and I’ve been with The Data School for nearly four months now, nearing the end of an intensive consultant training period. Throughout this time, there were moments when I felt out of place, like people were overestimating my abilities, and that my achievements weren’t entirely my own. Whilst I recognise that my experience with imposter syndrome has been somewhat “tame”, I hope sharing it can offer some comfort to others facing similar feelings, or at least help them feel less isolated.
I’m no expert in psychology, so I won’t dive too deep into the complexities of imposter syndrome or all the ways it manifests. Instead, I’ll briefly touch on the negative impacts it can have, and then share some strategies that have worked for me and others in managing it.
A Brief Overview
Think of imposter syndrome as a feeling of intellectual or professional fraudulence. People who experience imposter syndrome believe others view their capabilities too generously, and one day they’ll be “unmasked”. To combat this, they often minimise their successes, downplay the significance of their achievements, or attribute accomplishments to luck.
Unfortunately, these habits carry unintended damaging consequences that go beyond managing the expectations of others. Many studies show a correlation between imposter syndrome and higher rates of stress, burnout, depression, social isolation, career stagnation, and even relationship strain. If you want to know about imposter syndrome on a deeper level, I recommend checking out McLean Hospital’s Guide to Imposter Syndrome. Otherwise, keep reading for what I found to be effective when managing symptoms of imposter syndrome.
What Worked for Me?
1. Stop comparing yourself to others.
I realised very quickly at The Data School that everyone comes from different backgrounds, bringing their own experience and skills that may be vastly different that your own. Sounds pretty obvious if you think about it. However, it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to other people. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say it’s only human.
If you find yourself making comparisons to another person, take some time to pause and reflect. Consider that the other person may simply have more experience in a particular skill than you do and vice-versa. Try to view their strengths as an opportunity to learn from as opposed to a standard to measure yourself against.
Everyone starts learning at different times. Just because someone is further along doesn’t mean you’re behind. (Image artificially generated)
2. Talk with a supportive friend or network.
I consider myself lucky to have a supportive network of friends and family. Feelings of imposter syndrome can become quite isolating, so opening up to somebody you trust can feel liberating.
Since imposter syndrome is also quite common in workplace settings, you may confide in someone who has experienced imposter syndrome themself. This can alleviate the sense of isolation these feelings bring. Also, simply being able to talk about it and move on helps to avoid internalising negative emotions. In the end, the goal is to keep moving forward, and most of us do that best with support.
“Asking for help is an act of self-care, not a mark of failure” – Unknown (Image artificially generated)
3. Aim for Improvement (not 100% success).
No one is 100% successful in everything they do. It’s not realistic to always succeed. This is especially true when changing careers and learning new skills. I’ll go as far as to say failure is a necessary component of learning. However, the way we approach and view failure determines whether we progress or stagnate. On that point, I encountered the following quote in an anime called Assassination Classroom:
“The difference between the novice and the master is that the master has failed more times than the novice has tried” – Koro Sensei
The teacher figure Koro Sensei says this, emphasising the importance of learning from mistakes and perseverance in the pursuit of mastery. As I was learning so many new things during my career change, this quote reminded me to accept momentary failures as something to learn from and push through. Moreover, it puts into perspective reasonable expectations we should have on ourselves during the learning process. Hopefully, if you can take anything away from this blog, it will be this perspective.
Thank you so much for reading. I typically write “how to” guides for Tableau, Alteryx, and Power BI, so if you’re interested in that, please head over to my page!
