Impostor Syndrome!

Have you ever had the feeling that you aren’t good enough or know enough to do your job? You aren’t the only one. Imposter syndrome is felt by almost all people at some point in their life. In this episode, Tim and Carolina discuss imposter syndrome and what it means to them.

More About the Show

The Build Perspectives podcast shares insider knowledge to build connections and community in the facade and cladding industry. Tim and Carolina are friends, colleagues and former coworkers who love facades and their clients, and want to share their passion and insights to attract future talent to the building industry.

In this episode, Tim and Carolina talk all about imposter syndrome: what it is, how it feels, and how to get over it instead of letting it derail your career efforts.

What Is Imposter Syndrome?

According to the American Psychological Association, “imposter syndrome is a pervasive feeling of self-doubt, insecurity and incompetence despite evidence that you are skilled and successful.” 

It’s a feeling most everyone experiences in their life, including Tim and Carolina. While people used to think it was traditionally a female problem, as several studies have shown that women tend to underestimate their abilities more than men, it’s now shown to be experienced by women and men alike. And it’s worse for younger people: 70% of millennials experience the feeling.

Experiencing Imposter Syndrome First Hand

Tim and Carolina both have experience with feelings of being an imposter. 

Tim’s experience is in sales and construction, but he is now in marketing. However, that’s not his discipline or something he was trained to do. He knows just enough to get into trouble, but it can leave him feeling worried. One thing he’s found that helps is to surround himself with people that know more about the subject than he does and can help him make the right decisions. The trick, he says, is to accept you need help and be vulnerable. 

Carolina has also experienced imposter syndrome. With her undergrad degree in engineering and her masters in engineering and materials, Carolina felt at home in her first few jobs out of college as they were engineering and design jobs. But once she had kids, she made the decision to be a stay at home mom (which she loved!) and just do the occasional freelance job. But once she got back into the field, imposter syndrome crept in.

She got a job as a technical trainer for installers of fiber cement cladding and construction, and while there women at the job site, they weren’t the ones she was training. She felt like she didn’t have the experience to be training people to install the products her company sold. But she’s found that’s not really the case. 

Most of the time when you are feeling imposter syndrome, you are inside your own head. Carolina suggests looking outside of yourself and either ask people for help or see where you can be a mentor to someone else. When you find someone you know more than and can help, you’ll see that you really are enough, you know enough and that most everyone else is feeling the same way.

Suffering from Imposter Syndrome

Ironically, the people who suffer from imposter syndrome the most are overachievers. They are the doers who have something going at all times. They also fail to internalize their successes, so it feels like they are never improving or doing well. 

To help lessen the feeling of imposter syndrome, make sure you are celebrating your wins. Don’t just think, okay, project done, on to the next. Instead, think, wow, that was an awesome job I did. Internalize your success to build a foundation of confidence in yourself. Then when you have those moments of doubt, you can think back to all the times you’ve succeeded. 

Everyone is going to feel stress and anxiety, especially as the industry continues to grow rapidly and the need for more doers grows as well. The people who will succeed in this stressful environment will be the ones who can handle imposter syndrome and get out of their own head. 

So go ahead and try something new. Ask for help, ask for advice, and get the experience you need. Even the most experienced people in the industry have feelings of doubt and will ask for help. So should you.

And don’t be afraid to ask your boss for advice on what you should be working on. Ask them: what am I good at? What should I be working on? Sometimes you’ll have to press to get real feedback. Don’t settle for a bland comment of “You’re doing great.” Strive to get feedback that can really help you improve and grow. Sometimes the feedback will sting, but in the end, it’ll make you a better person and better employee. 

Don’t let imposter syndrome stop you from sharing your gifts with the world. Fight through the fears and be vulnerable. It won’t happen overnight—it’s a muscle you have to exercise—but the more often you confront the fear, the faster you can move through it and continue on your journey of being a better person.

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