Imposter Syndrome — How it Affects the Best of Us

Computer science can be described in many ways, but I think we can all agree that a) it’s hard, and b) the possibilities are truly endless. This is what makes the tech industry attractive to people — it attracts some of the best and brightest minds, ones that will dream it and go to any means to do it.

The tech industry is also growing at an alarming rate. Every day we hear more statistics about how high the demand is for programmers at every company. Resources are flooding the Internet, encouraging everyone and their dog to code. Every business is automating their operations and creating their face using the web. This is causing an increase in the numbers of people studying computer science, and thus… an increased pressure to be the best.

This mindset is all too well known in the tech industry, and it’s something I’ve felt personally. It’s called imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome, a term coined by psychologists in 1978, is “a concept describing high-achieving individuals who are marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud’.” In simpler terms, people with imposter syndrome have a constant feeling of never being good enough.

Why does imposter syndrome affect a lot of computer scientists? Well, one big reason is because in computer science, it can be really hard to define success. Computer science leads to careers in pretty much any field, ever, whether it be accounting or AI. Thus, in the initial years, people are still developing their interests and sometimes your performance in introductory CS classes won’t say much about your future aspirations. Second, a lot of people come into college with varying experience levels in computer science. If you’ve never coded a line in your life, it’s really easy to believe that you’ll never surpass the kid who’s been building on top of Minecraft since age 10. Even if you were that kid, imposter syndrome can affect you too. You’re passionate about your career and you’re passionate about rising up. Having others doing the same can feel a bit threatening.

Imposter syndrome also disproportionately affects minorities in software engineering, and, unfortunately, there are many. Right now, we’re living in a generation where many of us didn’t really use computers (or really see their importance) as children. Now, computer technology is making everyone’s lives easier every day, no matter who you are or what your level of technical expertise is. Thus, the push to get technology access to underprivileged communities is pretty new. This leaves room for a large achievement gap between those who were always exposed to the cutting edge and those who just garnered interest. Another minority that experiences imposter syndrome is women. Women in the workplace have long been limited by the glass ceiling, the idea that there’s a low ceiling of success that a woman can achieve in the workplace. Since there are so few women in tech, they can often be looked down by their male counterparts, or seen as too brash and “not one of the guys” if they’re quiet and submissive. Unfortunately, if you belong to one of these minorities, imposter syndrome might be a little more likely to hit you.

I’ve certainly had my fair share of imposter syndrome and I still do. But luckily, thanks to some time and some research, I’ve found some ways to help mitigate this plague that you can start implementing in your own life and in the institutions you are part of.

1. You’re the one who is putting in work. Therefore, the things you’ve accomplished are thanks to you.
2. If you don’t believe this, then do something to make it true. Find something in this industry to call your own. Make a startup idea. Create a personal website. Code up that game you’ve been thinking about for months.
3. Start thinking about your life in terms of the value you are giving to yourself and the value that you are providing to others.
4. Don’t immediately dismiss nice comments. I have trouble with this. People say nice things for a reason, and they wouldn’t congratulate your work if they didn’t think you deserved it.
5. And while you’re not dismissing nice comments, make sure you’re giving people credit for their work and the same positive encouragement and reinforcement that you desire. Everyone is thinking the same thing, so pay it forward.
6. Come to the realization that nobody knows what they’re doing. We’re all just faking it until we make it.

Last but not least, everyone should make sure to talk about imposter syndrome, and it make it known that everyone feels it. The biggest step to getting rid of it is knowing that you’re most certainly not alone.

Thanks for reading! Let me know about your experiences with imposter syndrome in the comments.