Don’t doubt yourself, that’s the Imposter speaking

The term Imposter Syndrome describes a high-achieving individual who struggles to internalise success; who feels fraudulent; and who attributes success to factors such as hard work, charm or luck. Those with ‘Imposter Syndrome’ experience a chronic sense of inadequacy. 

Some psychologists believe Imposter Syndrome is caused by personality traits such as anxiety, others believe it’s linked to environmental factors from a person’s childhood. 

While that little voice may be whispering to you and making you feel alone, you’re not. An estimated 70% of people experience Imposter Syndrome at some point in their lives. 

About Imposter Syndrome

Now, let me wow you with some more of my Googling skills…

Imposter Syndrome was first identified in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes. Their study found that high-achieving women persistently believed themselves to not be good enough, despite their accomplishments. 

Imposter Syndrome predominantly affects women but there has been little study into minorities such as people of colour, and thus the link between systematic oppression and Imposter Syndrome is yet to be explored. 

Generally, Imposter Syndrome is identified by characteristics such as feeling of failure, feeling like a fraud, and inability to assess your own competence and achievements. However, Imposter Syndrome can also be highly motivating for some, pushing them to strive for more. But this comes at a cost – ongoing anxiety and stress. 

My Experience With Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome doesn’t seem to be something that just goes away. Personally, I’ve been through highs and lows. 

The lowest of these was on a content writing project during lockdown. 

My client was a physics PHD and the Account Manager constantly talked him up as a ‘big brain’ – so no pressure there…

I was tasked with re-writing their entire website. I met with them and talked through the initial steps and it became quite clear they didn’t know what it was they actually wanted. 

Well, I did some SEO research and started on writing. I sent over the first page for a structural and tone of voice review so that I could crack on with the others. And I heard nothing back. For 2 weeks. So, I chased. And heard nothing. 

With looming deadlines, I started on the other pages and sent them over.

Another 2 weeks later they requested an urgent meeting. 

In this meeting, they slammed my work. Absolutely slammed it!

“It reads as though a 7 year old wrote this” 

The Flesch readability score was about 50. 

“Where did you get this information? It’s incorrect” 

From the supplier pages you told me to refer to. 

“Why is this so long, no one reads more than 150 words on a page” 

So that you have a chance to rank for Google in relevant searches. 

“This is no better than our current website. Our daughter is a UX designer, so we know”

If you know, then I’m sure you’d be aware that UX design and content writing are two vastly different disciplines.

But, I said none of those responses. I shrunk as the little voice of self-doubt spoke up in my head. 

I left that call feeling small and confused. I quickly called the Account Manager to fill him in and as I started to explain, I started to cry, uncontrollably. Berating myself for being unprofessional certainly didn’t help the tears. 

I hung up and 15 minutes later was more composed, soI called back. Luckily, the Account Manager was very understanding and we came to the topic of Imposter Syndrome. He didn’t know what it was, and as we discussed it more, he came to realise it was a familiar sensation for him as well. 

The thing is, in that same client phone call, the client spoke about a customer that was referred to them by word of mouth. That customer said he visited their current website but didn’t really understand what they do. 

So, folks, the client is not always right. You’re the marketing professional for a reason. 

I should have stood my ground and calmly explained to them why I had made the choices I had. If they still wanted us to change it, knowing the reasoning behind it, that’s their choice. 

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

I can’t promise you any secret recipe for this. But, what I can tell you is what has worked for me, at least so far.

Listen and digest. 

Then, put your critical thinking hat on and decide if what’s being said is a useful lesson or something you don’t need to hold onto. 

Rather than letting the voice of self-doubt have a stage, take control of the situation. 

Reward your accomplishments, no matter how small. 

If you finish a Google Certification, let yourself shine. Add it to your LinkedIn and get yourself a treat – you deserve it! 

If you figure out something you’ve been struggling with, don’t ask yourself why it took so long to figure it out! Be glad that you got there and have some tea and a biscuit. 

If you’re like me and you forget these small accomplishments, jot them down in a notebook.

But, get in the practise of being your own cheerleader. We work in an ever-changing industry so it’s not always easy to be on top of it all. You need to acknowledge your hard work! 

Remember, the voice that whispering in your head, that’s the imposter speaking. Don’t doubt yourself.