Reflecting on 2020: The Importance of Progress
Reflecting on 2020: The Importance of Progress
Imposter syndrome is defined as anxiety or self-doubt that results from persistently undervaluing one’s competence and active role in achieving success, while falsely attributing one's accomplishments to luck or other external forces – and it's really common.
Almost everyone, regardless of status or accomplishments, has felt like their success may be a fluke at one time or another. Many people describe imposter syndrome as a nagging fear that someone is going to "discover" that they're not actually qualified, and that everything they've worked for will be gone. Here at Lambda School, we know how hard it is to break into the tech industry, whether this is your first career or your fifth. You've spent months honing your code and practicing your interview skills, and now it's time to shine.
As you head into the job search remember this: you're qualified, prepared, and deserve every bit of success that comes your way. If you need more inspiration to help you beat imposter syndrome, here are 6 web developers on what helps them in moments of self-doubt:
Megan has found that relying on the community she has built around her has been a huge help getting her through her fears. She gets strength from her family, women and moms on Twitter, and small groups she's a part of in Lambda.
Cam found HTML and CSS very approachable, but when he began the JavaScript portion of the Lambda School curriculum, he began to struggle. After a couple of unsuccessful interviews, he worried he wasn’t cut out for the job. Cam found community on YouTube and Discord who helped him push through his imposter syndrome and find his “why.”
Christina is a front-end developer and a web dev/React instructor at Lambda School. Christina taught herself to code after having children as a way to build a remote career, and worried that changing careers would be too overwhelming. For her, finding a community to learn with has been crucial, in addition to celebrating the “little wins.”
Kent graduated in 2014 with a degree in Information Technology and began a career as a product manager. His first experience with imposter syndrome came during the age of MySpace – he enjoyed building pages using HTML, but felt discouraged that he wasn’t a “technical” developer. He finally realized that his own mindset was keeping him from pursuing his interests, and has begun to explore his own curiosity again.
Amanda is a full stack web development student at Lambda School. The first week she felt confident, but once the instructors began covering new material, her confidence began to wane. She struggled to accept help from others because of her imposter syndrome, and the more she listened to that negative voice, the worse it got. She uses her insecurity to fuel her motivation, and it’s helped her excel in her program.
Megan is a Lambda School and a Team Lead. While she was working through the program, her imposter syndrome would kick in and her brain would “blank,” causing her to spiral into self-doubt. She says that she’s glad she pushed through those really difficult periods, and that her fighting spirit helped her remember that learning to code is hard for a reason, but she has what it takes to succeed.
When you feel moments of imposter syndrome, reach out to your community for help, take advantage of your Modern Health mental health resources, and remember your own "why" for being at Lambda School. You have all the tools you need to succeed – now's the time to go for it.
For even more help defeating imposter syndrome, here are a few resources we love:
Hi, I'm an Imposter by Lambda alum Alexis J. Carr
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in Your Career: 5 Resources to Help You by Joseph Liu
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Claim Your Authority and Step Up to the Mic by Lauren Bacon
Plus, 6 Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Health at Lambda School
Now that you know imposter syndrome is a liar, it's time to begin your coding journey with the confidence that you can do this. Get started today.
