Imposter Syndrome is a deeply ingrained psychological pattern where individuals, despite their successes, struggle to internalize their achievements and often feel like frauds. This phenomenon is particularly pervasive among women, who may question their abilities and competence, regardless of their qualifications or accomplishments.
To address this, Women Adore Tech hosted a transformative live session aimed at helping women understand and overcome imposter syndrome. The session, titled "From Self-Doubt to Self-Worth: Dealing with Imposter Syndrome, was hosted by Girpriya, a law student from India. It brought together participants from diverse fields to share their personal experiences and explore strategies for overcoming self-doubt.
Understanding Imposter Syndrome
The session began with an introduction to imposter syndrome, which was defined as a psychological pattern where individuals struggle to recognize their own success, attributing it to luck or external factors rather than their own competence. Host Girpriya also introduced the concept of the Imposter Cycle: a cycle in which individuals overprepare or procrastinate, and then, when they do succeed, they attribute it to external factors—only to be trapped in self-doubt again.
The first discussion question asked participants to reflect on their own experiences with imposter syndrome. What followed were powerful stories from women in various fields, all of whom had grappled with feelings of inadequacy despite their undeniable achievements.
Personal Stories of Struggling with Imposter Syndrome
Maanasa recounted her time whilst pursuing a Master’s degree in aerospace in France, where she felt out of place despite having earned a scholarship. She was surrounded by peers with more mechanical engineering experience and struggled with feelings of inadequacy, wondering if she truly belonged there.
Srija (pseudonym) experienced similar feelings during her Master’s program in construction engineering and project management in USA. Many of her peers had 10-15 years of professional experience, and she felt unqualified in comparison. This led her to socially withdraw and question whether she had made the right decision to join a Master’s Program at that time.
Sandra (pseudonym), an electrical engineering student, shared how she faces imposter syndrome every day. When she secured a competitive on-campus job at NYU in USA, others questioned how she managed to get it, which made her doubt her qualifications. She began to wonder why more experienced candidates hadn’t been chosen instead, though she recognized that she was given this opportunity due to her ability to learn quickly and seize opportunities that came to her.
Dwarithaa, spoke about feeling imposter syndrome upon starting her undergraduate degree in Biomedical sciences. Coming from a highly competitive school in India and after two years of isolation during COVID, she became obsessed with proving herself through academics. She attached her self-worth to her grades and avoided opportunities because she felt unqualified, which resulted in her missing out on many events.
Recognizing and Coping with Imposter Syndrome
To help participants better understand imposter syndrome, the host shared some compelling statistics:
“75% of female executives across industries have experienced imposter syndrome in their careers, which is a feeling of inadequacy and self-doubt that makes them continuously doubt if they are qualified enough for the job.” - Forbes
“About 70% of people will experience imposter syndrome in their life, research has indicated.” - Forbes
“A KPMG Women’s Leadership Survey found that, while 63 percent of women executives cited ‘confidence and determination’ as a top characteristic of leaders, only 49 percent said they personally identified as being confident and 36 percent self-identified as being successful. Competence is essential, but it is not enough if you want to progress to leadership positions. It is that magical formula of competence plus confidence that leads to individual success.” - KPMG