I battled with impostor syndrome for the first two-thirds of my career. Starting at a startup doing network engineering and embedded real-time development, the market was tough, much like today’s. Feeling lucky to have a job, I eventually leaped to Amazon through what I felt was a “lucky and easy” interview.
At Amazon, I worked alongside graduates from prestigious schools like UW, Stanford, and MIT. Here I was, with my CS degree from WWU, working shoulder to shoulder with them. Though I was promoted in line with many of them, the thought lingered: “Was it a fluke that I got in? Could I do it again?”
It wasn’t until I joined another startup in a leadership position that I realized my impostor syndrome stemmed from comparing myself to others. I learned to look at my accomplishments and feel content with them, rather than robbing my joy by comparing. An authentic and open leadership team that promoted those values helped immensely.
Once I gained confidence in my abilities and role, it became much easier to stop avoiding risks and drive towards bolder directions for my teams. As a consequence, I continually attempt to celebrate people and their accomplishments.
Even at Meta (Facebook), I found myself among Directors and VPs who mentioned feeling impostor syndrome. By then, I had experienced my epiphany and shared with the group, “We all went through a super tough interview process. Facebook isn’t looking for your weaknesses; they want to build you up, not make you prove your worth. You are in this room, so you aren’t an impostor.” People spoke with me after that, saying that calling it out in the meeting was super helpful and helped them move ahead.
TL;DR: “I overcame impostor syndrome by objectively recognizing my accomplishments (not comparing them) and working with supportive leaders. If you’re struggling with impostor syndrome, especially after job transitions, let’s connect. Sometimes a chat can help you see your own worth.”