Have you ever doubted your abilities? Maybe everyone goes through moments like this every once in a while. If the feeling persists and gets in the way of your professional development, then you might be suffering from what’s been called “impostor syndrome”. Humaira Ahmed, the founder and CEO of Locelle, talked about dealing with impostor syndrome when you are a tech talent. Her energy and enthusiasm were incredibly inspiring and she shared important tips for anyone struggling to take up the space they’ve earned.
Humaira was one of VanHackCON‘s speakers this year. The event is the largest online conference for senior tech talent who want to get a job in Canada, the US, or Europe. The 2022 edition took place on the 18th and 19th of November. Keep an eye out for more free events and sign up for our platform to access international job opportunities and unique preparation.
What Imposter Syndrome Looks And Feels Like
Locell is a talent development platform created to help women and underrepresented people accelerate their careers through mentor-matching, workshops, and community. As CEO, Humaira has helped thousands of women, mostly from underrepresented groups.
Over the years, she has encountered many tech professionals experiencing impostor syndrome and has suffered from it herself. She says some of the “symptoms” are self-doubt, anxiety, and nervousness.
Humaira learned that fighting feelings do not work. Being able to identify them, sit with them, and say “it’s OK”, is a more powerful approach.
Dealing With Self Doubt
You don’t need to eradicate doubts and insecurities from your life. Humaira believes the best way to deal with impostor syndrome is to change the narrative around it. It’s OK to be nervous when starting a new job, giving a public talk, or going to a job interview. The key is to focus on progress. Do your best and see what happens. You don’t need to get it right on your first try, you just need to keep improving even if you’re taking tiny steps.
Sometimes it can be easy to let the normal anxiety we feel when doing something important get the best of us. “Sometimes you are not an impostor, you are just new at something. Keep going, you will get better with time”, Humaira says.
Learn What It Is You Want
Whenever we feel insecure about some new challenge, a common excuse is “I am not good enough yet”. Have you ever said “no” to a work project or invitation and then convinced yourself it was better that way? Humaira wants you to rethink that. “You belong here at this point in time. If you were invited it’s because someone felt your contribution would be valuable”. Yes, you are painfully aware of all your shortcomings, but no one said you needed to be perfect. Don’t think “why me” but “why not me”, Humaira says.
The trick here is to investigate what you really want. Any time you feel something is “too much for you”, ask yourself “do I want this? Is this something that will help me grow?”. If the answer is yes, then go for it the best way you can. Don’t forget you can always ask for help ok? Look for people who are doing the things you want to do and contact them.
Are You Insecure About Your Accent? We Got You
VanHackers come from all around the world and our community encompasses so many accents and cultures. When speaking English however, a lot of us feel insecure about making mistakes. Humaira addressed this during her talk with an amazing message: “If you think your accent is holding you back, focus on your ideas rather than the accent. If you have something interesting to contribute, do it, accent and all. Push through. You belong”.
A Trick To Navigating Insecurity
If you are a skilled tech professional today, you surely faced and conquered numerous challenges. Don’t take any of it for granted. Keeping a list of your accomplishments both in life and career. Write down things like “When I started my job I didn’t know anything but I learned”,
“When I moved to this country I didn’t know anyone but now I do”. Go back to it every time you need to remind yourself of how far you’ve gone.
Befriend Failure
What happens when you try your best and fail anyway? You survive.
Failure is part of learning. How else will you ever be great at anything if you don’t try a lot and fail sometimes? It’s called practice! Change the narrative and take failure as a stepping stone. Humaira says sharing the problems you faced can even be empowering. “We are not alone and you are not the only one. If you could tell the story of how you failed and learned, you would help so many people”.
Don’t Let Impostor Syndrome Stop You
Don’t miss out on opportunities because you feel impostor syndrome and self-doubt are holding you back. Ask for what you want, and take on challenges. Take it from Humaira: “Shoot the shot, always!”
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