Imposter Syndrome: Am I Good Enough to Do This?
Though this is applicable in any career path, it’s especially relevant when you are trying to career pivot. The fear that comes with jumping into a brand new field and trying to be taken seriously, both by others and yourself. Is this the right decision? Should I have stayed in the field that I didn’t like? How can I possibly measure up to my peers with more training and experience?
If I am being honest, I am still in the midst of feeling these feelings. Conducting an active job search for six months without a single interview is troubling and discouraging. I’m trying to soldier on and revamp everything: my resume, my portfolio, etc. Trying to rebrand your accomplishments in one profession so they will appear relevant in your new one is exhausting and has made me questions several times if this is really something I’m supposed to be doing. However, I will be implementing several strategies to combat this line of thinking.
Firstly, as I said before, rebrand your accomplishments so that they are relevant in your new field. I am currently a delivery driver attempting to become a UI Designer. Very few things in common, but I’ve listed this experience on my resume as “using effective time management skills to ensure packages are safely delivered to customers.” UI Design involves using time management skills to ensure deliverables are safely handed off to developers and stakeholders, so that sounds like a transferrable skill to me!
The second thing that is recommended from most design blogs is to find a support network, which sounds daunting and overwhelming. Networking and putting yourself out there is the scariest thing ever, even with my extensive background in theater and my comfort level being in front of people, there is a different kind of vulnerability involved when attempting to network in a new field. The fear of rejection feels much more personal: how can I possibly ask this person who is so well decorated in this field to recommend me for a job that I have no idea if I can adequately perform as well as maybe a more traditionally qualified candidate. And to tell you the truth, I don’t know. I can’t speak from experience because this is still something I struggle with.
To be real, Imposter Syndrome is most likely mitigated through practice and gaining more experience in your field. For me this will involve designing and re-designing and learning as much about the more popular software programs used in the design field as possible. I wish I could relay more concrete answers that I had experienced success with, but as I am still in the middle of this battle, I can only share what I feel will work and what my research has told me are good steps to take. I feel good about this path however: these are such basic things to do that I almost didn’t want to write this all out. However, this has been a constant struggle for me since I decided to switch careers and I think refreshing my memory about why I decided to do this and why I am allowed to hold space in this new field and feel good about my decision is a beneficial practice.