Actually, this is my very first article ever. Since I am very certain that you must have experienced this kind of terror at some point in your life, I would like to personally thank you for reading it and sharing it. You must be familiar with the “Imposter Syndrome” whether you are new to the field or not. Whether you are a self-taught developer or a recent graduate, there will come a point when your job may cause you to doubt your abilities.
“I dont fit in this job role, I know nothing”.
Imposter Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where people feel like frauds and massively underestimate their own skills and abilities.
We have a propensity to be harsh on ourselves and believe that everyone else is better at programming than we are. You’re not alone if you’ve ever experienced this; statistics indicate that a staggering 70% of people suffer from imposter syndrome.
I have experienced imposter syndrome for as long as I can remember. When I was in college, I would occasionally struggle with the same concepts while my peers would quickly grasp them. I assumed that I was missing something. I reasoned that I couldn’t be the only one struggling with this problem.
I started reading about other people’s successes, which encouraged me to keep trying.
You must have seen one of those crazy positions where the job description for a developer has a ton of prerequisites. You saw the list of various technology like (AngularJs, Agile methodology, Git, Python, JavaScript, SASS, Build tools (Grunt, Gulp, NPM Scripts), flux, React…) using some strong heavy words kickass developer, energetic developer, evaluating new programs, strong fundamentals, analytical mind, innovator and a lot like that.
Another one!
How did you feel (particularly as a junior developer) when you received a piece of code authored by another developer but were unable to comprehend some of the syntax, phrases, or patterns utilized to construct the logic? Once more, you are totally out of it, and you started to question your ability to continue (Will I be able to do this?).
You see other people being more smarter or talented than you on a job, the constant feeling that you are a fraud and someday you will be exposed. Constantly wondering if you have made the right career choice.
But have you considered why this happens.
It certainly demonstrates that you are stepping outside of your comfort zone. It’s a positive indicator since it demonstrates your growth and willingness to challenge yourself. Even if you are not the sharpest person in the room, you are still benefiting from their knowledge and growing your own.
The nature of the IT business is really distinct and it is just growing, so more programmers or web developers will be entering this field. We must keep up with the most recent frameworks, languages, tools, and a wide range of other things. We feel under continual pressure to learn new things, and if we don’t already know something, we begin to doubt our own abilities, feel insecure, and continuously compare ourselves. It’s important for us developers to realize that no developer can possibly be knowledgeable about everything. Don’t worry and don’t let it make you freeze and stop working because the great majority of people are in your position. Whatever you know, the person next to you might not, and vice versa. This is because every developer appreciates talking about the tools or technology they are working on.
Here are several strategies I’ve discovered to be crucial in my fight against impostor syndrome.
- Make Being Uncomfortable a Habit.
Just embrace the notion that there will always be a greater programmer or web developer than you. Instead of being upset about it, concentrate on getting well and moving forward each day.
Accept that no one can ever learn everything about software development, thus you must establish the habit of feeling uncomfortable. - Know the requirements listed in the job description.
Do not let the fact that a job description’s technology list is longer than the list of meals you have consumed your whole life make you feel worthless. The extensive list of technologies almost always implies that you need to be familiar with the principles, have the capacity to pick up new skills, and be able to adjust to the technology in use.
Don’t be afraid to take up new skills while working; many developers pick up new technologies or tools while working in industries. - GET HELP.
Remember it’s OKAY to ask for help.
Asking a question about something you don’t understand doesn’t make you a fool, and it’s quite normal to feel silly when doing so, especially when working on a new project. - Make sure that the fundamentals are clear.
Learning a new language or framework will take some time but if you do not understand the basic principle of programming, it will take you much longer just to understand the concept. Learn the principle. Google is here to remember the syntax for you. - Make a path that is realistic.
Keep track of how far you have come when it comes to programming. Starting with resolving basic problems and continuing down the ladder and moving to complex and real-life problems. Examine your previous achievements, draw inspiration from them, and be proud of what you’ve accomplished. This will not only help you overcome impostor syndrome, but it will also improve your CV.
My personal favorite websites and youtubers that helped me get the fundamentals clear are HackerRank, Leetcode, FireShip, Codecademy, and programming with Mosh.
