Exploring Impostor Syndrome: Are you actually qualified to do your job?

Are you actually qualified to do your job? Are you qualified to do the next one you might be considering? Really? If you think not, you are not alone. In fact, I’m shocked by how many people, women especially, hesitate to even try to secure their dream job because they fear they are not qualified. I’m also shocked that I am one of those women. Though I have been a professional writer for most of my adult life, I still sometimes hesitate to throw my fountain pen into the big ring. Until yesterday.
 
Like many successful, self-employed writers, I was surfing (sadly not the Yvon-Chouinard-Patagonia-style surfing). Searching the term ‘social media ninjas and gurus,’ I found an article on Entrepreneur.com suggesting I watch for the Top 9 Social Media Strategists in 2017. The list included names like Ellen DeGeneres and The Rock. I found this a little bit ironic as we are watching those people anyway, and not necessarily due to their social media prowess or their marketing credentials, though Ellen majored in communication studies at the University of New Orleans and The Rock got a Bachelor of General Studies degree in criminology and physiology.
 
I continued my surf to land upon the big wave of social media influencers for 2017. Top among them are Leonard Kim and Rachel Pederson. Neither has Hollywood, nor a degree, both are wildly successful. Kim was recently named Top Marketer by not just Inc., but also Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazine. He fills his LinkedIn Profile summary with emojis of airplanes, skiers, and beach umbrellas. Though his profile shows he is currently a student at the University of Southern California, there is not much other mention of academic credentials. Pederson, who is recognized by Content Marketing Institute as one of the most influential online marketers in the universe, also includes only passing reference to academic achievement in her LinkedIn profile. Instead, she founds schools like Social Media United, the leading social media university for social media managers. And who needs a degree when you can found a school?!
 
Experience and chutzpah are what make Kim and Pederson shine. Neither has traditional credentials; neither has been held back by that fact. Both have great ideas and daring. Both made their way despite the odds. Today Pederson accepts new clients by referral only, whereas Kim is too busy to accept an invitation from Entertainment Tonight.
 
If Leonard Kim and Rachel Pederson can do it, why can’t you? Why can’t I? Fear. You have it, I have it. Why? The fear of success is something you can explore with your therapist or Dr. Google on Psychology Today. But fear of inadequacy is a different kind of fear, one born of both nature and nurture.
 
In part fear of inadequacy is linked to evolution of the species: we are afraid we are inadequate and so we keep working harder and harder. We need to keep evolving in order to continue the species, and so must work tirelessly for our own improvement. It’s part of our DNA. As to the other part of our DNA, nurture, we can thank people like our parents for such characteristics as perfectionism and unrealistic ideals – both powerful contributors to impostor syndrome. Thanks, Mom and Dad.
 
Stay tuned for our upcoming new webinar series on Impostor Syndrome. We’ll explore strategies to rephrase negative thinking and self-doubt and slay the demon fear of inadequacy. We’ll offer action steps you can take to better understand, celebrate, and utilize your experience, strengths, and abilities.
 
Your future is waiting. It’s time to slay.

Author C. Jane Taylor specializes in stories (LinkedIn Profile Development, Professional Biographies, Cover Letters, etc.). She presents her clients in such a way that their stories shimmer and compel readers to act. ​