Battling Imposter Syndrome (LinkedIn Backlog | November 2024)

Imposter Syndrome. The worst dance partner at the party. The courtesy invite you extended but you secretly hope won’t show up. The persistent voice whispering that everyone has it together—except you.

A little over two years ago, I walked into my first marketing job with a fresh master’s degree and as much hope as I could pack into the spaces between waves of anxiety. I was convinced they’d fire me any second, that they'd realize I’d somehow fooled them into thinking I knew anything about marketing or communications.

By the end of my second day, I was crying in my boss’s office because I wasn’t an expert in the company or their procedures yet. That day, he told me something I’d heard before but never truly absorbed: 

“One thing I’ve learned over the years is no one knows what the hell is going on. Most people are just as lost and confused as you are.” 

Sitting there, I realized that maybe I wouldn’t be fired at any moment—they’d chosen me for a reason.

Fast forward to three weeks ago. I started a new MarCom job, and right on cue, there it was: that familiar feeling of dread, the worry of being “found out.” But again, what is there to uncover? I prepared, I studied the brand voice, and I showed up fully qualified for the role they hired me for.

Don’t let imposter syndrome steal your happiness, your confidence, or your hard-won success. If you’re here, it’s because you belong.