I am an expert on imposter syndrome, not in the academic sense but rather in the lived experience sense. It is the little voice in the back of my head that says, “You’re not supposed to be here” or “Everyone is going to see you don’t belong.” In fact, when I was asked to contribute to Vocation Matters, it showed up and said, “What could you write that your amazing colleagues haven’t already written?” As I considered that little voice, I realized that imposter syndrome might be precisely the vocation-related topic that I could talk about. I imagine that some (maybe even many) of you share my experience and that even more of you know and work with students who share this experience. I want to reflect on how imposter syndrome might intersect with and influence our and our students’ vocational journeys.
What is it?
Imposter syndrome (sometimes called impostor phenomenon) has seen increased attention in both the research literature and in the popular press and social media over the past ten years. When imposter syndrome comes up, people generally understand that it connotes a sense of not belonging; indeed, an imposter is simply defined as someone “who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others.” Clinical psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes define imposter syndrome in the psychological literature as the “internal experience of intellectual phoniness.” They speak specifically of high-achieving women at academic institutions. As our understanding has evolved and expanded, imposter syndrome has come to include thoughts and feelings of not belonging and that one “tricked” others into thinking they do belong. A systematic review in 2020 reported that imposter syndrome was more prevalent among racial minorities and was associated with psychological distress, such as anxiety, depression, and/or low self-esteem.
How does it intersect with vocation?
I propose three ways that imposter syndrome might intersect with vocation in our students’ lives. First, students may take the experience of imposter syndrome as a signal that they are not in the right place or on the right path. The intrusive thoughts that can characterize imposter syndrome (e.g. I don’t belong, I shouldn’t be here, I can’t do this) may persuade students to change their course prematurely. They may not apply for opportunities for which they are qualified and miss out on enriching and informative experiences. Even worse, some students may decide that they do not belong at a particular institution or in a particular field. As an article in Science from 2020 argues, this could lead to a reduction in diversity in many senses of the word. For students who are prone to imposter syndrome, the only way to avoid it is never to go outside of their comfort zones or try anything new. That behavior impacts our greater world, while also making their world a lot smaller.
Second, imposter syndrome can be isolating for students. To avoid being “found out,” students may limit sharing their experiences with peers, faculty, and staff. They may struggle asking for help. If imposter syndrome impacts the ability to be authentic and make connections with others, then it complicates our students’ positive relationships, which are necessary and important to their well-being. It also limits students’ abilities to receive support and to have conversations with other students, staff, and faculty who can say, “Yeah, me too!”
Third, imposter syndrome may cause our students to discount their unique gifts and perspectives. If imposter syndrome makes a student worry that they have “tricked” their way in, then their focus will be on fitting within their context. This effort to fit in, while often important and even at times a means of survival, may also cause them to minimize the ways in which they are different from others, which correspond sometimes to the exact attributes, skills, or characteristic that the world needs.
How to help
Just as saying “calm down” to someone who is clearly upset is unhelpful, telling someone who is experiencing imposter syndrome that they should “just be more confident,” however well intended, is unlikely to assuage their fears. While there are no perfect ways to address it, I have compiled a list of ideas that may be helpful in working with students:
- Remind students that it is okay to struggle. As Julie Posselt suggests in “Normalize Struggle,” which focuses on imposter syndrome in graduate students, students need to know that it is okay to struggle, and they need to hear it from their faculty and staff. Normalizing struggle can be a source of validation and a reminder that students are not alone. It also offers us, as Posselt says, an opportunity to promote a growth mindset—a belief that intelligence is malleable and that we can improve with effort.
- Create space for talking about imposter syndrome. Cultivating safety in classrooms and inviting conversations about this topic are ways to normalize it (see number 1), while also encouraging social support. When students speak out about feelings of imposter syndrome in my classes, they are always accompanied by vigorous head nods from others. Once the subject is in the open, students seem eager to discuss it and how it feels. These conversations can promote feelings of belonging because students immediately see that they are not alone.
- Give genuine and accurate feedback to students about the specific strengths you see in them. Letting students know that you recognize their competencies may boost their confidence. You could also remind them of their objective performances; however, simply pointing to their GPA or their exam results will probably be insufficient. Students who experience imposter syndrome are more likely to attribute their successes to outside factors, such as luck or an easy exam, which makes this evidence less persuasive on its own.
- Reframe what it means to experience imposter syndrome. Feeling imposter syndrome does not make you an imposter. Instead, feeling imposter syndrome may simply mean that you care. We can offer students a new perspective: perhaps feeling imposter syndrome is a sign that something matters to them. This could then lead to conversations about why it matters and why it is important to them.
- Tie the experience of imposter syndrome specifically to conversations about vocation and vocational exploration. If imposter syndrome helps signal that something matters, then it may provide insight into values. Drawing connections back to calling, meaning, and purpose may be one way to fortify students. Such connections can provide them with an anchor when they feel stuck in thoughts of imposter syndrome. We can also draw connections between it and virtues, such as courage. Pushing through the thoughts and feelings of imposter syndrome is an act of courage.
Whether you experience imposter syndrome or not, addressing it with your students may provide an opportunity for authentic connection. We can remind students that vocations are rarely simple or linear and that embracing challenges like imposter syndrome is part of the journey. Making imposter syndrome more visible shows our students that they are not alone, and it reminds us, as faculty and staff members, that we are not alone either.
Samantha Brown is an assistant professor of psychology at Coe College, where she is also the faculty co-director of C3: Creativity, Careers, and Community. She is a NetVUE Faculty Fellow, and was a member of the 2021 cohort of the Faculty Seminar on Teaching Vocational Exploration. For more posts by Samantha, click here.