From doubt to confidence – Strategies to beat impostor syndrome
Martyna Kąciak
Head of HR
I start the interview with a candidate. Their CV is impressive – the list of additional courses and certifications could easily fill two more documents. The meeting itself goes smoothly; the answers are solid and reassuring.
As we reach the end of the conversation, I ask about their desired hourly rate. To my surprise, the candidate names the very bottom of our salary range. At that moment, I realise I’m speaking with someone quietly struggling with impostor syndrome.
What impostor syndrome really means
The term “impostor syndrome” was first introduced in 1978 by clinical psychologists Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes, who observed a pattern in their patients: high-achieving women who, despite their accomplishments, struggled to recognise their own success and abilities. It refers to an internal presumption that somebody does not deserve recognition and that they have somehow deceived others into believing in their abilities.
People experiencing impostor syndrome often live with a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud. This anxiety can lead to excessive self-criticism, perfectionism, and constant self-doubt. Paradoxically, those affected are often highly capable and successful, yet they are unable to internalise and accept their accomplishments [1].
Doubts about one’s own abilities are experienced by roughly 70% of people at various points in their lives, yet it is more commonly reported among women. In the No Fluff Jobs report “Women in IT 2024”, 79% of women in IT admit to experiencing impostor syndrome. Additionally, 56% of female IT specialists have stayed silent out of fear of criticism, and 38% have turned down a project, task, or job offer due to a lack of confidence in their own abilities. Isn't that shocking?
What are the features of a person who struggles with impostor syndrome?
A person struggling with impostor syndrome often:
Believes they need to work harder than others to earn success.
Procrastinates or finishes tasks at the last moment, fearing exposure as unprepared.
Fails to internalise their own success, attributing achievements to luck.
Sets unrealistic or self-sacrificing goals to prove worth.
Downplays skills, talents, and experience.
These characteristics are not inclusive of all manifestations, and the lack of any or all of these classically accepted characteristics does not exclude an individual from being affected by impostor syndrome [2].
How to silence your inner critic
Luckily, there are plenty of methods that might help you turn off the demotivating inner voice and get rid of it once and for all. The only thing you need to do is be consistent. Let me introduce you to some of the exercises that may begin this change:
Identify negative narration – the moment you realise that you clip your own wings, you should hear that voice and break it down by asking: What am I talking to myself? What is that thought? What made me think this way? Was it after reading someone’s perfect GitHub project or a senior dev’s code review comment? Or was it stress, tiredness, or rush? This will help you identify the condition that most often triggers your impostor syndrome.
Challenge your thoughts – try to replace them with ones that do not carry an emotional burden and do not undermine your potential. Question them. Am I really that bad? Is that 100% true? Look for the evidence, and you will realise that it is only in your head. Check your pull requests or sprint results – they often show facts, not feelings. Studies have shown that consistent reprogramming of thinking reduces self-doubt by 40% [3].
Replace the recipient – imagine you deliver the same message to the person you know. Would you say the same thing to someone you love? Or to a friend? If not, why punish yourself with such severe narration? Instead, imagine which words you would choose if it was a message to someone you know.
Make a list of your competences – how about trying to identify your daily achievements, even the smallest ones, and wonder which of your competences helped you accomplish that? That bug you fixed before stand-up, the clean commit history, or how you explained a Jira ticket to a new teammate – those all count. If you’re not sure which competence may have supported you, there are many websites that categorise different skills. Exploring them might help you find the right one.
Learn something new – choose one skill you may master. It does not necessarily have to be connected to your professional life. Do anything you feel good about. Monitor the time and effort you put into your self-development. Soon you will notice your progress, which is the key to boosting your self-confidence.
Be kind to yourself – do not get lost in a loop of trying to always be better than your version from yesterday. Stop competing with yourself and set yourself realistic goals. You don’t need to refactor every legacy service in one sprint. You are not here to prove anything to yourself or anyone else [4].
Choose people around you wisely – seek supporters, a group that lets you grow and be yourself. Pair up with a dev who gives constructive feedback or join a tech community where people share mistakes as well as wins. Have someone to share your concerns and fears with. In times of doubt, ask for feedback. Look for positive reviews.
Keep a success journal to gather all the completed achievements. Track the projects you’ve contributed to, PRs merged, tests improved, or deployments done without rollback. I mean, any progress that makes you feel good about yourself. Include not only the goals you’ve achieved but also the times you showed focus, effort, or discipline, even if the outcome wasn’t perfect. Over time, these written notes will become powerful evidence of your growth – a reminder that your achievements and progress are real, and that you have every reason to believe in yourself.
Seek a mentor and let yourself be a novice, instead of trying to do everything on your own, which may cut off your wings. In tech, nobody knows everything – even your team lead googles error codes. If you find someone willing to help and finds pleasure in sharing their knowledge, you will gain more enthusiasm and joy in your endeavours. This person might work as a fuel for your motivation. Having a mentor will lift you up.
Change your relationship with failure. Accept it as a natural part of self-growth. Failed demo? Missed deployment window? It happens. Post-mortems exist to learn, not to shame. If you experience failure, ask yourself a question: What can I learn from this situation? What could I do better next time?
Although the list is long, it’s not exhaustive. In some cases, it’s better to seek professional support and visit a therapist – especially because impostor syndrome often co-occurs with anxiety, depression, or burnout, leading to decreased job satisfaction over time [5].
Creating a culture that lifts people up
Because Poland's IT market has been growing rapidly, with constant technological change and high expectations, the structural and cultural conditions make impostor syndrome more likely. As HR professionals or colleagues of individuals experiencing this syndrome, we should take special care to lift them up and remind them that they are not alone in their daily struggles.
The key to success lies in recognising their contributions and emphasising that they are valuable, capable, and integral members of the team. This also means providing constructive feedback, ensuring fair salary reviews, and publicly appreciating the work they do.
When it comes to board members and leaders who set an example for others, they should focus on creating an atmosphere where people are not judged for their mistakes but are encouraged to try. That is why at Happy Team, we encourage people to ask for help, even if they think it might be a sign of their incompetence. In the IT sector, it is important not only to foster a culture that views mistakes as steps in the development process, but also to guide those with big egos to avoid correcting others in public and to understand that judging others is inappropriate.
Mistakes should be treated as opportunities for growth, and those who ask questions publicly should be recognised and praised. Such actions help create a culture of openness and continuous learning, where sharing knowledge becomes a valued part of teamwork and where “frauds” feel safe with their actions.
Conclusions
Next time you meet someone who does not value their work and engagement, be aware that it might be a person struggling to recognise their own worth – someone who feels like a pretender every time they’re asked for their opinion during a team meeting, a corporate call, a performance review, or when receiving praise from colleagues or clients. A first step you can take is to share this article with them. Hopefully, the tips outlined here will help them grow and gain confidence in their contributions.
IT recruiter and wellbeing guardian, ensuring that Happy Team is not just a company name. Psychology enthusiast and a big fan of 1:1 conversations. Travel buddy, dance floor freak, and Pilates lover.
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