5 Signs You Are Battling With Imposter Syndrome as a Developer and How to Overcome It

Are you feeling overwhelmed in a new working environment?

You may be suffering from imposter syndrome without even knowing it.

When you are in a new challenging environment, your mind begins to wonder whether your employer hired the right person.

While imposter syndrome is natural, it’s important to spot the signs early so that you can tackle them.

Here are the typical signs:

Sign 1. You are scared to ask for help

When you question your ability and see yourself as a fraud, the last thing you want is for people to find out.

So instead of asking questions, which may seem stupid. You stay silent, trying to figure things out by yourself. And when you do ask questions, they are cryptic.

You want to shout ‘I have no clue what I am doing here!’

But instead, you ask a small question, which only half answers your issue. And you continue with your day.

Stuck.

Don’t be afraid to look stupid with your questions

It’s better to look stupid not knowing something in the first six months of your job than it is two years into a job.

You don’t know the answer to many things in your job as you do not have specific business knowledge.

There may be technical knowledge you are missing too. That’s fine, every company works with different tech stacks. And you are bound to have knowledge gaps in your new role, regardless of your seniority.

If you can expose your knowledge gaps early and seek help to fill them, you will grow so much quicker.

Sign 2. You speak less than usual in meetings

In stand-ups your updates are brief.

Other meetings are the same. You rarely talk because of what others may think of you and your suggestions.

When other people ask for your opinion, you just say you agree with what was said, and avoid adding anything that may be criticized.