Oct 11, 2021 in Career Coaching

Imposter Syndrome on a Career Change

Blog about Imposter Syndrome on a career change, the lies we believe as facts, questions and tips to challenge it.

When you think about changing your career, what is the first thought that comes to your mind? Do you feel you aren’t good enough? Have you thought you aren’t enough prepared?

If you have been following me, you already know that my life has been full of changes. The people who are close to me, or people who know my history, think I am brave, and I did all the changes I did without doubt or hesitation. 

The truth is I’ve always been full of fear like you are today. In any decision I take to keep moving forward, fear was there with me all the time.

Fear of not being enough. Panic of what others would think about what I was about to do. Fear of being so different from the people was surrounding me—fear of all kinds and sizes that I need to overcome.

This fear was automatically linked to my giant imposter syndrome. 

What is imposter syndrome? Harvard describes it as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persists despite evident success. “Imposters” suffers from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external proof of their competence.

Did that ring any bell to you?

When we are about to change our career, this feeling can increase a thousand per cent. Because we are about to change something that we don’t like or make us happy, we are in control, feel secure about it, and know everything. Making that switch is going to unknown territory, and that is not comfortable for anyone.

Most of the time, when we are talking about changing our career, most of us change it to something that has not much to do with what we have been doing for a long time. So we question ourselves, forgetting that the career that we master now, we were beginners a while ago as well. 

Sometimes, I do not understand the fear of being beginners again; we can be beginners, but we do not start from scratch, and there is a significant difference that most of us do not realize. 

All the skills and experience that we have been working on and collecting for years and years, still there; we do not lose them. And we have tons of transferable skills without even notice them.

Imposter syndrome is one of the most significant factors we deal with when deciding to make a career change. The feeling of not being prepared enough, the feeling that you won’t be enough for something that you do not even have ever tried. You feel that no one will call you because you don’t have the specific experience (forgetting our transferable skills that can be used in any job or field).

Do you see yourself in this specific moment having all that feelings?

My three top strategies to stop thinking that I am a fraud in what I am about to do next:

• Checking your achievement journal. (I talk about this here)
• Identify your transferable skills (You can work on your skills here)
• Sharing that change only with supporters- When we are about to make a significant change, that is not easy; talking with people who only have negative things to say about it is not helpful.

When the impostor takes over you, it is customary to tell yourself “lies” to feel better that you are not taking action. The top four lies that I hear among my clients and myself when I’ve been in this situation are:

• I do not have the time, money or energy to look for another job; this is the most common thing I heard, and I thought myself. If we always think about the problems, we will never improve our situation instead of finding solutions.
•         If I change and then I do not like it; That is another classic that many of my clients bring up in my sessions. You do not like it now either, so it will be a learning path that will open your options to many other things.
•         I am not good enough; A classic imposter syndrome lie. Probably is someone better than you do what you want to do. But your experience, background and skills led you here, and this is valuable too. 
•         Asking for help means, I am weak; in our instinct to boycott ourselves, we will always find excuses to make us look bad. If you feel that doing a career change alone will be a lot, hiring a career change coach is necessary. A career change coach will help you with all that blocks.

To challenge all that lies and negative thoughts, I will leave you four questions for you to apply:

1. What is holding you back?
2. Which of your achievements are you not taking in the count?
3. What is the worst that can happen?
4. Who are you talking with about this?

If you are here today, reading this, it is because you are thinking of a career change. Maybe you are suffering from imposter syndrome, and you feel like a fraud. Did any of what you have read resounded with you?

I create a free guide to discover your blocks when you are about to change and find your core values. Don’t delay it more. Download my guide and take the first step today into your heart-led career change.

If you are committed to making this career change, but it looks like you are not getting anywhere by yourself, and you realize you feel stuck and need someone to help you get through it. So let’s have a free vibe call! I got you!

Life is happening right now, and time is the only thing we will never get back, to lose it in a job where we spent most of our time that we hate.  Let’s design your Heart-led Career Change together right now!

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