Last updated on May 26, 2024

What do you do if you're an engineer struggling with imposter syndrome and lacking self-confidence?

Imposter syndrome is a common phenomenon among engineers, especially those who work in competitive or innovative fields. It is the feeling of being inadequate, incompetent, or fraudulent, despite having evidence of your skills, achievements, and contributions. Imposter syndrome can affect your self-confidence, motivation, performance, and satisfaction as an engineer. In this article, you will learn some strategies to overcome imposter syndrome and boost your self-confidence as an engineer.

1 Recognize your imposter thoughts

The first step to deal with imposter syndrome is to identify and challenge the negative thoughts that fuel it. These thoughts may include: "I don't belong here", "I don't know enough", "I got lucky", "I'm a fake", or "I will be exposed soon". These thoughts are not based on facts, but on distorted perceptions of yourself and others. You can counter these thoughts by reminding yourself of your strengths, achievements, feedback, and value as an engineer. You can also keep a record of your successes and positive comments to review when you feel insecure.

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Muthukumaran Dhakshnamurthy

Project coordinator at FLSmidth
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When you are fixing a goal for a day and due to unavoidable circumstances if you failed to achieve it, don't get disappointed. When you are accomplished your goal don't think on the performance you have shown over it. Feel free to talk with others and keep faith on your ability and review your past accomplishments to overcome lack of self confidence. Sometimes your perception not received properly and it may be ignored, it is not meant by your perception not valued, in those situations accept others ideas. Accepting the outcome by you on all tasks will slow down the imposter symptoms and enjoy your work every time will bring happiness to your mind.

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2 Share your feelings with others

Another way to cope with imposter syndrome is to talk to someone you trust, such as a mentor, a colleague, a friend, or a therapist. Sharing your feelings can help you realize that you are not alone, and that many other engineers experience imposter syndrome at some point in their careers. You can also get support, advice, and encouragement from others who understand your challenges and appreciate your work. You can also join a network or a community of engineers who share similar interests, goals, and experiences.

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3 Embrace learning and growth

Imposter syndrome can make you afraid of making mistakes, asking questions, or trying new things. However, these are essential aspects of engineering design, as they help you learn, improve, and innovate. Instead of seeing yourself as an imposter, you can see yourself as a learner and a grower. You can adopt a growth mindset, which means that you believe that your abilities and skills can be developed through effort, feedback, and practice. You can also seek opportunities to expand your knowledge, skills, and perspectives, such as taking courses, attending workshops, reading books, or working on projects.

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Francisco Güemes

Founder at Danemach Latin America
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Toda persona que no se cree merecedor o duda de sus propias habilidades, ya sea ingeniería, doctor o tenga un excelente oficio, necesita primero aprender a amarse a si mismo. Hay varias doctrinas, pero la mejor que conozco es la de Louise L. Hay. Después de esto, todo es diferente. Se vuelve una persona segura, exitosa y radiante de luz que inconscientemente despierta la luz de los demás.

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4 Celebrate your achievements and contributions

One of the reasons why imposter syndrome persists is that you tend to downplay or dismiss your achievements and contributions as an engineer. You may attribute them to luck, timing, or external factors, rather than your own abilities and efforts. You may also compare yourself to others who seem more successful, experienced, or knowledgeable than you. To overcome this, you need to acknowledge and celebrate your achievements and contributions, no matter how big or small they are. You can also express gratitude to yourself and others who helped you along the way. You can also showcase your work and share your insights with others who can benefit from them.

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5 Seek constructive feedback and act on it

Feedback is an important source of information and guidance for engineers, as it helps you evaluate your performance, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and plan your improvement. However, imposter syndrome can make you avoid or dread feedback, as you fear that it will confirm your worst fears or expose your flaws. To overcome this, you need to seek constructive feedback from reliable and supportive sources, such as your manager, your peers, your clients, or your mentors. You need to listen to feedback with an open mind, and focus on the positive and actionable aspects of it. You also need to act on feedback by implementing the suggestions, making the changes, or applying the lessons that you learned.

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Mohamed El-Zahaby
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Asking for mentorship is a very healthy attitude; the mentor will share his previous experiences to help us overcome challenges and ensure that we are on the correct path. The mentor doesn't necessarily have to be internally from the current company, but sometimes it will be better to be outside the company (if the discussion is not about a non-disclosed company's related points); one other benefit of that is contacting outside mentors will improve both communication and self-confident.

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6 Practice self-compassion and self-care

Finally, one of the most effective ways to overcome imposter syndrome and boost your self-confidence as an engineer is to practice self-compassion and self-care. Self-compassion means that you treat yourself with kindness, understanding, and forgiveness, rather than with harshness, criticism, and blame. Self-care means that you take care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being, by doing things that make you happy, healthy, and relaxed. By practicing self-compassion and self-care, you can reduce your stress, anxiety, and self-doubt, and increase your happiness, satisfaction, and self-esteem as an engineer.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What do you do if you're an engineer struggling with imposter syndrome and lacking self-confidence?

1

2

3

4

5

6

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1 Recognize your imposter thoughts

2 Share your feelings with others

3 Embrace learning and growth

4 Celebrate your achievements and contributions

5 Seek constructive feedback and act on it

6 Practice self-compassion and self-care

7 Here’s what else to consider

Engineering Design

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What do you do if you're an engineer struggling with imposter syndrome and lacking self-confidence?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Recognize your imposter thoughts

2 Share your feelings with others

3 Embrace learning and growth

4 Celebrate your achievements and contributions

5 Seek constructive feedback and act on it

6 Practice self-compassion and self-care

7 Here’s what else to consider

Engineering Design

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