Whenever you hear people speaking of the “imposter syndrome”, you will hear them say things like “I don’t belong”, “I am not worthy”, “did I make the right choice?”.
Whenever you find yourself questioning why you belong in the spaces you are in, immediately block those feelings out. If you are sitting on your own, get up and go for a walk; if you are driving, turn the volume up and listen to your favourite song. Whatever you do, do not fall into the trap of negativity.
This is what my first year in consulting felt like. I knew that although I had worked extremely diligently and consistently to land myself my dream job, I often felt inadequate. The hardest transition for any graduate is ensuring that you give it your best shot, from day one. Sometimes, although your heart is in the right place and your intentions are pure, you will get your first project or task wrong. One thing consulting has taught me is that, what you think is “right” at the time may be completely wrong for that certain task or may not necessarily be what your manager was looking for. This doesn’t invalidate you as a person or the work you have produced.
The quickest way to learn in this fast-paced environment is understanding that there will be a lot of learning, unlearning and relearning that will take place on your journey. Take as many lessons in as you possibly can and learn to adapt. Your efforts will never go unnoticed. Naturally, adapting to a new environment can be challenging. Adapting to how others work and trying to work at their pace is even harder, and the hardest lesson of all is learning how to operate outside your comfort zone in a “sink or swim situation”.
My manager often says, “you are doing something wrong if you don’t find yourself questioning what is going on in the project”. Most of the time, consultants find themselves operating in environments characterised by high uncertainty, but some wear their confidence louder than their fears. Do not let the imposter syndrome rob you of the chance to show off your skills and competencies. Do not let it rob you of your voice and confidence.
At times, the workload may get overwhelming, you may need to go above and beyond your direct line of work to ensure the success of the project. It’s in those times that the imposter syndrome will creep in. Most of the time you will be working in a very fast-paced environment where managers will expect you to apply your own logic and critical thinking skills to solve the most complex problems that clients face. Never sell yourself short. To ensure that you stay on the right track request to have regular check-in sessions with your manager, perhaps daily, depending on the workload. Always ensure that you know what is required of you in each task.
4 Ways To Overcome The Imposter Syndrome
- Focus on the “how” – Instead of questioning if this is the correct job, role or task for you, focus on how you can best achieve the goal, complete the task, or solve the problem. You turn your focus, and ask “how can I add more value to this project?”, “how can I assist in the final deliverable?”
- Be inquisitive – Gather as much information as you can about the specific project or task. This will increase the quality of your work and ensure that you are never caught off-guard. The one thing consulting teaches individuals is to question the normal, to think outside the ordinary. There are no wrong answers when you are ideating.
- Be confident, not cocky – The biggest mistake that many graduates make is failing to understand that cockiness does not translate into confidence. Confidence affects how you conduct yourself in the workplace, your attitude towards your colleagues, managers, and your work. It’s that one thing that can make you stand out from the crowd. On the contrary, cockiness translates into arrogance. It will lead you to give off the impression that you think you know more than everyone else in the room, which is not an attractive trait to have.
- Be present – Live in the present moment. The most important thing that the “imposter syndrome” will rob you of is the present moment because you will be too focused on past or future events. When you learn to live in the present, it makes it harder for negative thoughts to cloud your thinking.
Although nothing can prepare you for the overwhelming feeling of finally getting what you had worked so hard for, this doesn’t mean you will always find it easy to adapt to the new environment. Whenever you find yourself suffering from the imposter syndrome, detach from those thoughts and feelings immediately. You have worked very hard to get where you are, and you are more capable than you know. Believe in yourself, and give all the opportunities that come your way your best shot!
Thanduxolo Love Mtsweni is a management consultant at Accenture in South Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Administration in International Relations and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management (PDM- Business Administration). She is passionate about empowering and educating the youth, and advocating for better youth employment opportunities.
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