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dealing with imposter syndrome

February 2, 2021

written by
Stephanie Patton

With the ever-changing world of technology, it can be hard to keep up at times, and with these advancements, you can feel like you’re being left behind. I thought I had adapted to this, but this all changed when I joined the world of programming. I find myself doubting my ability and wondering if I made a mistake choosing this field. However, there are few things that have really helped me feel less an imposter and grow more as a programmer.

  1. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t know something
    The great thing about being in this field is that there are a lot of things you can learn. You can constantly find better ways to become more efficient at tasks and that will not only help yourself, but also your team and customers.
  2. Get advice or code reviews from fellow programmers
    They always say there is no such thing as a dumb question, and I believe that’s true. Getting feedback or advice from others will help you to learn from them and see ways you can improve your skills. Learning on our own is great, but having the support of others will help you excel.
  3. Never stop learning!
    It is important to continue to learn as languages continue to have changes to improve their effectiveness, we too must use the many resources to help us grow and adapt. Some of the resources I love to use are Youtube, Team Treehouse, and my personal favorite Scrimba.
  4. No one is perfect, we all make mistakes
    One thing I had to realize, even the best programmers make mistakes, so do not feel bad when you make one. You learn a lot more from your mistakes so use these times as a way to analyze your skills and see what areas you may need to improve on. But don’t beat yourself up, at least not too much 🙂

These are some great methods that have helped me to combat imposter syndrome. I know I probably will continue to deal with it throughout my career, but I know that I am not alone and will continue to face it head-on.