1. The Impostor Syndrome:
It’s not just you!
Drs. Felicia De La Garza Mercer & Lisa Meeks
October 16, 2013

2. Pop Quiz
 Do you secretly worry that others will find out that you’re not as smart or capable
as they think you are?
 Do you sometimes shy away from challenges because of nagging self-doubt?
 Do you tend to chalk your accomplishments up to being a “fluke”, “no big deal” or
the fact that people just "like" you?
 Do you hate making a mistake, being less than fully prepared or not doing things
perfectly?
 Do you tend to feel crushed by even constructive criticism, seeing it as evidence
of your "ineptness?“
 Do you believe that other people (students, colleagues, competitors) are smarter
and more capable than you are?
 •Do you live in fear of being found out, discovered, unmasked?
From Dr. Valerie Young, www.impostorsyndrome.com

3. Workshop Agenda
 What is Impostor Syndrome?
 Why is this important to know
about?
 How to cope with impostor
feelings

4. Feeling like a Fraud

5. One of These Things Is Not
Like the Other

6. Signs of Impostor Syndrome

Self-doubt

Sense of incompetence

Frequently comparing yourself to others

Low self-esteem, self-worth

Fear, anxiety

Immobility

Stress & burnout

Under-performance

Hard to accept praise and/or compliments

Inability to enjoy your accomplishments

7. Sources of Impostor Feelings
 “You’re so smart!”
 You’re a student or new hire
 The politics and culture of graduate/professional school
can fuel self-doubt
 You belong to an underrepresented group and are a
minority in your school/work place
From Dr. Valerie Young, www.impostorsyndrome.com

8. Sources of Impostor Feelings

9. But I Can Explain All That
 Luck or timing
 Supposed simplicity of
the task
 Others help or low
expectations
 Computer error
 Likeability
 Other creative excuses…
From Dr. Valerie Young, www.impostorsyndrome.com

10. Competence Types
 The Perfectionist
 The Expert
 The Soloist
 The Natural Genius
 The Superwoman/man/student
From Dr. Valerie Young, www.impostorsyndrome.com

11. Coping & Protecting
Strategies
 Hard work to make up for “ineptness”
 Holding back
 Use of charm or perceptiveness
 Procrastination
 Not finishing
 Self-sabotage
From Dr. Valerie Young, www.impostorsyndrome.com

12. Small Changes Add Up
 Break the silence and normalize feelings
 It’s not just you!
 Separate feelings from fact
 Change thoughts and behaviors first and let feelings
catch up…understand your unique “impostor pattern”
 Reframe those “fraud” feelings into a sense of learning
and growing
From Dr. Valerie Young, www.impostorsyndrome.com

14. Small Changes Add Up
 Find a mentor, create a support system & community
 Teach and be a mentor
 Remind yourself that you are not alone
 “Everyone else is an impostor, too.” – Tina Fey
 Remind yourself of your accomplishments

15. True Competence
 Knowing how to identify the resources it takes to get
the job done…
 Time
 Money
 Information
 People
From Dr. Valerie Young, www.impostorsyndrome.com

16. Use Your Resources!
Student Health &
Counseling
Student Disability
Services
First Gen
Support Services
• 476-1281
• 476-6595
• 514-0840
Learning
Resource
Services
Multicultural
Resource Center
Office of Career
& Professional
Development
• 502-0319
• 502-1911
• 476-4986
Your Peers
Faculty/Mentors