Many people experience imposter syndrome at some point in their lives. It may be when you’re applying for a new job outside of your current employer, applying for a promotion within your current company, and even pursuing continued education or training for career advancement— or a career change altogether.

One study found that 82% of all people say they’ve struggled with imposter syndrome, often around periods of transition or taking on new challenges. And while everyone can have self-doubt, it’s critical to recognize imposter syndrome for what it is. The last thing you want is to avoid taking a new opportunity that could limit your career, and imposter syndrome can stop you from taking new jobs, promotions, or going back to school.

What Does Imposter Syndrome Look Like for Adult Learners?

Recognizing imposter syndrome is an important part of being able to stop it from impacting your career growth.

So what does imposter syndrome actually look like?

We know from research that imposter syndrome often involves self-doubt of your intellect, skills, or accomplishments in a way that may cause anxiety or depression. While it can make some people nervous that they’ll fail, it may be so severe that it prevents others from actually taking a leap of going back to school or even applying for a new position.

-Knowing how to recognize imposter syndrome is an important part of stopping it.

-Often involves self-doubt of intellect, skills, or accomplishments that may cause anxiety or depression. Some people may have been so impacted by imposter syndrome that it prevents them from actually going back to school. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK585058/

Adult learners going back to school may find themselves thinking the following when struggling with imposter syndrome:

• I’ve been out of school so long I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it.
• I can’t believe I’m going back to school at my age.
• Am I actually smart enough or do I work hard enough to get another degree?
• What if I fail, and I’ve taken out student loans and all this time for nothing?
• Since I’ve been out of school for so long, I need to make sure I understand everything being covered on the curriculum, so I’ll start learning now.

Sometmes, the anxiety from imposter syndrome may make you feel like your previous experience is a negative and not a positive. A registered nurse pursuing an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) degree might feel the need to be exceptional since they already have working experience, or feel that struggling in school may mean that they weren’t ever a good nurse to begin with.

When Imposter Syndrome Often Impacts Adult Learners

May impact adult learners at different points of the education process, including:

• When they first consider going back to school; might automatically consider it a bad idea or that they wouldn’t be able to for one reason or another
• When they apply for schools or talk to work about continuing education programs, afraid of rejection
• When they’re about to start school, or when classes first start.
• When first exams or assignments come around.

How to Stop Imposter Syndrome

You now know how to recognize imposter syndrome when it strikes, but what about actually stopping it from impacting you? While a little anxiety and self-doubt is normal, there are seven scientifically-proven ways to stop self-doubt from taking over and preventing your growth.

1. Recognize it For What it Is

When you’re feeling self-doubt, remind yourself that it’s imposter syndrome and that most people feel this way at some point in a continued education journey. It’s a psychological trick and doesn’t reflect your actual abilities.

While this is a simple practice, it’s actually a powerful one. It can stop imposter syndrome long enough that you take the plunge to apply for that promotion, sign up for your first semester of classes, or ask your manager for additional training.  

2. Consider Accomplishments You’ve Already Had

Reminding yourself of past accomplishments can help you feel more confident in your next endeavors. If you’ve successfully completed hard things before, this won’t be any different.

Maybe you did exceptionally well in school when you were younger, or loved working directly with professors. And if you’ve already entered the workforce, think about how much you’ve grown and learned even outside the classroom. Those life skills— including time management, professionalism, and dedication— can help you with continued education.

3. Identify Potential Support and Resources

If you’re worried that you’ll struggle when returning to school or completing advanced training, it may help you feel better if you think about resources or support that will be available to you. Examples may include:

• Free tutoring or professor office-hours available through your school
• Online resources like study guides or resources that share study tips
• Online communities or forums for adult learners
• Education coaching and career pathways through formal employee education programs

Even if you don’t need them later, knowing these resources are available may help soothe potential anxiety.

4. Watch for Procrastination

Imposter syndrome can make people much more likely to procrastinate on tasks that they think they might fail. (As a note— it may make others more likely to become over-prepared, but that’s less likely to inhibit your professional growth.)

Procrastination can derail your continued learning journey. You don’t want to put off applying for funding, school programs, training, or specific assignments just because of your imposter syndrome. It can become a self-fulfilling prophecy that can prevent you from getting that education you wat to pursue.

The best way to combat this is to start early on anything you’re nervous about. This gives you plenty of time to get support and access resources if needed. And, in many cases, the process goes much better than expected, and you can save yourself a few weeks of anxiety.

5. Focus on the Facts

While the idea of going back to school or for additional training may feel overwhelming, you can do some research and break it down into manageable chunks.

Instead of stressing about needing to complete a total of 10 classes, remind yourself that you only have to take as little as two classes a semester and that this amounts to an average of four hours of workload per week for your desired course. And instead of worrying about “what if I fail my licensing exam,” look up licensure passing rates for your program and what resources are available to help prepare you

Understanding what’s coming can help things feel more approachable and help you plan within reason.

6. Remember Why You’re Doing This

Whether you’re pursuing a degree to enter a new career or you’re hoping to open the door for career advancement opportunities, remembering your end goals can help you fight through temporary imposter syndrome anxiety and prevent it from stopping you.

Continued education can mean increased career mobility and flexibility, increased earning potential, and can make you a more attractive candidate. Whether your goals are to create financial stability for your family or to have a better work-life balance in a new role, focus on that end goal.

7. Remind Yourself Nobody is Perfect

Sometimes mistakes happen and sometimes you may struggle, but that’s normal. It doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t take on whatever challenge is in front of you. Again— you’re doing this for a reason, and that’s worth a little discomfort and some hard work.

If you struggle on your first test, for example, that’s ok. You’ll be able to learn what’s expected, including what kinds of questions the teacher will ask, and you can better prepare for the next.

Continued education is a time meant for learning, and that does sometimes mean mistakes happen, but very few mistakes are so severe they can’t be overcome.

Interested in pursuing continued education (even if it’s intimidating)? Discover your EdAssist education benefits on your organization’s benefits website to get started.