Can I handle my job?

dilemma

“I recently started working at an organization I wanted to work for. Now I have this job, but I’m walking on my toes. I don’t think I’m good enough for the position I’m holding. What can I do?”

Woman (30 years old), name known to editors

you are good enough

Your colleagues walk away complimenting you on your work, while you feel like you’re just messing around. If you recognize this feeling, you’re probably experiencing it. imposter syndromeor impostor syndrome.

“This is about people who do not attribute their rise to a certain position to their own abilities, but to chance or luck,” explains Sunny Veenstra, assistant professor of organizational psychology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. “They have the feeling that they could be in danger at any moment.” She prefers to talk about the imposter phenomenon, because the word “syndrome” mistakenly suggests a mental illness. “This label reinforces the idea that there is something wrong with the individual, but that is not the case,” Veenstra says.

In recent decades, scientists have primarily looked at the relationship between the impostor phenomenon and individual characteristics, such as gender and personality. “Some researchers see that the phenomenon occurs more often in women, others see no difference. Young employees or people who have just started their work also feel more lonely Juggler“.”

In her research, Veenstra focuses on the other side of the phenomenon: How can an employee’s environment contribute to the unjustified feeling of not being good enough? She sees a pattern, especially in intellectual professions, such as lawyers, scientists, or journalists. In these jobs, you can put your own stamp on the work in a visible way, and the result is visible to your colleagues or the outside world.

Especially when the work environment is highly competitive, as it is at Amsterdam Zuidas, people can easily feel like impostors. “The basic mechanism is that people in such an environment start comparing themselves with people who are doing better than them,” says Veenstra. “Because these people are presented as examples in textbooks, or because they win awards.”

If your feelings stem from the impostor phenomenon, according to Feenstra, it’s not your job to become more trustworthy. It’s especially important for your employer to take action. “Make sure all of your employees feel like they belong.”

If you don’t do this as an employer, you risk hurting your employees or not realizing their potential: “Impostors experience more stress and anxiety and are less likely to take on prominent positions or make plans for their next steps.”

Something has to change.

The feeling of not doing the job right can also be justified. “You may have thought beforehand that the job would suit you, but in practice it turned out differently,” says career coach Esther Roelofs, who has her own practice in Groningen. “The regulations seem too demanding, the target group too heavy, or there are too many changing services. There are many circumstances to consider.”

She advises against continuing to suffer from this mismatch for too long. “If you do, you may become overly stressed and have to report your illness.”

Looking for another job, with or without the same organization, can provide a way out. But before you decide to do that, it’s a good idea to think about why you think you’re not performing well. “Is it certain tasks, is it the amount of work? Do you have to do things that give you stomach aches? Talking it over with someone, at work or at home, is the first step.”

Roelofs regularly talks to people who have worked in a company for years and have been promoted. “Sometimes it’s very easy to say: You’ve always been able to handle this task well, so maybe you can do it too. Someone who can plan well is asked for a management position. Or you can bring someone from management into sales. But sometimes this logic is too simplistic, she says: “Maybe you have a good overview, but you’re not a leader at all. Or you come to a new job where you have no experience in certain aspects. In the latter case, a good internship is important.” Of course, people who have been working in an organization for some time sometimes think: They already know the company, they will fit in. “But it requires more attention,” says Roelofs.

She explains that the burden of one difficult task can have a significant impact on how you feel about the whole job. “Then you might consider getting more guidance on that task, taking a course or consulting with colleagues: How can you handle that?”

She says that sometimes feeling uncomfortable also comes from striving for perfection: “You can also admit to yourself that you still have to learn. If you know everything right away, what challenge will you face in the new job?”

So

What really makes you think the job is too difficult for you? Are you saying it to yourself because you look up to that high-performing colleague? Or maybe you lack skills in some task that can still be learned?

It is important to know this first before making any major decisions about your career. Ask for help with this and do not wait too long, as it will be at the expense of your job satisfaction and health.

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