Today we are talking about a topic close to my heart: imposter syndrome. I have experienced it both in my Drupal activities and in other pursuits. But as a guy, I get that it tends to affect women much more than men in the tech industry. That’s why I was captivated by this talk from DrupalCon Nara:
Brilliant, But Doubting: Imposter Syndrome and the Experience of Women in Tech
Suchi Garg and Julia Topliss talk about their personal experiences, from their family lives, their careers in tech generally and in Drupal, and how they overcame the challenges to achieve success in their careers.
They also look at imposter syndrome generally, the different forms it takes, and also the ways that systemic bias means it affects women in the tech sector, and how it can be an industry problem rather than an individual failing. They back this up with data showing a gradual rise in women in STEM, but stagnating in recent years. One statistic that interested me is that in general, men will apply for a job if they meet 60% of the criteria, while women tend believe that these criteria are hard requirements and do not apply if they are missing any.
They talked about how many factors outside your control can affect your experience, and in particular how privilege can give people a head start. They linked the video, “Life of privilege explained in a $100 race”, which is well worth watching.
Another thing that touched me is that people who commit fraud almost never feel imposter syndrome, so if you’re feeling it you probably are doing something right.
Finally, they talk about strategies for coping with imposter syndrome, how to support others, as well as steps organisations should be taking.
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