Upskilling. The answer to imposter syndrome?

A new survey from Reed has shown that 40% of respondents suffered from self-doubt or ‘imposter syndrome’ at some point in their career with 38% having had feelings of being out of their depth or of being inferior to their colleagues. The survey of over 2,000 UK workers and 250 UK employers also identified that imposter syndrome was more common among women (45%) and young people (53%), compared to 33% of men.

It also suggested that one of the ways to deal with importer syndrome was the use of upskilling to address personal barriers and enhance career progression. 67% of respondents expressed a willingness to consider this at some point, with 87% of 18-24, keen to explore this avenue. There were however potential obstacles with 30% of respondents citing cost as a barrier, a figure that rose to 36% percent among young people and 25% feeling finding dedicated time for upskilling would be problematical.

Impostor Syndrome is often deeply rooted in an individual’s mindset and self-perception. It often strikes at moments of success – a new job, promotion, or additional responsibilities - and can lead to people experiencing feelings of doubt about their skills, talents, or achievements.  They can also feel that they don’t deserve their success, that what they’ve achieved is down to luck, good timing or just being in the right place at the right time and that they'll be exposed as a fraud.

Upskilling can help with imposter syndrome by boosting confidence and self-esteem and building the expertise and competence that can combat the feelings of inadequacy often associated with imposter syndrome. It can also provide evidence of personal and professional growth with the recognition gained from peers and managers reinforcing a sense of belonging and legitimacy.

However, whilst bolstering competence, confidence, and recognition can be a valuable tool in overcoming imposter syndrome, it’s also essential for an individual to address their external achievements and underlying beliefs. Self-acceptance, a recognition of their potential and the ability to take ownership of their achievements are all essential in overcoming imposter syndrome.   

From Sicily to the UK. How to overcome judgment and build confidence.

Claudia Tinnirello is an international bestselling author and the CEO and founder of web design business Sophisticated Cloud Limited. She is also a professional SquareSpace Web Designer, UX expert, former cookery chef and enthusiastic public speaker.

Originally from Sicily, Claudia has lived in England since 2005. Growing up in Sicily there was a mix of cultures but at that time it was still thought that women would get their college diplomas and then get married and start a family. Claudia didn't want to follow that route, she wanted to do something more with her life and be financially independent and her starting point was studying to get to university.  

After she finished university she started looking for a job, something that can be very difficult to find in southern Italy. A friend who was working for a call-centre in the UK told her that the company was looking for a new agent who could speak Italian, English and French. Having studied English at school, the UK was always somewhere that had interested Claudia. So, at the age of 23 she decided she would move to the UK. Her initial idea was to stay for four months but she has never left!

She was on her own when she arrived in London. She didn’t have anyone to guide her so she had to learn a lot very quickly! She didn't particularly like her job which was in a call-centre dealing with technical systems. Her training was in three languages which she found very tough. She had thought her English was good but when she arrived she couldn't understand what people were saying to her or be understood herself.  This came as a real shock and she struggled for a while but realised that the only way forward was to spend time with English people. When some people move to a new country they find it more comfortable to be with their own community but Claudia intentionally didn't mix with Italians because she wanted to integrate and learn the language properly.

Claudia feels that her resilience came from the fact that she was the first woman in her family to leave Italy on her terms. Her family didn't want her to go so Claudia feels her resilience was based on pride – although she wasn’t really happy initially she was going to stay because needed to make the point that she could do it. As time went on she became stronger and it became easier.

After being made redundant four times, the last time after ten years with the same company, Claudia had started to lack confidence and become unsure of what to do next. She spoke to a life coach who suggested she join Toastmasters International to try to and restore her confidence and control her nerves and fear of public speaking. When she was younger she feels she missed many opportunities because she was too shy and Toastmasters has helped her discover ways of becoming a better and more confident public speaker. So much so she is now President of the Toastmasters International Basingstoke Speakers Club.

Claudia feels that we can all do anything we want if we are persistent and fight for it. Even if things have been done for generations it doesn’t mean we cant do anything different. The most important thing is to not let society put a label on you.

You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information about Claudia here. Our previous podcasts, upcoming guest list and previous blogs are also available.

You can find out more about Claudia at  www.SophisticatedCloud.com