11: Impostor Syndrome and other roadblocks to a career change

We tackle 3 roadblocks that can creep up while making a career change. One of them is impostor syndrome. It’s when you feel incompetent and attribute your success to luck or other factors, and you downplay your skills, experience, and achievements. 

We’ll also look at low self-worth and lack of self-care, which can take you on a mental detour with your career change journey.

Here to discuss these roadblocks is certified executive coach Natalie Archibald. Natalie focuses on evaluating her clients’ belief systems, identifying their blind spots, and exploring their hidden gems, to help them achieve their career goals. 

In this episode, Natalie tells us how to handle impostor syndrome, low self-worth, and lack of self-care, so we can move forward with our career switch.

Find Natalie Archibald:
Website: www.nataliearchibald.com
Instagram: @knicknats_by_nat

 
Resources:

Career Change and Impostor Syndrome—How to Increase Your Confidence When Changing Careers

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecenizalevine/2018/04/08/career-change-and-impostor-syndrome-how-to-increase-your-confidence-when-changing-careers/?sh=579441576c06

Impostor Syndrome and How to Overcome It

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/overcome-impostor-syndrome

Practicing Self-Care During a Career Change

https://verilymag.com/2018/09/self-care-during-a-career-change

Self-Care Will Help You and Your Career

https://www.case.org/resources/self-care-will-help-you-and-your-career

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Transcript

Lixandra: Hi, everyone. I'm Lixandra Uresta, and this is Career Switch Podcast. This show is here to encourage you to take action with whatever career change you've been considering or are working on. In some episodes, I talk to people who've made their own career switch, whether by choice or circumstance. They share the good, the bad, and the truth about their journey, including what worked for them and what didn't. In other episodes, I speak with experts who offer their best career advice on issues that can come up during the process of making a career change. After all, it takes guts to switch things up, and it's not easy. However, it is possible. I hope you hear something in this episode, an idea, a suggestion, a piece of wisdom that'll spur you into action with your own career switch, whether it's taking that first bold step or trying something new. Welcome. I'm glad you're here. 

Today, we tackle three roadblocks that can creep up while making a career switch. One of them is imposter syndrome. It's when you feel incompetent and attribute your success to luck or other factors, and instead, you downplay your skills and experience. We'll also look at low self-worth and lack of self-care, which can affect your personal life and take you on a mental detour with your career change journey. Here to discuss these roadblocks with me is certified executive coach Natalie Archibald. Natalie focuses on evaluating her clients' belief systems, identifying their blind spots, and exploring their hidden gems to help them achieve their career goals. Hi, Natalie. Thanks for joining us. When we first met, you let me know that you coach your clients with the belief that our professional and personal lives bleed into each other. Tell us about that.

Natalie: The idea that our personal lives and our professional lives are separate is something that we've always been told, right? Keep your personal life out of your professional and vice versa. But the reality is there's only one you. And this dynamic of dividing yourself into two people, depending if you're at work or at home, isn't in alignment. The idea is that who you are at your core is reflected at work and it's reflected at home. and the goals that you have for yourself, like they're all intertwined in the life that you're living, whether you're going to work or you're coming back home to your family.

Lixandra: With this in mind, your professional and personal lives can intertwine when making a career switch because it can take time to change industries or professions, which in turn can affect your personal life. What is a common roadblock that can come up while you're working on your career switch?

Natalie: Well, a lot of doubt comes up. The reality is often we're discouraged from making a career switch, right? So we're not given the information that we need to actually see it through. And sometimes people also suffer from imposter syndrome, where they might think that they aren't capable of doing it, you know, or low self-esteem. And again, all connected to doubt. That's a very, very big one that constantly comes up. In working with my clients, even, I can't say anyone is 100% confident in what they bring to the table, despite their level of success.

Lixandra: What is imposter syndrome and what are some signs?

Natalie: Imposter syndrome is a sense of inadequacy despite your career and your life reflecting success. So the belief that whatever success that you're experiencing isn't real and isn't aligned to your skillset and isn't aligned with your hard work and achievement. You know, it's kind of like, Oh, you got promoted. Yeah, but that was just because they liked me or someone left and they needed someone. So not really attributing your success to your hard work and personal achievements.

Lixandra: How does imposter syndrome act as a roadblock while making a career switch?

Natalie: It definitely impacts a person's mindset. Having imposter syndrome is synonymous with limiting yourself. So if you can't see yourself for who you are and what you have to offer, how can you make a plan to move forward? Imposter syndrome is extremely limiting, and it limits people from growing personally and professionally. They also can't see what they're bringing to the table, so they can't necessarily put their best foot forward. They might have this vision, they might have this idea, but this sense of inadequacy holds them back from actually putting this plan into action.

Lixandra: Does imposter syndrome affect more people than others, would you say?

Natalie: I definitely see it more with women and people of color. And this is a systemic problem, to be honest. We live in a society that has indoctrinated doubt and made people of color and women feel like they're less than or they have to work harder than the dominant culture. And so that permeates. that really is very deeply embedded in women and people of color. And even though they've achieved so much success, like you still hear even from Oprah or Michelle Obama, like the most successful women of color, you know, showcasing this doubt or at least speaking about this experience of how even as they're climbing up the ladder, there's still hesitation. It's still hard to recognize that you're doing it and that what you're bringing to the table is valuable. It's something that people combat in trying to achieve their goals and even living day to day, knowing that they deserve the rewards of what they're doing.

Lixandra: So how should we think of imposter syndrome if it comes up?

Natalie: Because it's so entrenched in people and because it's part of a broader system. it could be challenging to overcome it. But I think once people realize it's them, not me, you know, so it's like when you're, when you're breaking up with someone, it's like, it's me, not you. With imposter syndrome, you have to say it's them, not me, because it's this philosophy that women and people of color are less than. And I think we have enough resources now. There's enough dialogue going on right now that we can acknowledge that this is a false narrative. And so if it's false, then it's time for us to stop buying into it.

Lixandra: That feeling of less than can come up with a career switch since you're trying to change industries or professions and you may not have too much experience in that field. How can we tackle imposter syndrome in this case?

Natalie: I think people need to realize that they're valuable. You know, I know it sounds very almost cliche, but it's the reality to understand your worth and really reflect on the experience that you've gathered. So I think that we don't reflect enough on our laurels. We don't appreciate how far we've come in our achievements. So I think it's important for someone to look at their career, recognize the wins that they've had, recognize what they bring to the table. I think that's why it's so important to kind of include that skills area in your resume so you understand what are your shiny baubles, what are the things that make you different, the things that you've learned that you can apply to a different career. Most jobs require similar soft skills, you know, creative, strong leadership skills. Like whether you're an accountant or a marketer, you know, I've seen very creative Excel sheets and I've seen very creative PowerPoint. Whatever you're doing, you need to bring an innovative mindset. So those are things that people can highlight and hone in on as they're making their career switch.

Lixandra: Let's circle back to low self-esteem, which you mentioned earlier. So it may take time to break into a new industry or profession, and it may get discouraging along the way. Perhaps it'll affect your self-worth. What's your advice if we're feeling like this?

Natalie: A way to manage these feelings of unworthiness during the career switch is to recognize that these things take time and that right now what you're going through is a moment in time. You haven't gone through this experience before and you won't go through this experience afterward. So just being present in that and understanding that the frustration that you're feeling now isn't something that's going to last forever. Because making a career switch is hard. Like we can't sugarcoat things, right? Because if we do, we're not necessarily going to have the best approach to it. We're not going to have a realistic plan. And then that does lead to feelings of unworthiness or surprise when you don't acknowledge that what you're doing is hard. But in the long run, it's going to pay off. and you're going to be a lot happier. There are ways to make the process better for yourself. in addition to kind of level setting with yourself about what you're doing and the energy that it takes, it's also important to recognize that you have one life to enjoy and that the beauty of life is to create changes. Go up, go down, go sideways, just take different paths. And there's actually a great quote that I saw recently. It said, your purpose is written in pen, but your path is written in pencil. So sometimes, even if we have the best laid out plan, there are some tweaks that we can make to get there. I recommend that when you start to feel really frustrated, think about if there's some sort of block or there's something that you haven't envisioned that could be stopping you from getting to where you want to get to. Is there an untapped resource? Is there another skill that you might need to develop? It's important to analyze why you're going through what you're going through and how you can get through it.

Lixandra: How do we analyze? Is journaling something you recommend?

Natalie: Yeah, that's actually a big one that I recommend for my clients. When we have sessions, I ask them, one, to write things that might pop up that we talk about. I also ask them to reflect on why they're feeling a certain way. How can they move through that feeling? Because when we keep things in our head, they just stay there. Writing is a cathartic experience where you kind of put all these thoughts to paper. You can actually see them. And by seeing them, you can decipher it a lot better than if you keep it in your head. And a big thing that I do is having an action plan. And an action plan isn't just, I'm going to make a switch from being a marketer to an accountant. Okay. You know, we make these big goals, but then what are the steps that we need to take to get there? We also have the opportunity to plan for the unexpected. Making a career switch isn't something that most people do from one day to the other. Usually it's something they've been thinking about for years. So are you creating some sort of savings? So that you can freely, you'll look for a job without the pressure of finances. You'll have to make sacrifices, but you can do that. That's part of your plan. You can also, Oh, I have to take these classes. You can even find out if your current job will pay for classes. So it's really like evaluating all your different resources and the things that you need to do to get to where you want to be. and planning for the unexpected. We all know that life has twists and turns. So instead of being surprised by them, let's get ahead of them.

Lixandra: Some people can become consumed with their career switch. They connect their self-worth to their career. Also, it's a lot of work to make a career switch. Applying for jobs, researching companies, preparing for interviews, taking classes. It's a lot to have on your plate. I myself did a lot of stress eating while I waited to hear back from people. I gained weight. I also felt like I was in limbo during the 14 months that it took me to make my career switch. And all I could focus on was when am I going to land a new job in a new industry? So you can become consumed and you can stop taking care of yourself both physically and mentally. What's your advice?

Natalie: Number one is it's one life. It's one life and you can't let your current situation consume you. Like I said before, you have to think about this as a moment in time just to stabilize your thoughts, because that's where this all starts, right? We overeat or we don't sleep because we're just so focused on the task at hand that we have blinders on, right? We can't see beyond that. And really, it's about making sure and understanding that you can't even do your best work if you're not taking care of yourself and if you're not happy. I think the best advice that I actually got from a mentor was nobody wants to work with a sad person. So take some vitamin D and buck up. So even taking that to heart, like the energy that you're putting into this job search and this career switch is the energy that you're going to get back. So instead of putting your pedal to the metal to the point that this becomes an unhappy journey, a frustrating journey, always take a step back and think about the fact that you're doing something that is going to make you happy. we're always so focused, especially American culture. We're so focused on work and work is life. And we, you know, we start living life once we retire. And that's not very realistic to start living your life at the end of your life. It just doesn't make sense. So part of the process is enjoying life while you're working, enjoying life while you're finding purpose. There's no sin in that.

Lixandra: So how can we balance making a career switch with the rest of our lives? Like we touched upon at the beginning, how our professional lives and our personal lives bleed into each other.

Natalie: It really goes back to our mindset and choosing differently for ourselves. You know, we have to find joy in life. Just think about your whole community. and how they can support you in this career switch. It's not an individual journey. And again, that's very American, right? But I have to do this myself. I can't count anyone. I'm going to figure it out. But no, there's your family, there's grants, there's financial saving programs, there's mentors, your sponsors, there's friends. There's a whole ecosystem there to support you in creating that alignment and happiness.

Lixandra: Okay, Natalie, as we wrap up, how can our listeners reach you?

Natalie: You can reach me through my website, nataliearchibald.com or on Instagram. I am nicknatsbynat.

Lixandra: Any final thoughts for our listeners?

Natalie: I guess I want to leave the listeners with this. Have a plan that includes rest, regeneration, and reflection. And don't just focus on the going, going, going. Remember that this is a moment in time. Life is made up of many moments. And every single one of these experiences are valuable and are preparing you to live a very fulfilling life.

Lixandra: Thanks, Natalie. Thanks to Natalie Archibald for being our guest today. Check out the show notes for Natalie's website and Instagram and for articles on imposter syndrome and self-care while making a career switch. 

You can find links to the resources mentioned in this episode and more helpful information in the show notes and on our website, careerswitchpod.com. While you're there, join our mailing list and follow us on Instagram and Twitter at careerswitchpod. So what's your career switch? Are you excited to take action after listening to this episode? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. We'd love to know, along with any feedback you have about the show. We're a new podcast, so please rate, review, and share with your friends and colleagues. It'll help get the show out there. Thanks for listening today. Till next time.