I was a student for many years (5 years of undergrad, 2.5 years of grad school), and I became very comfortable with always being able to look at the syllabus and my grade and know what I needed to do and how well I was performing. Work isn’t like that. Like I think is normal, I get a performance review once a year. I find this unsettling, because even though I come in and do decent work, I still often feel like I’m doing something “wrong” and worry that I’m secretly on the cusp of being fired. Folks who have maybe been working for longer than I have, how do you feel and stay confident in your work?
Yeah, impostor syndrome is a good way to describe it, and it does indeed suck. That’s all good advice though, thank you! It is such a strange change of pace to be judged on perception and not purely ability, especially since I feel like I’m not very good at reading other people and knowing how to manage relationships like that. People skills aren’t my forte, hence a career in engineering lol
Fortunately I think my manager does view me well, so I can try to reassure myself with that
I can add that I’ve built a career on rubbing elbows with the right ppl. You don’t have to be the best, you just have to be likeable and decently competent. As bad as it sounds, people relations first, productivity second.
I’m not the type to slum it for a paycheck, but I’ve found that good perceptions are everything. Balance technical ability with relationship management and you’ll be golden.
Oh, and I still regularly struggle with imposter syndrome, despite the above…