Follow this 5-Step Plan to Quickly Gain Your Confidence and Footing

You have been on a whirlwind of emotions in the past few weeks, going from the uncertainty of the job hunt, through the challenge of multiple rounds of interviewing, to the thrill of landing a great new job. You should be happy, but you’re not. Not yet.

Goodbye blue skies, hello grey

What you didn’t necessarily expect when you took this job was the anxiety you now feel in your new role. This is the position you’ve wanted and everything you have worked for, so intellectually you know you are prepared. Yet you may also have this niggling sense that you’re slightly out of your depth in the most challenging role you have ever landed. Maybe there are elements of this new role for which you don’t have the prerequisite experience or knowledge. Perhaps there is a daunting learning curve ahead of you.

This common feeling that many successful professionals have experienced throughout their careers is called “impostor syndrome.” In fact, it’s experienced more often by people who hold themselves to the highest expectations. According to the work of psychologists Pauline Rose Clance, PhD and Suzanne Imes, PhD, there are several “competence types” that are particularly susceptible. These include perfectionists, natural geniuses, individualists, and experts (in their fields). Take heart in the fact that this feeling places you among a group of admirable people. Nevertheless, whether you have a mild or severe case of impostor syndrome, it can make you feel inadequate. It can temporarily block out your sense of accomplishments and your confidence in your skills. It can also make you forget the hard work and sacrifices you have put into becoming the professional that you are.

If you exhibit these signs, you may be experiencing impostor syndrome:

• A sense that you have to be perfect
• Working consistently longer hours than your peers
• Feeling like a fraud who doesn’t deserve this position
• Undermining your own achievements and skills
• Focusing on and fearing the potential for failure, rather than success
• Disregarding the praise and compliments you receive

Relax, you may feel like a hot mess, but this overwhelming feeling can be overcome in days or weeks by following these recommendations:

1. Be aware of natural triggers for new job anxiety

New jobs are full of insecurity “triggers” that make anyone feel anxious. Being alert to them enables you to assess your situation and take control. Look out for:

• People assuming you know internal processes when you do not
• People assuming you have skills or expertise you do not have
• A deluge of unfamiliar corporate buzzwords
• Colleagues mentioning names of people you need to contact that you have never met or been told about
• Frequent miscommunications and misunderstandings between you and peers/superiors/subordinates
• Being asked to make decisions without supporting information
• Not receiving adequate orientation and onboarding for all of the above

2. Write down the gaps you need to close

There are three likely initial responses to new job anxiety: You will 1) succumb to the pressure and fail or quit, 2) gravitate toward aspects of the job you feel confident about, or 3) make an honest appraisal of where you are and where you want to go. By making choice #3 and methodically assessing your strengths and weaknesses, including knowledge and skill gaps, you can take the necessary steps to overcome them. Remember, your employer knows new hires have these gaps and reasonable superiors and co-workers are willing to help you address them. Writing them down gives you clarity about what needs to be done and eliminates the vague feeling of being overwhelmed.

3. Be a problem-solver

Using your lists of triggers and strengths and weaknesses, come up with strategies for addressing them and present them to people you trust to support you in growing in your role. The key in having these conversations is to come prepared with notes and potential solutions. Speak with confidence about what you understand about the workflow and what you think needs to be done to help your integration. Ask for specific input, given what you know about what the person may have to offer. Ask for help in developing your potential solutions into specific action steps. As long as you engender the impression that you are a confident problem-solver and a team player, people will be inclined to help you.

4. Get a mentor

Hopefully your new company has a formal mentoring program. If not, find yourself an informal mentor at your current level or above you who has been in your position, or in a similar role. If you feel comfortable with the person you have chosen, you may mention that you believe strongly in the value of mentorship and would like to be their mentee. For most people, this is a flattering sign of personal achievement and a request they will gladly honor. This relationship will be essential to your development and a source of candid advice for navigating challenging situations. When you conquer your learning curve, you will then have someone in your corner that believes in you and can help you to continue to advance in your career. Promise yourself to pay it forward and you won’t feel like you’re imposing when you ask someone to be your mentor.

5. Keep your long-term goals in mind

When you sought this position, you had objectives in mind. Perhaps you wanted to develop your leadership skills, advance your expertise in a particular area, or help to improve company processes. Don’t lose sight of the reasons you said “yes” to this opportunity. These will inspire you to overcome the surmountable challenges in front of you now and carry your momentum full-steam ahead once you overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed in a new job.

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