Imposter syndrome is not unique to you, and you can ask anybody anywhere if they’ve ever felt like they are underqualified for a position. The answer is yes, they absolutely have done. This is just part of having a career no matter when you started it.

Those coming out of university don’t believe they have the experience, whereas those changing careers suspect that they’re going to be laughed out of the building at any moment.

Feeling underqualified doesn’t mean you can’t succeed, though, and if you know what to do and how to overcome your worries, you can prove the person that matters most wrong: yourself.

Get Qualified

The simple solution to feeling underqualified in a position is to get qualified as soon as possible, preferably before you take on the job. Some occupations will demand this qualification before starting. However, others may allow you to undertake courses such as an online MBA in Accounting while working, so you can get experience alongside the qualification that will prove so essential to later success.

Fake It

It may be a cliche, but it is a cliche for a reason. Merely acting more confident and as you belong will help convince yourself that you belong there as much as anything else. This works best when you have been offered and taken a job, but you keep putting yourself down compared to your coworkers who may have more experience than you. Experience can only get you so far, though, and you need a wealth of skills at your disposal to hit the heights you crave, and confidence is a crucial component of that.

Take a Chance

When applying for jobs, you’ll sometimes read through the description thinking this could be the one only to feel bitterly disappointed at the end when it states additional requirements for those applying. It’s an easy way to get discouraged, as you can’t see how you will ever get the necessary experience without being given a chance. These requirements, however, are never set in stone, not most of the time, anyway. If you never take a chance and apply, then you never know if the rest of your application makes any additional concerns irrelevant.

They Hired You, Didn’t They?

No matter how long you’ve been in a job, you may still feel underqualified, even when you’re the head of the department or after getting a promotion. This lack of confidence gets you nowhere, though, and it can cause issues for you later on. Remembering that the company hired you for a reason, often above tens, if not hundreds of other candidates should indicate that you are the right person for the job, so remember that whenever you feel underqualified.

Made It

You are not alone in feeling like you do not belong in your current position. However, worrying about it will not do you any favours. Instead, it’s vital that you put yourself out there to learn new skills that will make you feel more confident about what you do and how you do it. With time, you’ll come to realise that you do deserve this job, and you’re smashing it there every single day.