Impostor syndrome can affect people of all age groups from any field or area. Nearly 70% of people suffer from impostor syndrome at any time. Impostor syndrome is of several types: the Perfectionist, Superwoman/man, Natural genius, Soloist, and Expert. While each can have a different impact on a person's well being and mentality, they all share a standard connection – a sense of fear related to failure and success.
Nowadays, research has shown that nearly one in every three young employees are prone to suffer impostor syndrome. It has sparked an important debate worldwide where people discuss the possible causes of impostor syndrome in young employees. As a result, we collectively have identified the critical causes of impostor syndrome in young employees that you can see below.
Causes of Impostor Syndrome in Young Employees
From average working environment to unprecedented competition, here are critical causes of impostor syndrome in young employees.
Unable to Accept Success
With the cutthroat competition amongst young employees, many struggle to deal with the initial success that comes their way. They attribute success to luck rather than their abilities. Furthermore, it scares them as others will scrutinize their success, exposing them as fraud. It further makes them difficult to deal with impostor syndrome.
Comparison with Colleague and Friends
Young employees are more known to draw comparisons when it comes to their career paths. They compare the position and accolades of their colleagues and friends to establish where they stand in life. Such comparison, even if it results in a positive outcome, can inadvertently lead to feelings of self-doubt such as, "How can I do better than them when they are more skilled and talented?" Such comparison can lead to anxiety and depression that are common in people who suffer from impostor syndrome.
Chasing Perfection
Young employees try to establish themselves as perfectionists where they end up treating themselves with unrealistic expectations. As a result, even the slightest failure can trigger impostor syndrome in them.
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