Why the feeling of being a fraud shows up during a job search, and a few things that actually help, from a coach who sees it up close.
|
Key takeaways • Almost everyone feels like a fraud at some point. Studies put the number anywhere between 9% and 82%, depending on how it’s measured. The range is wide, but the message is simple: this is common, not rare. • It usually gets loud during change: a new job, a promotion, moving countries. That’s not random. • The goal isn’t to make the feeling disappear. It’s to notice it, and not let it drive. • Confidence usually shows up after you act, not before. • Write down your small wins. Your brain remembers rejection louder than progress. • Feeling overwhelmed? Calm your body first, then decide your next move. |
You’re probably not as alone in this as it feels
If you feel like a fraud right now, you’re not the exception. A review of 62 studies covering over 14,000 people found that anywhere between 9% and 82% of people experience imposter syndrome, depending on how it’s measured. It shows up in students. It shows up in CEOs. It doesn’t care how experienced you are.
What Fareen has noticed as a coach
As a coach at Fired Up, Fareen Shaikh sees the exact same pattern up close, in:
- People with amazing careers, years of experience, leadership positions.
- People who are just starting out.
Same feeling, either way.
It usually gets loud during periods of transition:
- Changing careers
- Job hunting
- Getting promoted
- Moving countries
But it doesn’t start there. It often comes from experiences we’ve had growing up and throughout adulthood, the ones that shape how we see ourselves.
Because almost everyone experiences it at some point, the goal isn’t to get rid of it completely. It’s recognizing it, accepting that it’s there, and not letting it make your decisions for you.
One client, one networking message
Networking was the biggest trigger for one of Fareen’s clients. It wasn’t that people hadn’t reached out to her before, they had. She just never believed she had anything valuable to offer in those conversations.
During her job search, she pushed through the discomfort anyway. The thoughts were loud:
- “You’re not experienced enough.”
- “Why would someone with more experience want to talk to you?”
She reached out anyway.
She connected with someone working on AI in recruitment, the field she wanted to move into herself. That one conversation eventually led to both of them joining an AI recruitment hackathon together.
What stood out to Fareen wasn’t just the opportunity. It was how proud her client was afterward. She realized the story she’d been telling herself wasn’t actually true.
What actually helps
Confidence is usually the result of taking action, not the requirement for it.
A few things Fareen often suggests to clients:
- Keep a notebook of small wins. We naturally remember rejection more than progress, so having somewhere to go back to really helps.
- Talk to people who’ve known you through different stages of your life. They often remind you of strengths you’ve forgotten about.
- Calm your nervous system first, when it all feels like too much. Box breathing, or one small activity that genuinely makes you happy, can help you get out of your head before you take the next step.
The people who seem confident aren’t necessarily free from imposter syndrome. They’ve just learned not to let it stop them.
The bottom line
Feeling like a fraud during a job search doesn’t mean you are one. It means you’re human, probably in the middle of a change that’s stretching how you see yourself. Notice the feeling, collect evidence against it, and act anyway.
If you’re navigating a career change at any stage, our guide on how to change careers walks through the broader process. Talking this through with someone who’s seen the pattern before, instead of just in your own head, is often what actually shifts it. Job coaching is fully funded through an AVGS voucher if you’re registered as job-seeking in Germany.
Want to talk through your own situation with a coach? Book a free intro call and we’ll figure out next steps together.
FAQ
Is imposter syndrome a real diagnosis?
No. It’s not a clinical diagnosis, it’s a pattern: feeling like a fraud despite real evidence you’re good at what you do. Psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes described it back in 1978, and it’s been studied widely since. Not a diagnosis doesn’t mean not real.
Why does it get worse when I’m job hunting?
Job hunting means strangers evaluate you, again and again. That alone can turn up the volume on any self-doubt you already had. Add a career change, new industry, or new country, and the gap between your past and your next step feels even bigger.
Will imposter syndrome go away once I get the job?
Not automatically. For a lot of people, it comes back with every new change. The more realistic goal isn’t to feel fully ready first, it’s learning to act despite the feeling.
