Imposter Syndrome at Work: Everyone’s Faking, Right?

I started a new job recently—one I was genuinely excited about. It checked all the boxes: challenging (in a good way), aligned with my skills, filled with smart people doing great work. I started day one feeling like I was finally in the right place.

And then, like clockwork, it showed up.

That quiet voice in my head that whispers, “They’re going to figure you out.”
“You're not actually good at this.”
“It was probably a mistake they hired you.”

Ah yes—imposter syndrome at work. Those pesky thoughts that slip in just when you’re supposed to be feeling accomplished.

If you’ve been there—sitting in a Zoom meeting pretending to understand the acronyms, giving a presentation with a shaky voice while doubting every word, or answering emails like a professional while internally wondering if you're just a really organized fraud—you are not alone.

Imposter syndrome isn’t some rare psychological glitch—it’s an almost universal experience, especially in the workplace. In fact, a 2020 study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that up to 82% of people experience imposter syndrome at some point in their lives.

That’s not a small number. That’s basically the whole office.

This post is here to say: if you’re struggling with imposter syndrome at work, you don’t need to “fix” yourself. You’re not broken, you’re not a fraud (and neither am I), and you’re definitely not the only one quietly wondering if you’re just winging it better than most.

Together, we’ll break down where this mindset comes from, what it sounds like (because it’s sneaky), and most importantly—how to deal with imposter syndrome in a way that feels human, not hollow.

And if you’re still not sure whether this is something you deal with, hang tight—we’ve got an imposter syndrome quiz that’ll help you spot the signs (no judgment, just insight).

Ready to get honest? Let’s go.

What Is Imposter Syndrome at Work, Really?

Let’s start by naming the beast.

Imposter syndrome isn’t a clinical diagnosis—it’s more like a psychological gremlin. It's the persistent belief that you’ve fooled everyone into thinking you’re competent, and that at any moment, someone’s going to blow your cover. Despite evidence of your accomplishments, your brain insists you’re just lucky, or good at pretending, or both.

And it’s exhausting.

Maybe you got a new role and immediately felt like you needed to prove your worth every single day. Maybe you're afraid to speak up in meetings because you assume your ideas aren’t as valuable. Maybe you can’t accept a compliment without immediately deflecting it. (“Oh, this? No big deal. It was just luck and caffeine.”)

Sound familiar? Then you, my friend, may be dancing with imposter syndrome at work.

Why It Shows Up—Even When You’re Crushing It

What makes imposter syndrome so frustrating is that it doesn’t go away just because you’ve done well. In fact, sometimes success feeds it.

Did you nail a presentation? Get a promotion? Land a new job that excites and scares you in equal measure? Cue the mental spiral:
“They think I know what I’m doing. But I don’t. Not really. Right?”

It’s especially common during transitions—starting a new job, shifting roles, or stepping into leadership. That newness makes you feel like you’re on stage, and suddenly you’re hyper-aware of every missed detail, every awkward sentence, every moment that doesn’t feel “expert” enough.

This is why imposter syndrome in a new job is practically a rite of passage. You’re learning, adapting, and trying to look like you’ve been doing it for years—while also wondering if everyone else has access to some secret workplace manual you never got.

Spoiler alert: they don’t.

The Many Faces of Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome doesn't always show up the same way for everyone. Here are a few of its most common disguises at work:

• The Perfectionist: Nothing you do is ever quite good enough. You rewrite that email 17 times and still worry it sounds unprofessional.

• The Soloist: Asking for help feels like admitting you’re unqualified, so you white-knuckle everything on your own.

• The Expert: You feel like a fraud if you don’t know everything—as if Googling something at work is a sign of weakness.

• The Natural Genius: You think things should come easily. If you have to work hard at something, you assume you're not cut out for it.

• The Superhuman: You measure success by how much you can juggle—and if you drop a single ball, you spiral.

Recognizing which one you relate to can be a helpful first step in spotting the pattern—and breaking it. You’ll find more on this in our post on understanding your inner critic—because that voice in your head is rarely original, and it’s definitely not the boss of you.

Is It Just Self-Doubt… or Imposter Syndrome?

Here’s a quick distinction: Self-doubt shows up occasionally, usually tied to specific situations. Imposter syndrome is more like background noise. It's a persistent undercurrent of feeling like you don’t belong, haven’t earned your success, or are somehow “less than” the people around you.

It also tends to show up most in people who care deeply about their work—which is cruel, frankly.

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “If I can just get through this without being found out…”—that’s more than a little self-doubt. That’s imposter syndrome pulling the strings behind the scenes.

If you’re still unsure, consider checking out our quick imposter syndrome quiz. It’s not a diagnosis, but it can be a helpful mirror.

You can also download our free Self-Talk Reframe Worksheet to help shift some of those spiraling thoughts into something a little kinder and more honest.

Why It's Not Just You

Let’s drive this one home: Imposter syndrome at work isn’t something you’re doing wrong. It’s baked into a lot of our work environments—especially those that reward perfectionism, competition, and constant achievement.

It’s more likely to show up in women, people of color, first-generation professionals, and anyone who’s ever felt like the “only” in a room. That doesn’t mean it’s exclusive to those groups, but it means the systems we work in often amplify the feeling.

So no, you’re not making it up. And you’re definitely not the only one.

If this is hitting close to home, take a breath. We’re going to talk next about how this showed up in real time during my own new-job experience—and how I’m learning to handle it. You might also enjoy our 5-Day challenge: 5-Day Real Talk: I Felt Like a Fraud. Because saying it out loud is how we start to take our power back.

My Experience — New Job, New Doubts

Let’s rewind to a few weeks ago.

I had just stepped into a new role—one that, by all external measures, felt like the right next move. It aligned with my experience, matched my strengths, and (bonus!) didn’t involve a daily commute. I was genuinely excited, even a little proud of myself.

And then... imposter syndrome knocked on the door. Not loudly. More like a “just checking in” whisper that eventually unpacked a suitcase and made itself at home.

I found myself second-guessing basic things:
Should I speak up on this call?
Am I asking too many questions?
What if they realize I’m not as sharp as I looked on paper?

None of these thoughts were based on actual feedback. My manager was supportive. The team was welcoming. No one had given me even a hint that I was underperforming. But that’s the frustrating magic trick of imposter syndrome at work—it warps reality.

The New Job Spiral Is Real

There’s something uniquely disorienting about imposter syndrome in a new job. You’re learning new systems, trying to make a good impression, and hoping you don’t accidentally reply-all with a typo.

But here’s the part no one says out loud: It’s okay not to know everything right away. In fact, you’re not supposed to.

Still, I kept holding myself to this imaginary standard where I’d master everything immediately—be strategic, make an impact, charm my new colleagues, and do it all without missing a beat. Spoiler: I missed several beats. But no one noticed. Because everyone else was busy trying to find their beat too.

This is exactly why we created the “Permission to Be New” checklist—a gentle reminder that not knowing everything doesn’t make you an imposter. It makes you new. That’s it.

Imposter Thoughts I Actually Had (And What I Did About Them)

Here are a few thoughts that ran laps in my brain the first couple of weeks, paired with what I tried to do instead of letting them run the show:

• “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
  I reminded myself that onboarding exists for a reason. No one expects day-three brilliance (except maybe... me).

• “Everyone else is so much more confident.”
  I tried to observe without assuming. People who look confident might also be wrestling with doubts—I just can’t see it.

• “I should’ve figured this out already.”
  I practiced replacing “should” with “could.” As in: I could figure this out, and I will. Just not all in one week.

Progress isn’t always loud. Sometimes it looks like sending the email you were nervous about. Or asking a “dumb” question (that three other people were also too afraid to ask). Or walking away from your desk and taking a deep breath.

The Most Surprising Thing? I’m Not Alone

I casually mentioned to a colleague that I was feeling a little overwhelmed—and boom, the floodgates opened.
“Oh thank god,” they said. “I thought it was just me.”

That moment reminded me that vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s connection fuel. When we admit we’re struggling, it gives others permission to stop pretending too.

If you’ve felt this way, I’m here to say: you’re not failing, and you’re not faking. You’re just feeling. And that’s entirely human.

If you want to reflect on where you’re really at right now—not where your anxious brain says you are—try our Grounded Confidence Journal Prompt. You might surprise yourself.

Why No One Talks About It (But Everyone Feels It)

Here’s the wild part: nearly everyone deals with imposter syndrome at work, but hardly anyone talks about it.

We’ll confess to bingeing a whole season of a questionable reality show in one weekend. We’ll share awkward stories about texting the wrong person. But admitting we feel like frauds at work? That’s the line.

Why? Because imposter syndrome thrives on silence—and shame.

We Think We're the Only One

When those “I’m not good enough” thoughts creep in, our brains convince us we’re the only ones feeling this way. Everyone else seems confident, competent, and deeply unbothered. Meanwhile, we’re staring at our Slack notifications wondering if one of them is HR politely escorting us out for not knowing a random acronym.

But that feeling? It's not rare. It's just private.

The pressure to keep up appearances is strong—especially in professional environments where being “on” all the time is rewarded. Vulnerability still isn’t always seen as strength. So we bottle it up and perform confidence like it’s a skill we mastered in a previous life.

Meanwhile, the person next to us? Probably doing the exact same thing.

Perfectionism and People-Pleasing: Imposter Fuel

If you identify as a recovering perfectionist or lifelong people-pleaser, imposter syndrome probably hitched a ride into your career early on. When our worth gets tied to achievement, external praise, or being “the reliable one,” any small mistake feels like a threat to our identity.

We set impossible standards. We meet them. Then we raise the bar even higher.

Eventually, we’re standing on a shaky platform of burnout and unspoken fear, smiling like everything’s fine.

(For a deeper dive on this cycle, you might want to check out our Break Up With Perfectionism guide. It’s part tough love, part relief.)

Work Culture Doesn’t Always Help

Here’s the other piece no one likes to say out loud: the way many workplaces are structured actually feeds imposter syndrome.

Tight deadlines, vague expectations, comparison-driven performance reviews, leadership that values busyness over boundaries—it’s no wonder people feel like they’re constantly falling short.

And then there’s representation. If you’re the only woman, the only person of color, the only non-native English speaker, the only disabled person, or the youngest voice in the room, the unspoken pressure to prove yourself can be crushing. You're not just representing yourself—you’re carrying a whole narrative on your back.

In these moments, imposter syndrome at work becomes less about self-perception and more about survival in an environment that wasn’t built with you in mind.

So... What Happens When We Start Talking About It?

Magic. That’s what happens.

When we name what we’re feeling, we take away its power. When we share it out loud, we give other people permission to exhale. When we say, “Hey, I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing,” and someone else responds, “Me too,”—we start to build something more honest.

That’s the whole spirit behind our 5-Day Real Talk: I Felt Like a Fraud Challenge— normalizing these quiet struggles so they’re not so heavy. The more we bring them into the light, the less they define us.

If you’ve ever walked out of a meeting replaying every sentence you said, wondering if you sounded “smart enough,” just know: we see you. And we’re all just figuring it out as we go.

How to Deal with Imposter Syndrome (Without Quitting Your Job)

Let’s be honest—if the solution to imposter syndrome were just “believe in yourself,” we’d all be cured by now and high-fiving in the hallway.

But how to deal with imposter syndrome—really deal with it—takes more than a pep talk. It takes awareness, small habit shifts, and sometimes the courage to unlearn the garbage we’ve picked up about what “being professional” is supposed to look like.

If you’re nodding along and wondering where to start, here are a few things that have helped me (and others in our community) quiet that inner fraud alarm and feel more grounded at work—without throwing your laptop into the sea.

1. Name It to Tame It

The moment I started calling my feelings imposter syndrome instead of proof that I suck—everything softened. It gave me some emotional distance. I wasn’t “bad at my job.” I was experiencing something common, human, and manageable.

This is where journaling can be a game-changer. You don’t have to write a novel—just take five minutes to answer this simple prompt:
“What am I telling myself right now, and is it actually true?”

Need a little help getting started? Try our Confidence Journal Prompt designed specifically for these spiral-y moments.

2. Keep a “You’re Not a Fraud” Folder

No seriously—start a folder. Screenshots of kind emails. Feedback from coworkers. A note you nailed a presentation. Anything that proves your inner critic wrong.

On the days imposter syndrome turns the volume all the way up, open that folder and remind yourself: You didn’t get here by accident.

We’ve even created a template to make it easier: download the free You Did That! Wins Tracker to keep receipts on your own awesomeness.

3. Reframe the Fear of “Not Knowing”

One of the biggest triggers for imposter syndrome is the belief that we have to know everything all the time. But here’s a secret: no one does. We’re all Googling things in the background. We’re all learning as we go.

Instead of panicking when you don’t know something, try this reframe:
“This is something I can learn.”
“Asking a question doesn’t make me less capable—it makes me curious.”

In fact, the most respected people I’ve worked with? They ask thoughtful questions all the time. It’s not a weakness. It’s a skill.

If you struggle with giving yourself permission to be new, revisit our Permission to Be New Checklist. It’s short, sweet, and surprisingly calming.

4. Talk About It With Someone You Trust

Whether it’s a colleague, friend, therapist, or Slack buddy—you need someone you can say “I feel like a fraud” to without fear of judgment. Saying it out loud takes away the shame and often sparks a response like, “Oh my god, SAME.”

If you don’t have that space yet, start one. Forward this post. Share a link to our 5-Day Real Talk: I Felt Like a Fraud Challenge. Let honesty do what it does best: connect us.

5. Stop Tying Your Worth to Productivity

I know, this one stings. But we’ve been raised in a work culture that measures our value in outputs, speed, and “crushing it.”

The truth? Your worth is not a deliverable.

You’re allowed to do a good job and rest. You’re allowed to make a mistake and still be valuable. You’re allowed to take a break without thinking the whole team will collapse in your absence (spoiler: they won’t).

This is a whole mindset shift, and we dig into it more in our blog on Why Rest Isn’t Lazy—a must-read for high achievers and quiet burnout experts alike.

6. Get Curious About Where It Comes From

Sometimes the best way to deal with imposter syndrome at work is to ask: Where did I learn that I’m not allowed to be confident? Was it a past job? A perfectionist parent? A culture of constant comparison?

Getting curious about your “imposter origin story” isn’t about blame—it’s about understanding. The more you understand where the inner critic came from, the easier it becomes to write your own script.

You don’t have to slay imposter syndrome in a day. Honestly, that’s not even the goal. The goal is to recognize it, loosen its grip, and move forward anyway—with a little more self-compassion than you had yesterday.

Still Not Sure? Take the Imposter Syndrome Quiz

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “Okay... I relate to some of this. But is it really imposter syndrome? Or am I just being hard on myself... again?”

Fair question. Because imposter syndrome can be slippery. It doesn’t always show up as full-blown panic or a dramatic meltdown. Sometimes it’s a quiet hum in the background: a second-guess here, an over-apology there, a sense that everyone else “gets it” more than you do.

If you're still on the fence, it might help to take a beat and get some clarity.

This Isn’t a Diagnostic Test—But It Might Be a Mirror

We’ve pulled together a simple Imposter Syndrome Quiz to help you reflect. It’s not scientific, and it won’t unlock any HR secrets, but it will give you a sense of where this might be showing up in your work life—and what to do about it.

No trick questions. No pressure. Just a short, thoughtful check-in that might make you say,
“Wait… is that why I keep rewriting my emails ten times before hitting send?”

And if you score high on the quiz? Don’t panic. That doesn’t mean you’re broken. It just means you’re in the very large, very normal club of high-functioning humans who sometimes feel like they snuck in the back door of their own career.

(We’ve saved you a seat.)

What the Quiz Covers:

• Your inner dialogue at work

• How you handle praise, feedback, and visibility

• Patterns of perfectionism, comparison, and self-doubt

• Whether your work habits are helping or hiding your fear of being “found out”

You’ll also get immediate access to curated tips, resources, and a downloadable mini toolkit if you want to keep working on it (without spiraling into an identity crisis).

Take the quiz now —Am I Experiencing Imposter Syndrome at Work?

Already Know the Answer? That’s Insight Too.

If you read the quiz questions and went, “Oh yep. Yep. Oh that’s definitely me.”—guess what? That’s awareness. And awareness is the first (and often hardest) step toward change.

You don’t need to overanalyze it. You don’t need to solve it all by Friday. You just need to keep showing up for yourself—with honesty, with compassion, and with enough humor to laugh when your brain gets dramatic.

Conclusion: You’re Not the Problem—The Silence Is

Let’s say this one more time for the people in the back (and maybe the voice in your head): If you’re struggling with imposter syndrome at work, you don’t need to fix yourself.

You’re not the broken one in the room. You’re just human—and probably more thoughtful, self-aware, and capable than you’re giving yourself credit for.

Imposter syndrome thrives in isolation. It feeds on assumptions, silence, and the idea that everyone else has it figured out. But once we start naming it—casually, imperfectly, even with a nervous laugh—we start to loosen its grip.

Because here’s the thing: most people are faking it a little. Most of us are figuring it out as we go. Confidence isn’t the absence of doubt—it’s just choosing to move forward anyway.

If you’ve made it to the end of this post, you’ve already taken the first step. You’re doing the work of reflection, of honesty, of unlearning the idea that uncertainty equals unworthiness.

That matters.

What You Can Do Right Now

• Take the Imposter Syndrome Quiz

• Start your You Did That! Wins Tracker

• Share this post with a friend who might be quietly spiraling

• Return to the Permission to Be New Checklist any time you forget it’s okay to learn as you go

• Sign up for the 5-Day Real Talk: I Felt Like a Fraud Challenge

Or just... sit with the truth that you belong, even when your brain says otherwise. That alone is brave.

Keep the Conversation Going

We’re building a space at SeekingBetterBalance.com where being unsure doesn’t disqualify you from being amazing—and where honesty is more valuable than hustle. Want to keep exploring? Check out our latest reflections on boundaries at work, quieting your inner critic, or just bookmark the Work & Career Balance Strategies page and drop by when you need a reset.

Thanks for showing up—for this post, and for yourself. Remember, you’re not faking it. You’re growing through it. And that? That’s real.