It’s a yep from me, frequently have those moments thinking what the heck am I doing here. Job is quite senior, I have staff far more technically qualified than me etc, involves a lot pressure and difficult decisions. But here I am, still, feedback from those that matter is always very positive… so who’s right..

A few thoughts from my experience recruiting and developing IT teams.

1) recruiters/agents are naturally optimistic about a candidates CV

2) If you go in to an interview for a ‘stretch role’ and you may are unsuccessful you may gain insights in to areas you need to grow your skills. When I did a lot of interviewing, I aimed to give immediate feedback to any candidates where the interview revealed gaps that made the candidate not viable.

3) I have seen many ‘hires’ respond really well from switching organisations and been given more responsibility and having to extend their technical skills fast. The key factors for success are a) being good at and enjoy learning new stuff b) having access to experienced colleague to point them in the right direction / ask the right question / collaborate in a tight ‘situation’

4) I have seen new hires flounder where it is too much a stretch from existing skills and not a good more experienced collaborator with time for them. So find out more about the organisation and its culture. Ask if you can ‘meet’ (harder at the moment) with a member of the existing team for a ‘coffee’ chat. Does any one you know know some one who work there?

5) Interview yourself and ask yourself for examples of situations where you have been stretched technically and /or with level of responsibility you were given. If you have a number of examples where there was a positive outcome your can use that to give your self the confidence you can succeed in a new role. If you do not have these, then seek these in your current role.

6) The best senior techies/ developers have often got their experience by jumping in to new situations and using them to grow their skills and confidence. Some people ‘just have’ it, if you are the ‘go to’ person on your current team, sounds like you ‘have it’ and you would respond well to a rich learning experience.

“I’m not entirely sure what it is that I do”

Haha, this is me. I also often get to the end of the week wondering what it is that I’ve done. I know I’ve been busy, and it feels like it was productive, but sometimes it’s all a bit ethereal. I think I’ve become a bit of an “enabler” rather than actually producing anything tangible, which doesn’t help the imposter syndrome!

But they’re offering a substantial increase in salary

How long have you been in your current role? The only way to get a decent payrise is usually to move companies – wages mostly haven’t kept up with inflation for a long time now so if you’ve been there for 5-10 years you might have lost track of the market, in which case the payrise makes sense.

Its become clear to me just how absolutely **** useless most people are.

somebody once told me “everybody’s winging it in their own way”. that resonated with me and ive always remembered that if i start to have similar thoughts to the OP.

Some yoof seem to be in desperate need of learning a little of this alongside a touch of humility. It seems to be rather unfashionable in Gen Z

so true. But, as older managerial types we need to manage them better as well, it’s not just their problem.

As for the don’t know what i do. When people ask me what my job is, I say in an ideal world I don’t DO anything – but as a non-tech manager managing a team of super qualified technical people, I facilitate things so that they can do stuff that I can’t.

Just look at the current tory party. Masquerading as world leaders.

😆 😆 😆

Does anyone else suffer with this

Does anyone not?

The only way to find out if you’re an imposter is start at the top, go for the highest paid job and then drop down to a lower paid one if you it turns out you actually are an imposter.

Does anyone not?

This giant of a man doesn’t. Woof!

I know I’ve been busy, and it feels like it was productive, but sometimes it’s all a bit ethereal. I think I’ve become a bit of an “enabler” rather than actually producing anything tangible

This is largely me too. My best days are when I’ve been thrown into the middle of a total cluster-youknowwhat that’s been raging for weeks, unpick it all, come up with a solution, then palm it off onto someone else to actually implement. I’m paid to think rather than to do, and I’m… actually I’m quite comfortable with that now because as it turns out I appear to have something of an aptitude for it.

Yup. I had a big promotion a couple of years ago and ever since I’ve been wondering if I’m really up to it. I do think asking that question of yourself to a certain degree probably makes you better at your job, and there’s always the re-assurance of the absolutely useless sods working at the same level, who are living proof of the Peter principle, and are outshone by any basic display of competence.

In my experience most people have a bit of this, some more than others. I definitely did and the best thing a coach asked me was ‘Who do you think is going to catch you out ? Maybe they feel the same as you’ and my dear old Dad who said “Main thing is just don’t be a dick all the time, treat people with respect and how you would like to be treated and if you don’t know something say so”
That literally was the only useful advice he ever gave me.
I’m quite senior and still wonder htf i have got away with it for so long

I’m paid to think rather than to do, and I’m… actually I’m quite comfortable with that now because as it turns out I appear to have something of an aptitude for it.

You are me and I claim my £5

Does anyone not?

That, really that.  Also remember that most job adverts are written for someone that doesn’t really exist.  Treat it like their aspirational list rather than a requirement and you will be closer to the truth and should be happier with yourself.  I wish the folks writing these would be more accurate as then we might get a bigger pool of people

Also remember that most job adverts are written for someone that doesn’t really exist. Treat it like their aspirational list rather than a requirement

That’s a whole other level of shittery and it’s boiled my dog’s frozen sausages for as long as I’ve been out of academia.

Firstly they all too often appear to have been written by someone with no clue of the job role or otherwise detached from reality. “Front line tech support. Required: Degree, MCSE.”

Secondly it’s rare that job adverts aren’t 100% one-way. We want this, you will be that. What’s in it for me then, dickhead?

I quit a job once in an appraisal because my boss said I was rubbish at it. The response was inviting me carry on doing the same job on a contract @2.5x the rate because they could find nobody else to do it.

Yes, 100% I do.

Go for the highest paid role and fake it til ya make it! Everyone is doing it. Especially in tech, you can’t be expected to know all the stuff you need and will soon pick it up on the job anyway.

I get this too, always have. I remember being selected as school football captain and thinking perhaps they had me confused with another kid as there was no way I was good enough.

More recently I read a job description and thought I’d never get the job before realising it is for my current job!

do with my super clued up German colleagues

Ahh working with German who are definitely 100% right no point even considering they might be possibly wrong up until you layout a massive long dossier cross refferenced of why they are wrong. Then they are wrong

Secondly it’s rare that job adverts aren’t 100% one-way. We want this, you will be that. What’s in it for me then, dickhead?

Pay:
Market rate. (Our invented market rate)

Does anyone not?

I don’t.

Screw you, hippy. (-:

Pay:
Market rate. (Our invented market rate)

See also:

Competitive.
Negotiable.
Flexible based on qualifications and experience.

All euphemisms for “however little we can get away with and still have you agree to it.”

I suffer from it and I spend most of my time trying to convince others that I’m not as good as they think I am, then again I work with real imposters who have seemingly come to terms with their lack of ability, some think they are great and tell everyone, on reflection I think my reticence in doing this makes me look like I really am good…I’m not and it’s not an act, I’m rubbish and I work with people who are even worse.

Boris Johnstone.

Yes. Very often worried I’m not doing well enough and it’s all going to come crashing down soon, upon which I’m going to have to take an easier job and a big paycut. I cope with that by basically living life as if that’s already happened. Yet I’m also even more concerned about others’ lack of competence. I privately dismiss positive feedback I receive on the grounds that the person giving it is not well-informed or has not the competence to give meaningful feedback. Always think when asked to do something that it’s because I’m the only person that happens to be free, surely we have someone better who should be doing this etc.

When I’ve been promoted in the past I would still (in my head at least), cling to my previous job title as I thought my new title might be temporary and be demoted after I get found out.

On another note…..

When I read about conspiracy theories where there is a super organised elite who control everything I have little chuckle to myself. Because when I look at the current government and senior management at my company I can only see people ‘winging it’ and running around reacting to the next problem.

Work i used to turn up every day expecting to be sacked.

I still do. I’m also not very good at being an adult either. Find it very difficult to be serious at all. Constantly feel I’m either not doing enough or I’m way out of my depth and should be stacking shelves or something.

I have found that the worst people to work with are ones that speak in bullshit bingo and what I term the dangerous idiot. The clearly inept and slightly thick that are convinced they’re the smartest person on earth. They are a nightmare if left to their own devices.

As someone pointed out earlier, most people are actually pretty crap at their job. After working for many years you should be able to pick out the bullshitters, the average plodders and the genuinely good. As long as you are not a bulllshitter or an average plodder then nothing to worry about really. If your work is good (and you have been told that) then just carry on and don’t overthink whether you are good enough, too good etc,.

As someone pointed out earlier, most people are actually pretty crap at their job.

Clearly, 50% of people are of below average capability. Which is OK if everyone does jobs that they are overcapable of doing so that the threshold for not being dangerous at it falls well below that 50%. But ambition and the like often means it’s above.

Two of my Dad’s old phrases…

“In the kingdom of the blind, the one eyed man is King

and

“Either I’m a genius or they’re all idiots. And I’m no genius….

I still do. I’m also not very good at being an adult either. Find it very difficult to be serious at all. Constantly feel I’m either not doing enough or I’m way out of my depth and should be stacking shelves or something.

I have found that the worst people to work with are ones that speak in bullshit bingo and what I term the dangerous idiot. The clearly inept and slightly thick that are convinced they’re the smartest person on earth. They are a nightmare if left to their own devices.

100% this. I often sit in boardrooms (now virtual boardrooms) with senior people that have impressive job titles, and at 49 I’m convinced I’m the only child in the room. And re the second para, we’ve gone through a lot of mis management at work lately and although I and others can and do easily voice the bleedin’ obvious, people above us are still spouting American corporate words as if that alone will make everything better.