Imposter Syndrome, Signs of Growth

Imposter syndrome is very common in software jobs. Like anyone else in this industry, I've also felt it but but with the right mindset it can help you grow.

Why It's So Common in Our Field

Maybe the main reasons for this is that the industry is moving ridiculously fast and there are always people that know something or some parts better than you. It takes a long time to master all skills in software, and by the time you master some of them it becomes outdated and you need to work on some other skills. To add to this, when building software products there is domain knowledge involved and you probably don't know much about the domain and need to accept this as a fact.

Shifting Your Mindset

First of all, it's not a bad thing—don't see it as a negative thing. After doing a little search online, I found that I'm not alone and that made me think I need to accept that it isn't only happening to me. Because if it was only me, then I should be worried. Second thing I realized was that I do have some strong skills that maybe others might be struggling with, and I have some weak technical skills. Maybe my weaker technical skills and too much comparing myself with others was giving me this feeling. I needed to make up for the weaker skills and just stay calm and be realistic about my skills.

Focus on Core Skills, Not Just Tools

You need to be able to identify the core skills you need to develop as a software engineer. JavaScript is a tool for software engineers—tools change rapidly and even though you can master it and become the expert JavaScript developer, it won't be enough. Of course, as a software developer you need some basic understanding of how to develop software, but this isn't the only thing.

The Four Essential Skills

Problem-Solving and Domain Understanding

Breaking down bigger problems to smaller chunks and getting a good understanding of how to approach problems. To do this you need to have a good understanding of the domain you are working in first. Then you need to know enough about the problem you are solving for this domain. Having a high-level overview of the domain always helps.
Communication

Communication is also a crucial skill you need to develop to be able to work on solutions. Often, solutions one person comes up with isn't the best or the most efficient approach. As an example, I often tend to complicate things and my solutions are complex—not necessarily wrong but too much for the specific problem. Communication with others helps filter out the unnecessary parts. Communication and alignment overall is handy to collaborate, and the more and clearer communication you have throughout the development of a feature, the better it is.
Being Open to Learning

You should know that learning is a very important part of the job. If you aren't open to learning new things and experimenting and doing things with different tools, then you are going to be left behind on the skills. This is so easy to see with the recent AI burst—if you fight learning AI and using AI, you will soon find yourself in the corner.
Collaboration

Collaboration is also very important here. Finding optimal ways to solve a problem together and working with others—you need to be able to give feedback in a good way and receive feedback in a good way. Make sure you understand that different people prefer to work in different ways and be open to trying different ways of working. Remember, there isn't one perfect way to do things.

Final Thoughts

I'm sure there are things I've left out or haven't yet realized, but these 4 items are the most important ones I could think of. But there is something very important you need to always keep in mind: others are also experiencing this, so you need to be mindful of this and make sure you aren't making things difficult for them. Good communication and open collaboration. Keep your feedback constructive and be careful!

Remember: imposter syndrome isn’t a flaw. It’s a sign that you’re challenging yourself, and you can use it to your advantage.