Imposter Syndrome

 I've been working in IT for almost 30 years.  When I started, I had virtually no knowledge about the field; I just knew I wanted to get into the industry because I enjoyed computers, and because it was an up-and-coming sector with virtually limitless possibilities.

I landed my first job at the help desk level with no formal education or training.  Fortunately, I had excellent troubleshooting skills and brought a relaxed, casual style of interaction with my end users.  It took virtually no time for me to master the workstation and my desire to learn and grow took me to server management.  Since then, I have designed and managed several networks, served as an IT manager, worked in the IT security sector, and built compliance processes for multiple companies.  By any measure, I have a wide array of expertise.

With this in mind, it would be easy to assume that I consider myself an expert.  I know for certain that a lot of my colleagues, past and present, recognize my skill set. I don't consider myself an expert though.  I have a reasonably deep understanding of a few areas, and a broad knowledge of the industry as a whole.  This comes from working for small companies.  Small businesses require a can-do mentality because they don't have the resources to continually hire people who are experts in one small area.

One of IT's dirty little secrets is that Imposter Syndrome is very common.  I believe this is because when we say "I work in IT," the public believes this automatically means we know all things digital.  Whether it's using programming skills to write the next big program, building a hot rod gaming rig, or figuring out why the iPhone isn't connecting to the home WiFi network, people assume we know it all.  That's not the case.

IT is very much like the medical profession.  Your primary physician sees you for check-ups.  A surgeon works on your insides, but only to an extent.  There's further specialize for brain surgery, heart surgery or severely damaged broken bones.  The anesthesiologist knows how much sedative you'll need for surgery, but doesn't have the specialized training to perform a bowel resection.

IT also has a pecking order.  Help Desk is at the bottom.  Server and network administrators are one rung up.  At the top, you have architects who design complex networks.  Security is its own world.  Programming is yet another realm.  They both have multiple possible specialties.  In short it's impossible to know everything.  If you do, then you know everything about one tiny, specific aspect of IT.  This, of course, is prime breeding ground for Imposter Syndrome.  No matter what, you will find someone who carries knowledge you don't possess, and when they pull out jargon you've never heard, you feel like a kindergarten kid in a college physics class.  It becomes easy to second-guess your skill and feel like you understand less than you should.  The trick is not getting over it, it's learning to live with it.