Do you feel like an imposter sometimes?
Hey! Our next UX Sauna Session is on February 26. Join the fun soon!
Wow, I can’t believe it’s mid-February already… Do you know where the time went? Any tips for getting it back?
Hello 😊. It’s Anne-Marie again. Last time we spoke, I talked about our first UX Sauna Session that happened on December 4. Guess what, our second edition is here 🎉! Check it out.
Before I share more about the event, I wanted to take some time to reflect on a particular experience that affects most of us at multiple stages of our careers. It is imposter syndrome. This feeling that someone has given you a job that you are not qualified for, that your team will find you out and take that long-dreamed position away from you. Oh nooooo. Scary right? I know. It feels like waking up from a bad dream, but it doesn’t have to last for too long. So, let’s talk about it.
When a King or Queen feels like 💩
We are here. This is our first sauna reflection on imposter syndrome. From what I know, it is a pretty common experience. Even Michelle (hey Michelleee), may I say the Queen, Michelle Obama, herself talked about experiencing imposter syndrome to this day, saying that she STILL has it and that it “never goes away.” Shocking. Let’s talk about UXers’ experience with imposter syndrome.
One of my friends, one of the most successful woman of colour, Duaa, a brilliant, quirky, charismatic product designer struggles with this. Take note: she completed her product design internship at Microsoft last year. She is just about to embark on a new adventure at Facebook and still…
Photo by Le Tang
And Lorraine. Lorraine is a positive and inspired UX designer who just got a job in Lisbon, Portugal. A few years ago, she transitioned from research in public health policy to UX design. She left her role as a research assistant at University of Waterloo and completed a UX bootcamp at BrainStation to work alongside a few startups. Now in her new role in Lisbon, she still deals with this monster, imposter syndrome. When she faces a new project, self-doubt shows up and she “always think — can I really do this?” So, how do you face imposter syndrome exactly?
From Imposter to Living Your Best Life, amirite 😜
Here’s a couple of tips for those in “the thick of it” or for the future you when the time comes.
Embrace and Communicate
The first thing you need to do is acknowledge and embrace this feeling. That’s it. Then, you will be able to process it by reading other people’s experiences, talking to your team, including your manager. Your team will reassure you that you are not a fraud and that they hired you because you possess the skills and can deliver. You don’t have to fake it to make it. Rather, Lorraine says: “I try to be honest with myself (rather than faking it) and this helps me understand where I need to gain clarity.” Feel free to reach out to Lorraine directly if you have questions on her journey and UX process.
Change your perception
Lorraine provides a great tip for dealing with imposter syndrome. For her, she feels like she isn’t good enough when she compares herself to other people. However, here’s how she switches perspective:
“I try to look at people around me and rather than being intimidated, I look for inspiration…I remind myself I can’t know everything but I can be willing to learn.”
And that is the beauty of being a designer: when you work with the right team, you are given the space to make mistakes and to lift yourself back up. When you think about it, no one expects you to be perfect, except yourself.
Be encouraged
For me, imposter syndrome is a necessary evil. Let me explain. Have you wondered why some people continually push to the limit of their potential? Do you know how they do it? It’s not necessarily because they are superhuman (some are though… check out Free Solo). Those people, “overachievers” are intimidated, but they do it anyway. They know that their next step is on the other side of their comfort zone. If you feel like an imposter right now or in the future as you face the unknown, just remind yourself: it is a sign that you are growing. And it’s a great thing.
With that, does anyone want treats?
Goodies and rewards 🎁 🍭
Here is a couple of things Sauna Reflection wants to offer you all! More variety to come soon. We have a few job posts:
I work for the Canadian Digital Service (CDS)! It is a digital government organization that partners with other federal departments to help them build more accessible and inclusive products and services through human-centred-design. It is pretty rewarding work (and may I say that the team is fan-tas.tic.). We are hiring 1. the Head of Software Development 2. Senior Developers. Check out positions out and send me an email so I can introduce you directly.
Mark-André Tremblay is a technical recruiter. His team is looking to hire two experience designers, one client-facing and one employee-facing (deux experts en design d'expérience) for a client in Montreal. Interested? Get in touch with him directly on LinkedIn.
Computers for Success Canada is hiring a communications (social media) intern for April 2020. It is a not-for-profit organization. They support the impacts of the Canadian government’s digital inclusion and economic development. If you are interested, send your resume to the communications and partnerships manager, Julie Brouard.
RBC Digital Design is looking for a design researcher for a 12-month full-time contract in Montreal. If you are interested, get in touch with the design manager Dolly Audit who is currently recruiting.
McKesson is looking for a bilingual UX designer in Ville St-Laurent! Get in touch with Marianne Rezkalla if you are interested :)
If you do not know about are.na, now is your chance. I am telling you, it will change your life. It’s a whole new world. I am obsessed, and it changed mine so…
Come to our next event to find out what our next sticker looks like 👀!
Do you want to share something with your sauna session fellows (design-related educational videos or podcasts, a job or internship opportunity, and more)? Write to me directly :). Also, share this post, so more people can find out about these opportunities next time.
Sauna Session 02 🎉
Finally, the moment we’ve been all waiting for. Join us at District 3 Innovation Center (6th floor of Faubourg Building) on Wednesday, February 26 at 6 PM! Our topic of discussion is design degrees or the lack thereof.
Do you need a design degree to become a UX designer or researcher? We will cover this topic and talk about UX bootcamps: if they are worth it and how to make the most of them for maximum return of investment. Our guest speaker Vithu Namasivayam is a living example. He doesn’t have a design degree and will be sharing his captivating journey into UX. As the Product Design Lead at Sportlogiq, he has the privilege of hiring UX designers and will provide his perspective and pros and cons of both design degrees and UX bootcamps. Vithu worked for Breather before that. Let’s learn from him together, so indicate your presence or share with your close friends!
Alright, is this it? Looking forward to seeing you all soon! Share this reflection post with your close friends and colleagues. Andddd, don’t hesitate to write to me directly at (mswabala@gmail.com).
Cheers,
AM