The Imposter WISE women (Part 2 of 2)

In a previous post, I listed some of the symptoms of the imposter syndrome discussed at the “Imposter Panel" in the Grace Hopper Conference 2008.
If you have ever felt like an imposter and you are wondering if there is a cure for it, here’s how the panellists deal with it:

• There is no cure! It never stops (always new responsibilities). Treat the symptoms.
• Believe in yourself and surround yourself with others that believe in you.
• Value the things you’re good at, remember your previous successes. Think about where you were (5-10) years ago.
• Accept self-doubt as part of who you are. Remember how many other people that you believe successful people have doubted themselves.
• Take risks (calculated) ... you’ll stand out.
  

If you ever felt an imposter, like all these women (including myself) have, you know by now that:

• You’re not the only one,
• there’s no cure, but
• you can treat the symptoms and
• you’ll eventually feel less imposter with time and practice.

This panel was one of my favorites. I'm looking forward for Grace Hopper 2009 in Tucson, AZ. Keep tuned for blogs about similar topics this year.