Dear CRCers:Â Â
So I'm doing the networking thing - emailing alumni listed in BrownConnect, LinkedIn - and I've talked with a couple of impressive alums. One is working in an area I can see myself getting excited about working in; yet when I talked to her, she said, it seemed kind of as a warning, that she got lucky. So my imposter syndrome is pretty intense right now. I know, you have given me other names to contact and lots of success stories, but your anecdotes still don't help me feel confident about how I'm going to figure out what I'm doing after graduation.Â
Signed,Â
Imposter Syndrome Is Real
On being lucky: I take the alum's comment about luck not so much like paying a dollar for a ticket and winning the lottery; rather, by getting to attend college at a place like Brown, lots of luck has already come our way. And now being a part of this large and tremendous community means you have more of a chance to discover pathways you didn't know existed before, and meet people who can help you see the way forward.
Planning for the future after college is exhausting and stressful, that's certain, especially if you're feeling like you're charting unknown territory (e.g., you're first gen, interested in work that has no history of knowledge in your community back home). However, the conversations with others in the world out there can help you reflect on your goals and visualize what's next. Continue to be courageous, and take every advantage you have as a Brown student to make connections with alumni, faculty and others who are hungry to tell their story.Â
CRCer Ruth wants to add:
One additional thing to consider - the alum you spoke with might be dealing with some impostor syndrome of her own. One feature that's common when Impostor Syndrome flares up (at least for me) is the feeling that everyone else is confident in themselves and I'm the weirdo who can't stop worrying about whether they actually belong. But in truth, I think a lot of people - even people we admire a lot - have these feelings sometimes. Alums, even if they're really successful and intimidating, have fears and doubts, too. The person you spoke with is probably not in her job because she's lucky, even if she might sometimes feel that way. You're doing the right stuff; keep networking, asking questions, and seeking out opportunities. Keep up the great work!
CRCer Soyoon wants to add:
I stumbled and doubted myself the first time I networked with a Brown alum - imposter syndrome is real. But many of my initial fears were assuaged when I actually took the time to understand the alums as people beyond their fancy CVs. I had the pleasure of meeting up with the alum I'd interned for one summer at last year's commencement weekend. She was human (a lot like you and I) and was much more beyond her impressive LinkedIn profile. In giving myself permission to see her as a whole human being, not just an impressive resume, I was able to learn that she too was an Asian-(American) woman, one of the first in her family to attend college in the US, a sister, an educator. We're still in touch to this day. Trust the process and trust yourself. Our alums are a lot more like us than we think!