Promoted out of my depth

[Annie190]

Hi,

I have been in my job now for 12 months. I was promoted internally to a role that is generally filled by extremely experienced workers. No idea how I got the role as I have little experience in this area.

Since starting I have had some support but it is generally expected at this level you will have the skills to be able to work autonomously.

I feel I am letting people down. Any feedback I get it positive but I think its because on the surface it probably seems ok but underneath deadlines are late and I do not have the knowledge to actually do my role properly so I am always just winging it.

I don't know whether to quit and look for a role that is more where I was before or to tell work I am doing so poorly but I worry about the implications of that.

I don't think this is just imposter syndrome and a meeting where I was really crap yesterday has just highlighted this.

Not sure why I am posting really, maybe in the hope others will have been in the same postition. It is a senior position and well paid so hard to want to leave when you have a family to support.

Fake it till you make it! I'm in the same position, and it makes definitely imposter syndrome.

Speak to your boss , see if they can make suggestions to help.

Even after a year it could be imposter syndrome? I just feel like I am doing an awful job and I will get found out and will be sacked. I can't get rid of this feeling and it makes me procrastinate because I feel like whatever I do it won't be good enough but then of course that makes my work even later which doesn't help.

Maybe it's burn out too. I will end up having to work all over Xmas during my leave because my work needs to be completed and of course isn't.

I have told my manager some of this but he doesn't realise the extent. I don't understand why they did not realise I wouldn't be able to do it without a lot of support when they could see my previous experience.

Hope you are getting paid the experienced employee rate. Defo bring up with boss asap

Look up The Peter Principle. Basically everyone eventually gets promoted to their level of incompetence. The only way out is training and development. Can you ask for some?

I've made a habit of doing jobs I'm not entirely quality to do (and definitely have chronic impostor syndrome). It is slightly terrifying but a good way to learn VERY fast. I bet you're doing an OK job. I would ask for development / training on the aspects you're not confident about but otherwise carry on. It also helps not to be overstretched, so don't be tempted to say yes to every request out of misplaced guilt. Remember that most men would not agonise about being under qualified.

'Not entirely qualified' that should read

If you were that bad this would most definitely get picked up after a year. You would have a had a performance review by now surely.

It is true fake it till you make it and as above you learn fast.

You could ask for more support in areas your not confident in but you could also look at self learning and reading you could do to improve both performance and confidence.

I started a new job i was under qualified and under experienced in and felt like you. I did as above and was honest both in interview and when I started and i read or studied in my own time. Most people in work life are winging it and its something I learnt especially in this job watching more senior people.

That said if your unhappy or under too much pressure then that's not worth all the money. Work to live not live to work.

No one knows their job until they actually have to do it. You're being way to hard on yourself, and I'd bet my house you are no where near as lacking as you think you are. Fake it until you make it, ask for help, and let the little things go. You aren't perfect and nor is anyone else. You can do this.

You are being hard on yourself and additional training could help. Possibly some coaching to around the procrastination side of things. I wonder if you are a bit of a perfectionist so don't start something as you have a fear of failure, which essentially puts you in a frozen position where nothing actually gets done. Sometimes the best thing to do is just make a start. Think of it as a draft piece of work. Once you get going you can tweak the finer details but at least you are making progress.

Good luck with it.

What's 'the knowledge' you feel you don't have? Ask for some development around that. Identify something that would help. Be pro-active about it.

fwiw I agree with the others, you're probably doing way better than you think you are.

I don't think you would have lasted this long if you were bad at your job. Think about it rationally. You're getting good feedback. This narrative is your own.

All that said I have felt like this often in my career and have made a bit of a habit of being promoted seemingly out of my depth. Unless we're talking a job which can result in people living or dying, then I really feel this kind of thing is a gift. It's the best learning opportunity you'll ever get for a role. Also look around you at others at your level and your bosses, they are winging it. We all are. I've been winging it for over 20 years. If any of my dept heard me say that they'd think I'd taken leave of my senses!

Also, I'm a mentor in my organisation. I can tell you now without fail the main thing other women want to discuss in these sessions is then feeling like they have been promoted out of their depth. Not one man has ever so much as uttered the words.

I'm part of a women's work network and this was one very frequent interesting topic of discussion on meetings. As a couple of pp said its overwhelmingly women who experience imposter syndrome or the feeling they don't deserve the promotion. Very telling really.

are the extremely experienced workers actually working above their grade? I had this with a members of my team, who was comparing herself to the other 3 at her grade and convinced she was failing. She was actually doing fine and meeting expectations of her grade. 2 out of the other 3 were v high performers and about to be promoted...

Channel your inner testosterone and think like a bloke.

Or take the Australian view “near enough is good enough. She’ll be right “.

This sounds tough. It could be difficulty, burn out and imposter syndrome all in one.

Are you certain you are being given the information you need to do your job?

I really struggled in a role once, and when I looked back after I’d mastered it I realised my colleagues had been incredibly unhelpful. I was messing up because they weren’t doing their bit.

I would encourage you to ask as many questions as possible and ask for more training. I am now extremely competent in my role but I’m often the one querying most stuff in meetings. Turns out no one else knows the answer either but I’m the only one with the courage to ask! I think it’s a double edged sword when you’re struggling - you don’t want to ask cos you don’t want to look dumb. But when you’re thriving, you are happy to ask the dumb questions.

Do you know the path from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence to conscious competence to unconscious competence? You're only one step from competence.

I'm also a year into a tough new post and this helps me.

You mentioned a meeting that you felt didn't go well. Did you chair it and what, it over-ran, you let others take over, you didn't have all the data needed? Each of this can be improved on. Also any additional skills of knowledge. It sounds to me you're overworked (having to do stuff on your time off over Xmas) or heading for burn out 😞

It sounds like imposter syndrome to me! I feel like that often, but I get good feedback so like you I think it’s an internal narrative and not the actual truth of the situation. Having said that, please do ask for help when you need it.