Starting work after university can be a shock to the system: less structure, more ambiguity, and a constant sense you’re being evaluated. It’s common for capable people to privately think, “They’re going to realise I don’t know what I’m doing.” That experience is often described as impostor phenomenon, persistent self-doubt despite evidence of competence (Clance & Imes, 1978).

Importantly, impostor feelings are common across professions and not a formal diagnosis. But research links them to distress, anxiety, and burnout in many groups (Bravata et al., 2019; Chua et al., 2025).

Why impostor feelings spike after graduation

Early career is a perfect storm for impostor thoughts:

1) Your feedback loop changes
At university, you get grades and clear benchmarks. At work, the goalposts can move, feedback can be vague, and “doing well” isn’t always visible.

2) You’re surrounded by people with more experience
You’re seeing others’ competence (and rarely seeing their uncertainty).

3) The workplace often rewards confidence, not learning
In many environments, people feel pressure to perform rather than ask questions, especially in competitive settings (Bielenberg et al., 2025).

What the evidence says about impostor phenomenon

A widely cited review in Journal of General Internal Medicine reports impostor experiences are widespread and associated with mental health outcomes like anxiety, depression, and burnout across multiple populations (Bravata et al., 2019). More recent research continues to examine prevalence and associated factors (Chua et al., 2025), and intervention-focused reviews are mapping what helps in professional contexts (Para et al., 2024).

What’s especially relevant for young professionals: impostor thoughts can be maintained by patterns like perfectionism, over-preparing, avoidance of visibility, and attributing success to luck instead of skill (Bravata et al., 2019).

You don’t need less doubt, you need a different relationship to doubt

Therapy doesn’t try to delete the thought “I’m not good enough.” Instead, it helps you notice it as a mental event and choose action based on values.

Try this reframe:

• Old rule: “I must feel confident before I speak up.”

• New rule: “I can speak up while feeling unsure, if that’s aligned with who I want to be.”

Practical tools that are evidence-consistent (and not cheesy)

1) Name the pattern
When the thought shows up, try:

• “I’m noticing my mind is doing the impostor story.”

2) Replace “confidence goals” with “learning goals”
Learning goals are more controllable than “prove I’m competent.” They also match what workplaces actually reward long-term: growth and adaptability.

3) Calibrate competence with data
Keep a small “evidence log”:

• tasks completed

• positive feedback

• problems solved
  This doesn’t eliminate doubt, but it interrupts memory bias.

4) Seek better feedback, not more reassurance
Instead of “Was that okay?”, try:

• “What would make this 10% stronger next time?”
  This builds competence and reduces reassurance cycles.

When to get extra support

If impostor feelings are driving chronic anxiety, avoidance, panic, or burnout, professional support can help, especially if the workplace context is high pressure.

General information only, this is not personal psychological advice.

References

Bielenberg, C., Ibrahim, F., & Herzberg, P. Y. (2025). The impact of workplace environment on the impostor phenomenon among early career starters. Current Research in Behavioral Sciences, 6, 100175.

Bravata, D. M., Watts, S. A., Keefer, A. L., et al. (2019). Prevalence, predictors, and treatment of impostor syndrome: A systematic review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(4), 1252–1275.

Chua, S. M., et al. (2025). Impostor syndrome: Associated factors and impact on well-being. BMJ Open, 15(7), e097858.

Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The impostor phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241–247.

Para, E., et al. (2024). Interventions addressing the impostor phenomenon: A scoping review. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1360540.