According to a recent survey, 83.3% of professionals within the marketing and PR industry have experienced Imposter Syndrome in the workplace.
Key findings
- Four in five (83.3%) have experienced imposter syndrome within the workplace.
- Nearly two-thirds (60%) of marketing/pr professionals attribute being promoted to a new role as their biggest cause for self-doubt.
- Half (50%) of marketing professionals link doing something outside of their comfort zone, such as public speaking, to their Imposter Syndrome.
- Over 0ne-third (40%) of marketing professionals suffered with Imposter Syndrome when applying for a new job.
- 40% also said that starting a new job is a known trigger for them.
Imposter Syndrome can lead to feelings of self-doubt about work accomplishments or, despite success lead to feelings that you’re not good enough.
Triggers
There are many known triggers of Imposter Syndrome but in the marketing and PR industry alone, the recent research shows that nearly two-thirds of professionals attribute being promoted to a new role as their biggest cause for self-doubt. Interestingly, the data also found that over one-third of marketing professionals (40%) suffered with Imposter Syndrome when applying for a new job.
The marketing and PR industry is known for its fast pace and ever-changing landscape which can lead to significant amounts of pressure to succeed, feelings of self-doubt and increasingly, burnout, all of which are linked to Imposter Syndrome.
Stressful situations
It’s not surprising that many marketing professionals are experiencing Imposter Syndrome, as competition and comparison is common across the industry. Individuals want to be the first to spot a new trend and show authority or dominance in their field, however more than half of marketing and PR professionals say doing something out of their comfort zone, such as public speaking, triggers their Imposter Syndrome.
Covering up
Over half of industry experts admitted to confiding in their friends, family, and partners about their feelings of self-doubt and interestingly only 10% of professionals feel comfortable confiding in their managers.
Support
Whilst there is no quick fix for Imposter Syndrome, mentoring is one tool which helps people progress and grow in their careers and build confidence, with 70% of employees stating they would leave their organisation for one that invests in their development and learning. A mentor can help develop levels of self-confidence by addressing barriers such as self-doubt.
Further information
The study was commissioned by online mentoring platform PushFar, and was conducted by YourSayPays.co.uk with 1,000 respondents. If you think you have what it takes to become a mentor, PushFar’s Mentoring Mindset quiz, may help you take the next step
Article written by Ed Johnson, co-founder of PushFar.
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