Career Coaching · Identitate Profesională

Open Letter to My Imposter Syndrome

I’ve started studying transitions 26 years ago. Been interested in them for about 35 years.

In 2001, I took my first course dedicated directly to this topic — turning into 9 years of research: 1 BA, 1 MA, 1 PhD.

The subject started puzzling me since 1989, when I lived — as a kid — the fall of communism and then the painful 90s.

The constant fear & anxiety, the extreme volatility & uncertainty, the dance between helplessness and hype of feeling in control, the “leaning into the unknown” to survive and preserve long term resilience and sanity, the sharpening of forecast and adaptability skills.

Theories about types of transitions — challenges, risks, pathways, unfolding scenarios.
How they always overlap and touch many areas of life at once.
Strategies on how to face them and make them more efficient, more bearable and shorter — i.e. successful.

I’ve lived them all and studied them first hand before becoming a career transition coach & mentor.

I started my biggest career transition 8 years ago. My business, 4 years ago. I went back to school to become a career transition coach & mentor to work with people going through the same hurdles I did — because I did not find all the support I needed when I looked around.

Momentul de cotitură

Everything I was reading about, living myself and witnessing with my clients seemed so familiar — and yet I NEVER CONNECTED THE DOTS until recently.

I did not fully connect these experiences into a coherent professional identity.

So this is what I am telling today to my imposter syndrome:

I don’t have only 5 years of courses and practice about transitions — I have at least 26 years of in-depth studying & practicing!
I don’t have only 8 years of limited experience with career change — I have 35!
My recent deep dive into career transitions is part of a new career, but transitions are not new to me at all!
In 20+ years of career in public administration, higher education and NGOs, I’ve worked 20+ jobs & projects and 20+ teams.

I may be only 150 cm (4.9 feet), but I stand tall on all the body of knowledge from state level transitions I’ve been studying and working for 10–15 years.

Scrisoarea

Dear imposter syndrome,

I know why I know transitions so well. Because I actually know transitions so well! Back off!

Yours, A transitions veteran

Open Letter to My Imposter Syndrome

Open Letter to My Imposter Syndrome