How to build up my confidence and overcome imposter syndrome with amazing teammates?
I'm relatively new to Netflix, and I'm a senior engineer. What's crazy is that I have so many teammates that are also L5, but I feel like they're way better than me. They have far more experience, and they're amazing at all these hard skills like running meetings, designing complex systems, and being able to go super technically deep. I feel like I'm far behind them in these areas, so I'm looking for advice on how I can improve my mentality here and catch up as a strong senior engineer.
Discussion
(2 comments)- 8a year agoRobinhood, Meta, Course Hero, PayPal
First, I highly recommend this other discussion: "I've felt imposter syndrome from seeing super talented peers - How do I deal with this?"
You're definitely not alone feeling like this - This phenomenon is super common at FAANG companies that are just so stacked with talent.
On top of what I talk about in that Q&A, I recommend flipping your mentality. Instead of thinking "I don't deserve this level" and feeling bad about yourself, think "It's an honor to be leveled the same - I'm going to do my absolute best to be an amazing teammate and software engineer to respect this." Turning your de-motivation into motivation is one of the most powerful things you can do.
Lastly, I recommend the following resources to help you become that amazing senior engineer:
- 15a year agoMeta, Pinterest, Kosei
- Reframe the discomfort you feel as a growth opportunity.
- Acknowledge that there are areas/skills where you are better than your peers. Write them down and lean into them.
