You've got this! Notes about impostor syndrome

Learn more about the call for content and submit today! The session submission deadline is Sunday, February 14 at 11:59 pm EST (UTC -5). Send questions about DrupalCon (session submission process, logistics, etc.) to the DrupalCon team. Get tips and request proposal feedback anytime in the #session-help Slack channel.

A note from our fabulous 2020 program committee:

“Imposter syndrome” — something we seem to be hearing about more often. Not familiar with the term? Gill Corkindale defines imposter syndrome beautifully in Harvard Business Review: 

Imposter syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. ‘Imposters’ suffer from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external proof of their competence. High achieving, highly successful people often suffer, so imposter syndrome doesn’t equate with low self-esteem or a lack of self-confidence. In fact, some researchers have linked it with perfectionism, especially in women and among academics.

In 1978 clinical psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes came up with the term “imposter phenomenon” after recognizing a pattern of feelings in graduate students. Through this research they created the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS), which helps individuals evaluate their level of imposterness.

Many times, when a person considers presenting in front of an audience, imposter syndrome comes, too. We’ve chatted as a committee and have come up with a few thoughts to share. 

Why is this relevant to you?

Do any of the following sound like something you might say?

  • Everyone else around me knows so much more than I do
  • I’m not sure why [potential employer] would hire me when [someone else] is available
  • If I ask or talk about this, everyone will realize that I don’t know as much as they think I do
  • [Another Drupaler] is far more qualified than me to teach this subject
  • I should offer a discount for this job because I’m not as good at this as [insert someone else’s name here]


Chances are pretty high that, if you are reading this post at all, you are party to this pattern. Why do we feel confident making this assumption? Because you are curious enough to submit that you are paying attention to the resources, but you feel that you need to prepare yourself with more information before doing so. The very fact that you are interested in submitting content means that you have something valuable to share. And we want you to submit, as we want and need your voice.

The worst that can happen: your proposal is not accepted. Even then, however, you and your unique ideas are now top of mind for a collection of Drupalers, and our own journeys are anecdotal evidence of this directly translating into impact, personal growth and future opportunities.

And consider this: you probably think of the session selection team as experts in the field because someone thought we should be part of this team and invited us to join, right? Well, how is it that we are capable of writing this post if we are such hotshots? Frankly, because we have these thoughts every day. We are not hotshots, but simply people who took the scary step to put ourselves out there even though we doubted ourselves.

How does imposter syndrome come into play at DrupalCon?

It is common for Drupalers to think that whatever they may have to share is status quo and everyone knows it, but if you start asking around, everyone is always looking for better solutions. It is highly unlikely that two people will approach similar challenges exactly the same way, and your “basic” talk idea might be exactly what dozens or hundreds of people need in order to level-up their Drupal skills.

True story from one of our session team members: in 2010 Rain, then fairly new to Drupal, submitted “Views Demystified” because the very basic chapter on Views from Angie Byron (webchick) and Addison Berry (add1sun)’s book, Using Drupal, saved her hundreds of hours building Drupal sites. Rain figured it wouldn’t be accepted or attended because of course everyone else knew Views, but she submitted anyway.

This very simple beginner talk not only landed hundreds of attendees at the Con and was directly requested for many camps and meetups for years following, but it also had a lasting impact on many. To date, after nearly a decade, Rain continues to encounter people who tell her this talk changed their Drupal-lives.

When preparing your submission, think about what would be useful if you were in the audience of a potential session. If it’s useful to you, then someone else wants to learn about it too. Not every session has to be something new or cutting-edge; sometimes the most obvious topics are the ones people need most! 

Your idea, no matter how basic it seems, might be that key talk for future generations of Drupalers. 

Overcoming imposter syndrome in the moment

Imposter syndrome can also make presenting feel scary, especially when things don’t quite go as planned. 

Shaky Wi-Fi connection from an unanticipated windstorm? Dog decides to create a symphony with a siren? Mishaps happen. It’s helpful to acknowledge that things go wrong—it’s normal! You are supportive and have patience when mishaps happen to others, so show yourself patience. At DrupalCon in particular, remember that much of the audience have been speakers themselves. They understand and are rooting for you!

Don’t let it bother you if an audience member leaves or sign-off, there could be any reason for this. Perhaps they have an emergency to tend to, someone scheduled a meeting that overlaps with part of your presentation, or they realized the content wasn’t quite what they were looking for and they’d like to make another session instead. This is not a reflection of you, or your speaking. Focus on the people who are there and engaged.

If it all goes awry, be honest! If you’re nervous, say so. If you need help, ask for it. A session host will be there to support you and can help stimulate conversation with the participants while you adjust your slides or microphone. Team up with a friend and co-present. This tends to take some pressure off each person, and provides at least one guaranteed familiar face.

You’ve got this

If you’re feeling a dose of imposter syndrome, perhaps that means you’re surrounding yourself with people who motivate and challenge you. That’s admirable! 

Some powerful advice from Megan Dalla-Camina’s article in Psychology Today:

At the end of the day, remember this: You are here for a reason. In this job, your business, your life, you are worthy. You are better than you think you are. You are smarter than you think you are. You know more than you give yourself credit for. Remember that. And remind yourself as often as you need to.

Remember, you’ve got this!

Contributed by Esther Lee and Rain Breaw Michaels.