How to deal with imposter syndrome
Christina, Joy and Zaine make-up Lyniate’s 2020 intern cohort, and we are very excited to share their story. Today we’re hearing from Joy about her summer diving into the tech industry through Summer of Tech.
How did you come to Summer of Tech?
“I’ve just finished my second year of university in data science. This is my second degree - I gained my first back in China as an accountant. I emigrated through marketing, and then after that I wanted to merge with NZ and its culture and have the opportunity to shift my career. This is my first internship.”
How has your summer internship been so far?
“It’s been fascinating. The work I’ve been doing has also bridged the gap between academic skills and the industry… I’m learning skills and getting the exposure that I wouldn’t get in uni.”
How have you found working with Lyniate?
“This company devotes itself to forming a really good team. We have mentor meetings weekly where they see how we’re going, any problems we have, and if there’s any particular support we need. They also give us a lot of opportunities to talk to different departments. I’ve worked with other companies before, and Lyniate is really unique in terms of the support they provide.”
What would you say is the most important thing you’ve learned so far from your mentor?
“Being supportive and being transparent. In the beginning I was scared to ask questions, but my mentor has always encouraged me to ask questions. I felt imposter syndrome - I started to think ‘I'm not good at this job, I’m not contributing anything, what's the point”. My mentor noticed. We went for a walk and talked it all through. It’s given me relief, and ever since I’ve been more confident to ask questions and be myself. “
What would you recommend for someone experiencing imposter syndrome?
“When I talked with my mentor, it became clear that we create barriers in our mind. These might stop you from asking a question or approaching your mentor when you need to. Fears also come from uncertainty. I asked my mentor what resources or materials they’d recommend in order to have a better understanding of my internship role. These helped me to feel more comfortable approaching unfamiliar tasks. Once you’ve armed yourself with knowledge, your fears naturally fade away. Be transparent, talk about how you are feeling with your mentor, listen to their advice, and just ask how you might be more comfortable or how to arm yourself with more knowledge in that role.”
What has been the highlight so far?
“I want to give a really big shout-out to the support team at SoT. They did a great job at helping us transition smoothly from a student to an internship role in the industry.”
Thank you so much to Joy and the Lyniate team for having a yarn with us. We hope you found their advice as awesome as we did! If you’re a student/recent grad looking to dive into an internship this summer, we encourage you to register with Summer of Tech!