What I learned about imposter syndrome from being a university professor in my 20s

In the middle of the spring 2024 academic semester, one of my former professors reached out to ask if I was available to take over an upper-division public relations writing class. The professor who'd been teaching the course went on an unexpected leave of absence and the department needed a replacement as quickly as possible.

Did I have any prior teaching experience or feel like I knew what I was doing? Not in the slightest.

But, feeling like an imposter, I moved heaven and earth to make time in my schedule to take my first crack at being a professor, something I've always wanted to pursue as a side gig.

After teaching the eight weeks of the semester, and doing so successfully enough to be asked to teach another full semester, I realized I'd fallen into a psychological trap all too many people fall prey to, particularly women. The trap? Imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is still too prevalent

Imposter syndrome, in which people persistently experience feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy, affects more than 70% of adults at some point in their lives. Research also shows 75% of female executives will doubt if they're qualified enough for the job despite having an education, certifications and training.

As a 20-something young professional who hadn't even completed my master's degree yet, feeling like I wasn't qualified to be a university professor came all too quickly. But, my professional background, albeit shorter than the average professor's, is what allowed me to not just survive in the classroom but excel.

Here's what thought about to change my mindset from feeling unqualified, to fully embracing the absolute joy of getting the opportunity, and compliment, of a lifetime from my mentor who stayed in touch and felt I could bring something unique and worthwhile to their students.

Youth alone doesn't make you less qualified

Yes, career longevity is an invaluable tool that allows you to pull from past experiences and lessons learned to reach higher heights. But just because someone has less years of official job experience doesn't mean they don't have valuable life experiences to pull from. In fact, youthfulness can be an added edge that allows young professionals to ideate differently than older colleagues who have been drinking the "professional Kool-Aid" long enough to tap into shared homogenous brain waves shared by all of corporate America.

As a professor, my proximity in age to my students helps me connect with them more easily because we watched "Hannah Montana" as children, love Sabrina Carpenter's newest album and equally loathe talking on the phone to people instead of a FaceTime call. I don't recall bonding with my older professors in that way.

Hard skills get you started. Soft skills get you across the finish line

In public relations, there are hard skills that you have to know to make it. You have to know AP style, what a press release is and how to write a good one, what talking points are and how to craft them, and so much more. Without those skills, it's hard to make it in the industry with any level of success.

I have those skills and have taken great care to refine them as an undergraduate, professional and now graduate student. But none of those are what really got me the professorship or what helps me teach effectively.

My hard skills were actually the bare minimum. Instead, my soft skills, like flexibility and adaptability, leadership, time management and interpersonal communication are what made me stand out enough for my former professor to even think of me. They're also what allow me to connect with my students so I'm not rambling on about what I know about public relations while their eyes glaze over (completely). I'm convinced college students will always zone out at some point, no matter how amazing their professors are.

Networking truly opens doors

Social and professional networks make the world go round, whether people realize it or not. Qualifications, degrees and strong interviewing skills certainly help seal the deal, but connections open doors to opportunities that might not have even been on the table otherwise.

I say this as an encouragement to invest in cultivating relationships with people you've networked with. If you intentionally stay in touch, help them when you can and build a genuine relationship there's no telling how they might shape your professional future.