I’ve been working as a software engineer for about a year now. I expected the imposter syndrome to go away but it still lingers despite bonuses/raises and praise from my bosses. Just can’t shake the feeling that I don’t know enough and won’t be able to learn what I need to in order to advance. I dread going to work almost everyday because I’m afraid I’m going to be “found out.” The events that cause my anxiety are the stand up meetings, writing tests, code reviews and pair programming.
Does anyone have any insight into a UX design career in terms of how stressful it is? ie. deadlines, meetings, reviews etc…
I’m sure you know you are not a bad engineer, right? I’m coding for a while now and still have this impostor syndrome - but I’d rather feel like an impostor than being an arrogant bastard or a know-it-all.
In regards to your question, I don’t know, I’m not a UX person. But does something aside from depression prevent you from trying out a UX design job? You could try it for a while and return to your previous job sector…
Lots in common here, I’ve felt much of the same during the last several years.
I work in UX. For me, there are still deadlines, meetings, reviews that cause stress, but how much I enjoy the work helps a lot. The great thing about UX (especially research or interaction design) is that it’s pretty accessible. You may be able to give it a try at your current job or volunteer to use some UX methods (one good list is methods.18f.gov) to help a local non-profit or volunteer. I encourage everyone interested to give it a try! Some of the most thoughtful UX folks I know used to work in engineering.
Chatting with a psychologist a few times a month has helped me a lot with my imposter syndrome feelings; might help you too!