Two of the most well-known psychological phenomena that affect our self-perception are the Dunning-Kruger effect and Impostor Syndrome. While one leads to overconfidence, the other makes us deeply doubt our own successes and abilities. In this article, we will examine both phenomena using my career as a software developer as an example.
Entering the Workforce
Shortly before finishing my studies, I started applying to companies for a job. I created application letters and a resume for this purpose. In the resume, I listed my current skills and tried to rate each skill with one to five stars, similar to a product rating at online shops. And that’s where my story begins.
At that time, I was already in my 9th semester, having passed most of the exams and labs successfully. Before these exams and labs, I mostly studied or worked on projects in groups. The standard study period is 7 semesters, so I wasn’t the fastest or most diligent student. Working with others allowed me to assess their abilities and compare them to mine. After careful consideration, I rated all my skills and included the star ratings in my resume. Did I try to evaluate myself? Yes! Did I possibly overestimate or underestimate myself? Definitely!
In my case, for example, I gave myself 3 out of 5 stars for my Java skills. I compared myself to my fellow students and placed myself in the middle. I thought that I was average at the time. When I started my first job in 2015 and got to know my colleagues, my bubble burst. I realized the huge skill gap between me and the others. If I had updated my resume back then, it probably would have shown 0/5 stars for Java, thats how how bad I would have rated myself. I realized that I was just at the beginning and the scale was much larger than I had assumed during my studies.
The Dunning-Kruger effect is similar. It describes a distorted perception where people with limited skills or knowledge tend to overestimate their own abilities. This tendency arises from the lack of ability to objectively assess one’s own thinking.
Learning Through Experience
Complaining doesn’t help, only experience brings experience. At the beginning of my studies, I first learned Java and then Android. It brought me so much joy that I wanted to develop my own small app. I named it Text Reverse. Through this, I learned a lot about Android and demonstrated my knowledge of Java and XML. Toward the end of my studies, I wanted to further develop the app and improve my resume with it. I discovered how terribly the app was developed. I was ashamed of how bad I was. At the same time, I was proud of how much I had grown and gained experience. At the start of my first job as a software developer, new versions Lollipop and Marshmallow were released in Android, and I wanted to stay up-to-date so I decided to revamp my old app. Who would have guessed, I experienced the same feelings of shame and pride as before.
I often asked myself if my past self knew anything at all or if my current self still knows nothing from the perspective of my future self. At the same time, I wondered if others see me as someone who still knows nothing, and the fear arises that outsiders might expose me as a fraud. This thought is not unfamiliar to many and occurs very often, even among experienced developers. This phenomenon even has a name: Impostor Syndrome. It’s not that one constantly believes to be a fraud, but under certain circumstances, one seems to underestimate their abilities or think the results of their work were influenced by luck or chance. I don’t want to downplay this condition, as many people go to therapy because of it. I just wanted to show that people can develop this irrational feeling temporarily in certain situations.
Current State
And so, I continue to walk at this fine line between Impostor Syndrome and the Dunning-Kruger effect. Sometimes I feel like a super genius and I'm as happy as can be when a program works, and the next moment I spend hours unsuccessfully troubleshooting and doubt my abilities and existence as a software developer. I have a lot of discussions with friends and colleagues. I am not alone, or WE are not alone with this, it is normal and part of our daily lives. How do you see it? Do you often find yourselves in such situations, and how do you deal with it? Let me know!
Thank you for this article! It’s courageous to share those vulnerable thoughts and feelings for everyone to see. I have always perceived you as a pro in everything you do and would’ve never thought you’d struggle with impostor syndrome at times. :)
Let me say I was very impressed when you created a fancy essay cover for me in MS word in 8th degree when I didn’t even know that’s possible lol!
So: I guess we all suffer from both syndromes at times.