Ever felt like your faking it?

Currently employed as a network support chap - bringing clients into BAU support, breakfix on solutions once in support, change work etc

Interviewed for a network engineer role with a VoIP provider / small ISP last week and have been invited for a second interview so all good so far.

I've been in this field for nearly 2 years now, with CCNA/CCNP/PACE certifications.

What I lack in years of experience I feel I more than make up for in technical knowledge and ability.

Saying that this potential new role is a massive step up and I can't help but feel I'm faking it a bit

I have labbed MPLS, I can set it up on Cisco or juniper. I've built a number of firewalls from scratch, and learnt the ins and outs of faulty solutions handed to us by projects so I do feel I have the capability and ability, still I have these nagging doubts around my lack of experience

Anyone else felt the same before a potential career upwards move?

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jamshid666

Fake it until you make it brother

Welly_59

Also a bit of my trepidation probably stems from currently being in a team of 20 people with various areas of expertise and potentially moving to a team of 2

Danielm7

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome

It's not just you.

EANx

A little anxiety about not meeting your responsibilities shows both growth and personal awareness. No anxiety means you're either not meeting your potential or not doing your job and clueless about it.

TechGromit

EANx wrote: »

A little anxiety about not meeting your responsibilities shows both growth and personal awareness. No anxiety means you're either not meeting your potential or not doing your job and clueless about it.

That's how I feel about my new job, I'm replacing someone that did the job for 15 years, he knew the network like the back of his hand. Unfortunately he didn't keep up with the documentation as much as he should have. I asked about did he have the contract numbers for a data connection, and he tells me he doesn't know any contract numbers, he knows the Verizon engineer personally. That's not going to help me very much when I have to call them for support.

yoba222

jamshid666 wrote: »

Fake it until you make it brother

Absolutely. The "until you make it" part is really important. It's incredibly gratifying when you successfully do a job for someone who has way more years experience than you have.

E Double U

jamshid666 wrote: »

Fake it until you make it brother

This has been working for me my entire career.

Squished

EANx wrote: »

A little anxiety about not meeting your responsibilities shows both growth and personal awareness. No anxiety means you're either not meeting your potential or not doing your job and clueless about it.

What's it called when you undoubtedly know you are way out of your league but go for the interview anyway for the experience?

NOC-Ninja

so far i have not done that. if i dont know it, i will tell the truth.now, what i know is that, usually that interviewer have a gauge of your skills. he knows what you real knowledge is. id say he likes you and he knows that you dont know much on other topics so he is willing to train you or you are willing to research it and figure it out on your own.
alos, i think there is a big demand of technical people. im very surprised when i moved that very few knows networking. a lot of paper pushers. very few can really tech. at the end the technical guy fix the problems.

E Double U

Squished wrote: »

What's it called when you undoubtedly know you are way out of your league but go for the interview anyway for the experience?

Having balls!

Squished

E Double U wrote: »

Having balls!

Oh good. That day is April 27th for me. At the very least it's a necessary learning experience. The interesting part is they called me asking me to apply.

Iristheangel

I think everyone feels a degree of impostor syndrome. Especially when starting a new job. It takes time to find your footing but it's totally human to feel it.

Impostor sydrome is a real thing with IT folks. I've spoken to Daniel Dib (CCIE + CCDE) and Russ White (One of the few CCArs in the world) and they both feel it all the time. Russ White actually links to this article on his blog and it's worth a good read: https://delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php?3540

UnixGuy

This is a good sign that you are
1) Not delusional about your skill level
2) in a great position to learn and grow!

embrace it, keep learning, and enjoy the growth process!

Mooseboost

I find the further I go in my career the more I feel that way. It is more common to feel Impostor syndrome the more responsibilities that you gain. When I shifted from being the one asking questions to being the one teaching it really set in. It is the whole reason I have avoided trying to speak at conferences or even submitting to them. You will always have the personality types that are so self confident nothing phases them but I think they are more the exception than the rule. It feels that way in security at least.

Syntax

That's been me to a T... I get told that I know more than I think I do, and I just don't believe in my abilities. It doesn't help when I run across people in the field who I feel eat, drink, sleep, and dream about what they do. It's like no matter how much I study, or how much experience I gain, I'm just pretending compared to those people. I have been trying to improve in that arena. I try not to take anything I have accomplished in the past lightly when I discuss it with potential employers. Obviously I don't want to gloat either, but based on feedback I have received so far, employers are more confident that you could be a good potential hire if you're confident in yourself.

Squished

Syntax wrote: »

That's been me to a T... I get told that I know more than I think I do, and I just don't believe in my abilities. It doesn't help when I run across people in the field who I feel eat, drink, sleep, and dream about what they do. It's like no matter how much I study, or how much experience I gain, I'm just pretending compared to those people. I have been trying to improve in that arena. I try not to take anything I have accomplished in the past lightly when I discuss it with potential employers. Obviously I don't want to gloat either, but based on feedback I have received so far, employers are more confident that you could be a good potential hire if you're confident in yourself.

This. People are so quick to forget that technical skills can be taught. That's why they have training, certification classes, continuing education, etc. However, personality, confidence, demeanor are all equally if not important traits that cannot be taught. You either have them or you don't. An employer will take a less technical skilled person all day long if the personality and demeanor is a good fit for the organization knowing full well technical training will bring them up to speed. On the flip side, if you hire an arrogant self centered individual with a high technical skill set, you'll be forever fighting them.

Nightflier101BL

I also agree with Squished. The soft skills are the most important. This is what gets you through and above the rest of the technical shortcomings you may have (and I have a bunch, too).

I still struggle with my confidence almost daily, but it's getting better. I also struggle with playing the political games in every environment - learning how to deal with certain people who also have soft skill issues. You have to be able to ride with the tide depending on the situation. The rest comes along naturally.

In any case, you'll get better with it all the more you're exposed to. Another reason why experience is so important.

Squished

Nightflier101BL wrote: »

I also agree with Squished. The soft skills are the most important. This is what gets you through and above the rest of the technical shortcomings you may have (and I have a bunch, too).

I still struggle with my confidence almost daily, but it's getting better. I also struggle with playing the political games in every environment - learning how to deal with certain people who also have soft skill issues. You have to be able to ride with the tide depending on the situation. The rest comes along naturally.

In any case, you'll get better with it all the more you're exposed to. Another reason why experience is so important.

With experience also comes the fact you can realize that sometimes you will never be compatible with every personality in your office. You have to learn to pick and choose your battles with coworkers, subordinates, and management. I used to bite my tongue daily and keep my head down at my company. Now that I'm one of the most senior people here, I'm extremely outspoken and don't put up with other departments BS and call them out on it whenever necessary. It's proven to change a lot of the way we do things, all for the better. Some people have even left, again for the better. It's a fine line to walk with soft skills, but if you can do it you will find your way to the top. Company's want leaders, not followers.

DatabaseHead

Yep, feel that way at almost all my jobs. For me I usually get into a role and usually meet all the requirements and start killing it, THEN more work comes my way and that's when I start to experience that. ~ 1 year into the job.

Again this is just my experience with Imposter Syndrome.

EANx

Squished wrote: »

On the flip side, if you hire an arrogant self centered individual with a high technical skill set, you'll be forever fighting them.

Absolutely.

Back in my engineering days we had a very talented young guy who was very ... passionate. I specifically remember a conversation in a hallway where he shouted "you're wrong" to someone else. The guy was right technically but oh, so wrong on the personal front. My then boss and I met up a few years ago as I was flying from here to there and that person was brought up. He now runs his own company and told my former boss "I have no idea how you put up with me back then".

Fact is that skills count, but so does attitude. I manage a fairly large team now and you need two things to succeed here, solid skills and a team-based attitude. I don't want an arrogant know-it-all. The days of someone getting by solely on skill and being given a pass on an abrasive attitude are over in most companies. You need to have some degree of people skills as well as personal awareness in order to succeed nowadays.

ArabianKnight

Yes, everyday. I get tired of pretending I know alot about threat intel. I plan on making it big in Bitcoin and retiring at 35 soon anyway so not too concerned lol

DatabaseHead

ArabianKnight wrote: »

Yes, everyday. I get tired of pretending I know alot about threat intel. I plan on making it big in Bitcoin and retiring at 35 soon anyway so not too concerned lol

Pivoted over to BCH for the day. Very profitable....

Of course ended the day back on BTC....

ThePawofRizzo

I'd rather work with someone who doesn't know it all, but is willing and trying to learn, than work with someone who is over-confident, and thinks they already know it all. The latter is the guy or girl who is going to screw up a lot of stuff, then blame everyone, and everything, else on their mistakes.