| I was 31 when I was appointed the new editor of The Cornishman in Penzance. I was neither Cornish nor a man - and both facts seemed to be an issue for most of the people I encountered in the early days. I was sworn at during a pasty competition, sneered at during a local council meeting and treated with extreme suspicion by my new colleagues. I felt entirely inadequate and pretty alone.
That was my first big experience of imposter syndrome. My way of dealing with it was to work as hard as I possibly could and show everyone that I deserved that job.
I've since experienced imposter syndrome in numerous other situations - both at work and as a mum. And I'm definitely not alone. Over half of women have experienced imposter syndrome – and say it gets in the way of romantic relationships (24%), making new friends (22%), and parenting (18%).
Almost three-quarters of women (72%) say they've experienced imposter syndrome in the workplace, according to a poll of 4,000 adults.
Almost two-thirds of women (62%) claim to have hardly ever felt true confidence in their lives, as 53% struggle with unwarranted feelings of self-doubt, incompetence, and being underqualified.
Comparatively, 54% of the men surveyed said they have never felt this way at all – while 63% admit they only ever feel like an imposter in the workplace.
Women say that symptoms of imposter syndrome typically start as young as 23 years old – with a fifth saying that a key trigger is the pressure to "have it all".
The research was commissioned by Galaxy confectionary, as part as part of its video series launch, "How to Thrive", with Young Women's Trust, to help give the tools to conquer imposter syndrome. Watch the video with AJ Odudu here
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