The technology industry has been rapidly growing for some time and as the industry grew there has been a shift in our mind set. As we could no longer fill all the roles that were needed, there came a push to diversify, to bring in new blood and new ideas. In order to recruit this new blood we began to develop a community intended to foster and promote the growth of these individuals.
Recently the topic of the conversation has turned to Impostor syndrome, the feeling of inadequacy that persists despite proof to the contrary, with the solution being placed on the shoulders of the individual alone. However we are not addressing the whole issue, or even acknowledging that these feelings may be caused by a toxic part of our culture that leads us to break down those we claim to want to build up.
Keywords: Impostor syndrome, Starting out, New to the Industry
I. Intro: Who am I and why should you listen to me?
a. My life before the tech world.
b. The Open Cloud Academy experience
c. Landing the Job
II. Impostor Syndrome
a. Four key characteristics
b. The impact of feedback on your psyche
c. Shared experiences
III. Mentorship
a. Ubuntu - I am here because of you. Taking responsibility in our recruitment
b. What does it mean to be a mentor?
c. A story of success
IV. Closing
a. Where are we now?
b. A challenge to the community
c. Thank you and are there any questions?