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?
I am Ell Marquez and I have been in the tech world for about two years. Even though this is but a few seconds in time compared to my counterparts, I have seen a part of our community that I think has been ignored for far too long. Impostor syndrome has become a hot topic to discuss and the solution is being placed on the shoulders of the individual alone. I fear, however, that this is because too many people are afraid to speak up about how toxic our culture can be to those whom we claim to want to recruit. It’s time that we, as a community that has fostered an environment where it easier to break someone down than build them up, step up and take ownership. So I am here to stand open and vulnerable and ask: Are we honestly trying to build a community or is the technology industry simply "every man for himself"?