A Cure for the Imposter Syndrome

By Marty Nemko

Many holders of social science degrees say they feel like imposters because they didn't learn enough that would be valuable in the real world. This imposter syndrome inhibits many social science graduates from making a vigorous job search, and once on the job, plagues them with feelings of incompetence. My advice: In those fields, for example, clinical psychology, sociology, education, and gender/race studies, rely less on the curriculum you studied and more on your common sense, humanity, and hard work. Those attributes will help ensure you make a difference even though your discipline is still in its infancy.