When I took my first job at Uber imposter syndrome became a really good friend.

I quickly felt like I had stumbled into the tech industry and was incredibly fortunate to have landed a job there.

I was an outsider who made it in.

Naturally, as I got to know my coworkers, they would ask about my college and my previous experience before Uber.

I would quickly share my background and previous roles, practically mumbling my way through it. (maybe they won’t hear me!) Then, I would quickly shift the conversation to them.

A high percentage of my colleagues would answer with something like, “I went to ____ Ivy League School and then worked for ____ consulting firm” before coming to Uber.

That wasn’t my background.

In my mind, I would think, “Wow, so many of you followed the same path. How the hell did I get here?” 😳

Finding my way and onboarding into a new industry was challenging.

I know one thing that definitely didn’t help: assuming everyone I worked with was smarter than me.

It probably took me ~2.5 years at Uber before I started to understand what I was really good at.

If you relate to feeling like you don’t belong, please remember:
– You deserve to be there.
– You have a lot to offer.
– Be kind to yourself as you figure it out.

And once you prove to yourself that you belong, don’t forget to lift others below you up too.