Written by: Melissa A. Wheeler, Ph.D., and Jessica L. Mackelprang, Ph.D.

We’ve all heard “fake it ‘til you make it.” Faking it can be a good starting strategy to help you tolerate the new-kid-on-the-block anxiety and crippling imposter syndrome that sometimes accompany the early career stage. After all, if you can just get on with the work without second- and third-guessing yourself, more work gets done and skills and confidence build over time. The reality is, though, that many people feel some form of imposter syndrome across the lifespan of their career.

A bit of faking it may give you time to find your feet, but there are actions you can take to chart a path toward career confidence that are real. So, instead of faking it, here are five tips to help set yourself up for authentic career confidence that will continue to grow as your career takes flight.

Many careers require some form of writing, whether that be producing research articles, preparing a report, writing clinical notes, or something else. The path toward writing more, and more efficiently, is working painstakingly to develop a daily writing routine until writing isn’t so painful anymore. Ask yourself:

Start small, recognizing that everything is less intimidating when you chip away at it. Set your goal at........

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