Is there a fix for impostor syndrome?
I've been in software for 14 years without a computer science degree and carry a chip on my shoulder because I missed out on algorithms and compilers in school. I'm mostly self-taught and have had the opportunity to run a SAAS company for six years now (CodePen).<p>I'm winging it like many other people in our industry. I wish I'd had two things to when I started my career.<p>1. A right of passage that endorsed my skills as a competent developer (or that educated me on what skills I'd yet to learn).<p>Something equivalent to what doctors have when they receive a medical license and become board certified.<p>After five years on the job, no one cares about your cute degree but the 21-year-old version of me who knew nothing and was a tiny bit terrified of being found incompetent cared.<p>You are born with a level of confidence (unsubstantiated and unproven), but you can also earn it by doing a substantial amount of work.<p>A right of passage within the software industry that showed a fundamental level of competency beyond the fizz-buzz test would've worked wonders for the young me.<p>2. A formal mentor.<p>I spent years flailing within technology. I learned the wrong things, dove deep into the wrong technology (Java Swing :|) and made obvious mistakes. In retrospect, I would have paid to work for a capable mentor when I started who could have validated my work and guided my efforts.<p>Alas, software development is free, unregulated and open to all. That is what makes it beautiful. That is what makes it frustrating.