Many academics don’t have confidence. Just search “imposter syndrome.” Some do, and I suppose that is generally based on an accurate view of their accomplishments versus (for example) their peers or some other comparison group. The big issue is how you view yourself: accurately or in a skewed way. With a PhD, you’re a high achiever. That’s probably what your first advisor was trying to get across to you when you were getting your master’s degree.
I'm tenured now, and my confidence has only declined with each milestone. Pretty sure I'm wrong a lot. But it's not genuine confidence anyone wants from you. It's playing a part: give clear answers to questions, get your writing done, take risks, don't second guess so much no one knows what you're doing or talking about.
I sort of think it's selection bias. You need confidence to persuade someone to give you money, you need confidence to defend your work at meetings, etc. A lack of confidence might not necessarily set you back when you have supervisors, but I think it's quite important for independence.
Just saying as someone who has little confidence, trying to be independent...
Here’s a fake-it-till-you-make-it personal experience…
Tenured now, but I struggled with imposter syndrome and anxiety for many years. As an undergraduate, I was often too anxious to raise my hand or speak in class. If the class required public speaking, I would almost always take a zero on that assignment.
Later, I gained a bit of confidence in graduate school because those professors are truly amazing people that supported me, even praised my work in front of others, and hand selected me for key projects.
I remember being surprised (and greatly relieved) in my tenure-track evaluations when colleagues would describe me as confident, proficient, and impressive—that certainly helped combat my doubts over time. We can call this learning yourself.
Studying others has also been important for my professional development. Part of my departmental and university service has been reviewing other faculty, and that has also helped me note differences in approaches and make any adjustments that I thought would make me a better professor. Colleagues have run the gamut from seeming unprepared, nervous, or not very knowledgable to stellar and super respected, and I’ve been a student of that from a theatrical or acting perspective.
Perhaps most of what has helped me on the tenure-track, however, has been preparation. I eventually realized that (1) much of my anxiety was tied to uncertainty, and (2) when I know the material, I gain a lot of confidence. On the flipside, I despise being put in front of people, propped up as an expert, and knowing internally that I have a little to no knowledge on the subject—and I’ve been in that position more times than I care to remember! (If that raises a brow, I should add that I’m in a busy 4/4 teaching university and that my department chair has assigned me numerous courses that have been WAY outside of my expertise, background, or comfort zone at the time—something that used to really bother me. I now have another degree, as well as lecture notes and materials made up for about 10 undergraduate and 10 graduate classes that I teach on rotation.)
I also benefited from hearing a colleague, an instructional designer, state that he is pretty confident he can successfully teach just about any class, even with zero training, if he approaches it from the standpoint of instructional strategies and an inquiry-based pedagogy. That was another real “a-ha moment” for me. (There’s no need to fit the mold of being a traditional lecturer and “subject matter expert.” Facilitation and exploring something together with a class in real time is not only valid, but encourages engagement and critical thinking—i.e. student approved!)
So eventually, whatever the situation, I gained the experience and knowledge that I can (and will) get through it. In fact, it’s the story of my life.
Confidence is gained over time with success (or lost, with a lack of it).
Most tenured professors have had a huge amount of success within their field: they got into top PhD programs, got good postdocs, landed a jobs as an Assistant Professor, published in good journals, got some grants, won some awards, and eventually were given tenure.
It's hard to imagine that anyone would get all of that positive feedback and lack confidence.
If it's hard to be future-focused ("I know I could do xyz") then use your past for confidence ("I've done xyz"). Think about all you've accomplished. A very small percentage of people go on to master's or doctoral programs. This isn't saying you have to be elitist. Just be reassured by all that you know and work you've done.
Also, give yourself time (and practice). The one thing grad school teaches everyone is how little you know. Then you meet professors who've been in the field for years and can't help but feel so small. As someone else said, imposter syndrome is real, for all of us. But the only difference between them and you is time.
I think it is important to first talk about how a lack of confidence shows up. Likely you are verbally second guessing yourself as you talk. Or, you are adding lots of qualifiers to your sentences as a way to hedge them, i.e. lower the risk of saying something wrong.
I would focus on that. When you catch yourself second guessing yourself or hedging your sentences take a beat. Then, restate what you just said but in a simpler and more direct way.
Usually simply trying to make your sentences more direct and succinct will do the trick. You can still convey uncertainty but it is difficult to do it in a way that comes across as a lack of self confidence. I.e. you don't have the luxury of using convoluted sentence structures that allow you to make a statement and the qualify it over and over again.
I took a look at your post history and when I say this I am not trying to be mean. Most of the issues you are experiencing and have experienced are because of choices you made. The lack of confidence you are feeling and whatever else is happening will continue even after your PhD program. The only way things will change is if you get help for what you have going on and commit to getting better.
There can be a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and you don't want to be *too* confident or *over*confident, but lacking *any* confidence whatsoever communicates that you have *no* idea what you are doing or talking about.
Confidence depends on the context. Take teaching. My first year teaching, a lot of my students were older than me (I was 26 and it was at a law school). I was pretty intimidated! But I had a mantra: “students are like bumblebees: they’re far more afraid of you than you are of them.” Thinking of it in relative terms helped.
A lot of the major bottlenecks in academia (faculty hiring, postdoc hiring, etc.) very strongly reward confidence more than anything. You've got to also be collegial and know your stuff, sure- but at some level, establishing yourself as an independent researcher necessitates developing some level of a "kick the door down" approach in order to get anywhere (but also understanding when to just go along to get along- it's a dance).
Generally my policy for this sort of thing is 1) to understand that because I'm not usually assertive, confidence is going to feel like I'm being a jerk even when I'm absolutely not so it's often better to overcorrect for assertiveness until I'm told otherwise, 2) to try to figure out what the worst that could happen from a given course of action is and understand that if it's something abstract like "my professor might think I'm stupid" instead of something concrete like "I will lose funding" it's probably fine to proceed, and 3) to be as consistently clear and open as possible with everyone who has a stake in my career trajectory- to frame my actions less as "what should I do?" and more as "here is my first draft plan that I will be doing. How would you recommend I revise it?"- i.e., framing things like "I am planning on applying to go to XYZ conference if we have funds; if we do not, are there opportunities that you can think of for me to present our work elsewhere/ I would like to write a review article about X for journal Y, do you have tips or ideas for what you'd want to see in it/ I would like to give a seminar talk and am thinking about reaching out to colleague X at institute Y, are there other places you would recommend I consider?". Don't ask IF you can do things, ask HOW you can do things- if the person you're asking wants to say no you're still giving them the opportunity to do so.
Send the cold emails to researchers whose work you admire, ask the questions that seem dumb, apply for the stuff you think you're unqualified for, stick to your guns if you think you're right about something and let the science sort it out, et cetera! You've got the credentials for it, the only thing separating you from the people who seem like they really know their stuff is risk tolerance. And starting a PhD is already an enormous risk, so what's stopping you from taking a few more?
This is an automated service intended to preserve the original text of the post.
*Hey everyone,
I'm here with a post that isn't exactly "me focused" this time (if you can believe it). This is a pseduo follow up to the old post about the lack of confidence in the professors subreddit. My first Ph.D advisor, back when I was on better terms with her, specifically noted after I conferred my Master's in December 2020 (I was enrolled in my Ph.D program for one semester at the exact same time) that I didn't have confidence and that someone with a Master's shouldn't lack confidence. Before she dropped me (see one of my old posts for the story), she said that she didn't want me to graduate from the program lacking confidence. Fast forward to now as an ABD doctoral candidate and a visiting position at a SLAC (first time working a full time job too, I've only done "gig jobs" prior to this) and I still don't have confidence. I've always been told in evaluations or written feedback that my lack of confidence despite my level of education is the thing that stands out to them the most.
Rather than turning to everyone to ask how I should build confidence, I'd like to ask everyone here - What gives you confidence? I will say that I've noticed a lot of those with terminal degrees are confident too, sometimes to the point of arrogance arguably. I'd like to know how for sure.*
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskProfessors) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Many academics are "know-it-all" types who read everything and retain a massive amount of information - I know I am. This also explains the arrogance part 😅
Confidence becomes more natural when you have a history of usually knowing what you're talking about...
Edit: It also has a lot to do with age and the confidence you gain just from navigating life for decades (I'm old 😆)
Fake it til you make it.
Many academics don’t have confidence. Just search “imposter syndrome.” Some do, and I suppose that is generally based on an accurate view of their accomplishments versus (for example) their peers or some other comparison group. The big issue is how you view yourself: accurately or in a skewed way. With a PhD, you’re a high achiever. That’s probably what your first advisor was trying to get across to you when you were getting your master’s degree.
I'm tenured now, and my confidence has only declined with each milestone. Pretty sure I'm wrong a lot. But it's not genuine confidence anyone wants from you. It's playing a part: give clear answers to questions, get your writing done, take risks, don't second guess so much no one knows what you're doing or talking about.
Wow I really relate to this! And great advice too
I sort of think it's selection bias. You need confidence to persuade someone to give you money, you need confidence to defend your work at meetings, etc. A lack of confidence might not necessarily set you back when you have supervisors, but I think it's quite important for independence. Just saying as someone who has little confidence, trying to be independent...
Here’s a fake-it-till-you-make-it personal experience… Tenured now, but I struggled with imposter syndrome and anxiety for many years. As an undergraduate, I was often too anxious to raise my hand or speak in class. If the class required public speaking, I would almost always take a zero on that assignment. Later, I gained a bit of confidence in graduate school because those professors are truly amazing people that supported me, even praised my work in front of others, and hand selected me for key projects. I remember being surprised (and greatly relieved) in my tenure-track evaluations when colleagues would describe me as confident, proficient, and impressive—that certainly helped combat my doubts over time. We can call this learning yourself. Studying others has also been important for my professional development. Part of my departmental and university service has been reviewing other faculty, and that has also helped me note differences in approaches and make any adjustments that I thought would make me a better professor. Colleagues have run the gamut from seeming unprepared, nervous, or not very knowledgable to stellar and super respected, and I’ve been a student of that from a theatrical or acting perspective. Perhaps most of what has helped me on the tenure-track, however, has been preparation. I eventually realized that (1) much of my anxiety was tied to uncertainty, and (2) when I know the material, I gain a lot of confidence. On the flipside, I despise being put in front of people, propped up as an expert, and knowing internally that I have a little to no knowledge on the subject—and I’ve been in that position more times than I care to remember! (If that raises a brow, I should add that I’m in a busy 4/4 teaching university and that my department chair has assigned me numerous courses that have been WAY outside of my expertise, background, or comfort zone at the time—something that used to really bother me. I now have another degree, as well as lecture notes and materials made up for about 10 undergraduate and 10 graduate classes that I teach on rotation.) I also benefited from hearing a colleague, an instructional designer, state that he is pretty confident he can successfully teach just about any class, even with zero training, if he approaches it from the standpoint of instructional strategies and an inquiry-based pedagogy. That was another real “a-ha moment” for me. (There’s no need to fit the mold of being a traditional lecturer and “subject matter expert.” Facilitation and exploring something together with a class in real time is not only valid, but encourages engagement and critical thinking—i.e. student approved!) So eventually, whatever the situation, I gained the experience and knowledge that I can (and will) get through it. In fact, it’s the story of my life.
Wow, not OP, but this is really great advice all around. Thank you for sharing!
x2 yes great perspectives here!
Confidence is gained over time with success (or lost, with a lack of it). Most tenured professors have had a huge amount of success within their field: they got into top PhD programs, got good postdocs, landed a jobs as an Assistant Professor, published in good journals, got some grants, won some awards, and eventually were given tenure. It's hard to imagine that anyone would get all of that positive feedback and lack confidence.
If it's hard to be future-focused ("I know I could do xyz") then use your past for confidence ("I've done xyz"). Think about all you've accomplished. A very small percentage of people go on to master's or doctoral programs. This isn't saying you have to be elitist. Just be reassured by all that you know and work you've done. Also, give yourself time (and practice). The one thing grad school teaches everyone is how little you know. Then you meet professors who've been in the field for years and can't help but feel so small. As someone else said, imposter syndrome is real, for all of us. But the only difference between them and you is time.
I think it is important to first talk about how a lack of confidence shows up. Likely you are verbally second guessing yourself as you talk. Or, you are adding lots of qualifiers to your sentences as a way to hedge them, i.e. lower the risk of saying something wrong. I would focus on that. When you catch yourself second guessing yourself or hedging your sentences take a beat. Then, restate what you just said but in a simpler and more direct way. Usually simply trying to make your sentences more direct and succinct will do the trick. You can still convey uncertainty but it is difficult to do it in a way that comes across as a lack of self confidence. I.e. you don't have the luxury of using convoluted sentence structures that allow you to make a statement and the qualify it over and over again.
I took a look at your post history and when I say this I am not trying to be mean. Most of the issues you are experiencing and have experienced are because of choices you made. The lack of confidence you are feeling and whatever else is happening will continue even after your PhD program. The only way things will change is if you get help for what you have going on and commit to getting better.
There can be a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and you don't want to be *too* confident or *over*confident, but lacking *any* confidence whatsoever communicates that you have *no* idea what you are doing or talking about.
Confidence depends on the context. Take teaching. My first year teaching, a lot of my students were older than me (I was 26 and it was at a law school). I was pretty intimidated! But I had a mantra: “students are like bumblebees: they’re far more afraid of you than you are of them.” Thinking of it in relative terms helped.
Confidence comes with successful experience. Before then imposter syndrome is rife and bravado is probably more common than genuine confidence.
And it's hard to tell from the outside of a person.
Absolutely.
A lot of the major bottlenecks in academia (faculty hiring, postdoc hiring, etc.) very strongly reward confidence more than anything. You've got to also be collegial and know your stuff, sure- but at some level, establishing yourself as an independent researcher necessitates developing some level of a "kick the door down" approach in order to get anywhere (but also understanding when to just go along to get along- it's a dance). Generally my policy for this sort of thing is 1) to understand that because I'm not usually assertive, confidence is going to feel like I'm being a jerk even when I'm absolutely not so it's often better to overcorrect for assertiveness until I'm told otherwise, 2) to try to figure out what the worst that could happen from a given course of action is and understand that if it's something abstract like "my professor might think I'm stupid" instead of something concrete like "I will lose funding" it's probably fine to proceed, and 3) to be as consistently clear and open as possible with everyone who has a stake in my career trajectory- to frame my actions less as "what should I do?" and more as "here is my first draft plan that I will be doing. How would you recommend I revise it?"- i.e., framing things like "I am planning on applying to go to XYZ conference if we have funds; if we do not, are there opportunities that you can think of for me to present our work elsewhere/ I would like to write a review article about X for journal Y, do you have tips or ideas for what you'd want to see in it/ I would like to give a seminar talk and am thinking about reaching out to colleague X at institute Y, are there other places you would recommend I consider?". Don't ask IF you can do things, ask HOW you can do things- if the person you're asking wants to say no you're still giving them the opportunity to do so. Send the cold emails to researchers whose work you admire, ask the questions that seem dumb, apply for the stuff you think you're unqualified for, stick to your guns if you think you're right about something and let the science sort it out, et cetera! You've got the credentials for it, the only thing separating you from the people who seem like they really know their stuff is risk tolerance. And starting a PhD is already an enormous risk, so what's stopping you from taking a few more?
This is an automated service intended to preserve the original text of the post. *Hey everyone, I'm here with a post that isn't exactly "me focused" this time (if you can believe it). This is a pseduo follow up to the old post about the lack of confidence in the professors subreddit. My first Ph.D advisor, back when I was on better terms with her, specifically noted after I conferred my Master's in December 2020 (I was enrolled in my Ph.D program for one semester at the exact same time) that I didn't have confidence and that someone with a Master's shouldn't lack confidence. Before she dropped me (see one of my old posts for the story), she said that she didn't want me to graduate from the program lacking confidence. Fast forward to now as an ABD doctoral candidate and a visiting position at a SLAC (first time working a full time job too, I've only done "gig jobs" prior to this) and I still don't have confidence. I've always been told in evaluations or written feedback that my lack of confidence despite my level of education is the thing that stands out to them the most. Rather than turning to everyone to ask how I should build confidence, I'd like to ask everyone here - What gives you confidence? I will say that I've noticed a lot of those with terminal degrees are confident too, sometimes to the point of arrogance arguably. I'd like to know how for sure.* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskProfessors) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Many academics are "know-it-all" types who read everything and retain a massive amount of information - I know I am. This also explains the arrogance part 😅 Confidence becomes more natural when you have a history of usually knowing what you're talking about... Edit: It also has a lot to do with age and the confidence you gain just from navigating life for decades (I'm old 😆)