1. Don’t apologize (for asking questions, for making mistakes, for breathing…)

I didn’t realize I had this habit until a senior developer kindly told me to stop apologizing for simply doing the things that they hired me to do. After this I became painfully aware of how many times a day I said the word “sorry.” It was like my personal disclaimer. “Sorry I’m such a waste of oxygen, but could you take a look at the email I sent you last week? You know, when you have time! I know you’re really busy. Sorry. Sorry!”

During your time as a junior developer, you will ask tons of questions. You will screw up, and you will require help. You’re going to stumble over unfamiliar words and ask people to repeat themselves. That doesn’t make you a nuisance. Being inquisitive doesn’t make you an inconvenience to your peers — it is how you learn, grow, and become a more valuable asset to your company.

2. You belong

“I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.” — Maya Angelou

At first I thought I got hired by accident, like some kind of fluke. Once I was on the other side of interviewing, I saw how wrong this was. Hiring new talent is an exhaustive (and exhausting) process that involves multiple layers of vetting and the judgement of several people, some of whom you might not even know were involved in the decision.

If you got the job, it’s because you were the best candidate that they could find. Chances are, they saw a lot of promising candidates. And yet you are the one that they picked. You didn’t luck your way into this. Something about you stood out to them, and they chose you.

Another thing: your employer already knows that you’re junior; they hired you anyway. Don’t be afraid of being “found out” for not knowing everything and being an industry expert. Trust me, they already know, and they don’t really care — as long as you’re learning and working hard, that is.

“The exaggerated esteem in which my lifework is held makes me very ill at ease. I feel compelled to think of myself as an involuntary swindler.” — Albert Einstein

3. The validation never comes (and even if it does, it won’t be enough)

“You’ve always had the power.” “I have?” “Then why didn’t you tell her before?” “Because she wouldn’t have believed me. She had to learn it for herself.” — The Wizard of Oz

You might spend your early years waiting for the sign you that you’ve “made it”, for someone to tell you that you’re an authentic, certified, actual developer. But the truth is that this moment never comes.

Even if you do receive the reassurance that you long for, your impostor syndrome won’t permit you to enjoy it for very long. Little by little, it will erode away any positive feedback you receive. Your mind will find reasons that it doesn’t count. It was a fluke. An accident. You had a lot of help, and anyway, it wasn’t that hard of a project to begin with. They’re just being nice.

If you’re like me, this endless search of external validation will leave you spinning out into an identity crisis, feeling like a child playing dress up in your parent’s closet, projecting the appearance of an adult professional while inside you feel like anything but. Somehow, your disguise has fooled people so far. But it won’t be long before they find you out.