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[Mikado]

Everyone in tech has imposter syndrome.

And the ones who don't are the ones to worry about.

 

[Dr Bass]

And the ones who don't are the ones to worry about.

You know I really kinda disagree with this. Not everyone in tech has imposter syndrome. When you’ve been doing it for many many years and you’ve built a lot of stuff … it’s pretty easy to have confidence in knowing what you’re doing. Do you think people designing CPUs and operating systems feel like they are imposters? It’s just not possible after a certain level. There are experts out there.

However, the ones to look out for are the ones with no humility or an ego. Tech is far too big to know everything and there are talented people everywhere. So walking around like you’re the baddest person around is the the real red flag. I’ve worked with more than a few of these people and they are never as good as they think they are. Sometimes they are downright bad.

 

[Mikado]

You know I really kinda disagree with this. Not everyone in tech has imposter syndrome. When you’ve been doing it for many many years and you’ve built a lot of stuff … it’s pretty easy to have confidence in knowing what you’re doing. Do you think people designing CPUs and operating systems feel like they are imposters? It’s just not possible after a certain level. There are experts out there.

However, the ones to look out for are the ones with no humility or an ego. Tech is far too big to know everything and there are talented people everywhere. So walking around like you’re the baddest person around is the the real red flag. I’ve worked with more than a few of these people and they are never as good as they think they are. Sometimes they are downright bad.

As you say: there's a difference between healthy impostor syndrome and massive insecurity/beating yourself up all the time. Handled right, one encourages you to git gud(er). The other paralyses you and makes you useless.

If one seriously thinks they are the smartest mofo in the room all the time, and there is nothing they can learn from anyone then it is seriously time to get out. Either find a smarter group to hang with and get even better, OR - congrats: they win. They can join Buddah in blissful Enlightenment.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Your position OP is a tough one. On-boarding remotely, especially in a field you are not familiar with, is probably pretty tough. I was in a similar position to you a few years ago. I landed a job (through strong referals) that I was probably only 25% qualified for. By that I mean that about 75% of everything I had to do was brand new to me. The advice that I would give is that remember that in tech most other engineers are more than ready to talk about their tech if questions are asked in a humble manner. I learned sooo much from my colleagues just by asking them and being friendly. But I wasn't remote. It is probably harder now.

 

[Shifty1897]

Your position OP is a tough one. On-boarding remotely, especially in a field you are not familiar with, is probably pretty tough. I was in a similar position to you a few years ago. I landed a job (through strong referals) that I was probably only 25% qualified for. By that I mean that about 75% of everything I had to do was brand new to me. The advice that I would give is that remember that in tech most other engineers are more than ready to talk about their tech if questions are asked in a humble manner. I learned sooo much from my colleagues just by asking them and being friendly. But I wasn't remote. It is probably harder now.

My first engineer-ish job was 4 years ago and in person, it was a simple product in a simple environment, and they took their time in training me, first in getting my PowerShell up to their standards, then AWS, then MSSQL. But because the product and team was so small and simple a lot of standard devops tools were never needed or implemented.

Two weeks in, I'm scrambling to get my Python up to developer level, and learn Ansible, and learn Docker, and learn Linux System Administration, and learn Terraform, and learn UniData, and learn the actual product we're using and all its idiosyncrasies from being 50 years old and clearly not being rewritten into a modern web app. I've got two small monitoring projects I grabbed just to turn out something productive while I try to wrap my head around the rest, but with a toddler I almost exclusively care for, my days of working long nights to catch up are nearly over. I'm working on my anxiety about it, but as others have mentioned here, it's a worker's market and I have other potential employers keeping in touch if things don't work out.

I think the biggest lessoned I've learned from all of this is that I need to probably talk to a therapist and get on some anxiety medication, I don't want stress to put me in my grave before I watch my kid grow up, he's the best thing that ever happened to me, even if he broke one of my Joycons .

 

[NinjaBoiX]

Would you be satisfied staying in your old job forever?

This is a very valid question OP.

 

[wipeout364]

My first engineer-ish job was 4 years ago and in person, it was a simple product in a simple environment, and they took their time in training me, first in getting my PowerShell up to their standards, then AWS, then MSSQL. But because the product and team was so small and simple a lot of standard devops tools were never needed or implemented.

Two weeks in, I'm scrambling to get my Python up to developer level, and learn Ansible, and learn Docker, and learn Linux System Administration, and learn Terraform, and learn UniData, and learn the actual product we're using and all its idiosyncrasies from being 50 years old and clearly not being rewritten into a modern web app. I've got two small monitoring projects I grabbed just to turn out something productive while I try to wrap my head around the rest, but with a toddler I almost exclusively care for, my days of working long nights to catch up are nearly over. I'm working on my anxiety about it, but as others have mentioned here, it's a worker's market and I have other potential employers keeping in touch if things don't work out.

I think the biggest lessoned I've learned from all of this is that I need to probably talk to a therapist and get on some anxiety medication, I don't want stress to put me in my grave before I watch my kid grow up, he's the best thing that ever happened to me, even if he broke one of my Joycons .

Sounds like this new job despite the stress is going to provide you with a lot of new skills and knowledge, if it doesn’t wreck you first. Good luck, hopefully things will seem better after 6 to 8 weeks.