Building Confidence In Your Career: Impostor Syndrome Workshop

Career Level: Basic-, intermediate-, and advanced-level career services professionals
Competency: Coaching
Fee: $69 (member); $89 (nonmember);

Summary
We'll begin with education on what impostor syndrome is and how to know when it is happening in academics and career planning (CBT cycle, symptoms: somatic/body, emotions, mental).

Next, we'll discuss how it can affect job searching, interviewing, and starting a new job. Then we'll introduce coping strategies and identify ones that work for people individually (grounding/mindfulness, growth mindset, reframing/disputing thought patterns, identify your support system, professional development, journaling, exercising, muscle relaxing, breathing, SMART goals, keeping a folder of successes, and so forth).

We'll facilitate a simplified Odyssey Planning activity from Designing Your Life training in workshops and discuss the positives of impostor syndrome.

Finally, we'll also showcase how we worked with a university-wide grant to create webpages/lessons, and our ideas for further expansion, i.e., train the trainer.

Following this program, you will be able to:
- Elevate awareness and gain perception of impostor syndrome and its effects on career development;
- Identify and reflect on impostor syndrome, leaving with actionable items related to implementing coping strategies for symptoms that may arise (mentally, physically, emotionally); and
- Educate and support others, knowing the benefits one can have from experiencing it and the type of activities they can implement in their own work.
Presenters

Courtney Pletcher, Senior Career Consultant, The University of Texas at San Antonio - Career Services
Courtney Pletcher is a senior career consultant at the University Career Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and Gallup-certified Strengths coach. She is also a U.S. Navy veteran who served primarily at Ft. Meade, MD, as a cryptologic technician (CTR) and earned her information dominance warfare pin designation. Having received both her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and Master of Science in clinical mental health counseling from UTSA, she is a proud double UTSA alumna. Her professional interests include design thinking, career development, motivational theories, and solution-focused and strengths-based approaches. Her top five CliftonStrengths are maximizer, intellection, command, input, and self-assurance.

Bryana Nunez, Senior Career Consultant, The University of Texas at San Antonio - Career Services
Bryana Nuñez is a senior career consultant at the University Career Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). She obtained her bachelor’s in psychology and master’s in counselor education – clinical mental health counseling from Texas Tech University. She has been in the career counseling field since 2018 and continues to educate herself to provide the best support possible to students and alumni in their career development. She also loves collaborating with colleagues, faculty, staff, and student organizations to find fun and interesting ways to help students succeed in their career endeavors. In addition to career counseling, Nunez is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and believes mental health exists in every aspect of life, and career counseling is no different. She thrives off helping students and alumni see their potential, use it to move forward, and believe in themselves in ways they never have before. She does this by creating a welcoming, encouraging environment that fosters hope and confidence. Overall, she wants students to know that they are not alone in navigating possible careers and welcomes any and all questions regarding successes and challenges their career development journey may bring.