Soft Skill Seminar: Is My Professional Success the Result of Ability and Competency or Just Plain Luck

This presentation will describe, from a very personal perspective, a subject that has been defined as“Impostor (or Imposter) Syndrome (or Phenomenon),” IS or IP, a prevalent condition in high achievingindividuals, especially in academic settings, that affects students and faculty alike. The presentation willbegin with a brief account of the presenter’s professional accomplishments, followed by definitionsand descriptions of the syndrome. Possible causes and attitudes, as well as ways to combat the effectsof impostorism, as it is commonly called, will be presented and discussed. This should be an interestingtalk for people who suffer from the condition; people who have constant self-doubts about theirabilities and competencies and serious problems accepting failures and, more importantly, alsosuccesses.