Impostor syndrome can strike even in virtual internships

Whether it’s because of an inherent lack of confidence or the restrictions preventing them from entering a physical workspace, there is growing evidence to suggest that students are failing to see the value of their contribution to knowledge exchange activities such as virtual internships.

We saw evidence of this perception in early data from our evaluation project “Engaging Students in Knowledge Exchange”, which highlighted a drastic disparity between the students’ and employers’ perceptions of the contribution made by the student.

Only 72 per cent of students engaged in a virtual internship felt that they were able to make a meaningful contribution to the client. Whereas on the client side, every single one of them felt the intern made a meaningful contribution to their business.

Of the students who were involved in this evaluation, only 28 per cent “strongly agreed” that their work made a meaningful contribution, an extreme disproportion from the 82 per cent of clients who “strongly agreed” that the student’s work made a meaningful contribution to their business.

With graduates entering a highly competitive labour market, it’s crucial that we as a sector identify, understand and overcome the challenges that our students are facing. Key among them is impostor syndrome − a fear of being “discovered” and an inability to internalise success.

This issue is a double blow given that student knowledge exchange is, in fact, perfectly positioned to increase personal development, employability and social capital. As highlighted by the Purpose Coalition, universities and businesses need to work together to reduce barriers to social mobility, and one example of how virtual internships help achieve this is through cultivating an increased sense of belonging, which in turn reduces a student’s impostor syndrome.

Our project has raised the question of whether there is a link between virtual internships, not physically entering the workplace or networking in real life and this reduction in perception of value. We continue to assess whether moving online could impact students’ ability to make meaningful professional connections, leading to feelings of fraudulence. We are also finding ways to ensure that under-represented groups are not discouraged from participating because of barriers such as lack of representation.

We understand from interviews and surveys the need to equip participants with the necessary tools to recognise their contribution and to access the networks that make virtual internships and other knowledge exchange such a rich experience, even when online.

We have found that students’ impostor syndrome manifests itself in several ways: a lack of resilience, particularly when receiving constructive feedback; failing to be assertive with ideas or opinions; not applying for opportunities; and an inability to identify accomplishments.

In our opinion, there are four levels at which we should focus our efforts to help students overcome impostor syndrome: industry; institutional; project; and individual.

Most broadly, across the HE sector, we need a greater understanding of the challenges that students face and the interventions that work to address them. The Office for Students and Research England have supported this important enquiry through a £10 million competition that is enabling universities to research, evaluate and create more knowledge exchange opportunities for students.

The Knowledge Exchange Concordat does encourage best practice, but we need to ensure that this is extended to students who exchange knowledge in all environments, including interdisciplinary, with academics and peers.

At an institutional level, we must keep in mind that students’ time at university is about much more than their degree; we have a fleeting opportunity to support their holistic development and to enable graduates to embody the communities we wish to live and work in. The OfS and Research England competition has highlighted a trend towards community-based knowledge exchange, meaning that not only does the community benefit from our students’ skill and intellect, but also that the students are able to see and experience the positive impact they have had on the local community.

On a project level, one of the interventions we have introduced is a collection of e-learning resources created in collaboration with students. These resources have been specifically designed with our university’s careers service and in response to our evaluation.

Mindful of Louise McElvogue’s assertion in these pages that we must not let students and the sector down by developing outdated learning resources, we are working with area specialists to create accessible and engaging e-learning resources on a wide range of topics, including communicating professionally, building and maintaining a professional network and personal skills development. Each pathway of resources includes bite-sized content, quizzes, explainer videos, interactive videos and articles, which are available for students to complete at a pace that works for them.

To address impostor syndrome specifically, we have worked in collaboration with our student well-being team and external specialists to develop resources in resilience building, techniques to overcome the syndrome, develop a growth mindset and assertiveness training.

As a project team, we also see language as critical and, as such, ensure that internships, placements and consultancy projects are always framed in communications as a mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge, in which all participants gain.

Finally, as individuals, we can encourage and support the students we work with. We can trust them, highlight their knowledge and skill, encourage them to see the value in their work and inspire them to take up the opportunities that they wrongly believe they are not qualified for. No matter what roles we hold, as part of the HE community we can all help free students from impostor syndrome and empower them to see their true value.

Chloe Severn is project manager on the University of Plymouth’s “Engaging Students in Knowledge Exchange” project. Katie Stote is a graduate intern on the same project.