subject: Why You Might Be Being Overseen [print this page] A great many people are often left wondering why those with fewer qualifications and less on-the-job experience are promoted quicker than they are. This can lead to feelings of anxiety, resentment and failure. There is, however, a reason that explains why this may be the case.
There are two related but contrasting syndromes, called the Dunning-Kruger effect and the Impostor Syndrome.
The Dunning-Kruger effect is something that is thought to be exclusively felt by extroverts. The theory goes along the lines that the person with the Dunning-Kruger effect believes their capabilities and expertise to be higher than the average. If they do something well, it reinforces the belief, whereas something that goes wrong is casually brushed aside.
The Impostor Syndrome, meanwhile, is the exact opposite, in that the person (often introverted) believes their abilities to be lower than the average. Then, if they are praised, it makes little difference, whereas any negative comments are taken on and mulled over ad-nauseum.
So the reason many people are promoted early is because of the Dunning-Kruger effect, in that they establish a firm belief in themselves that they are the best for the job, and others simply go along with it.
If this sounds familiar, but it's someone else getting all the good results, you could be experiencing the Impostor Syndrome and could benefit from attending personal training courses.
In undertaking courses to develop you as a person (as opposed to building on your knowledge base or skill set), you can become a more confident person who is less afraid of speaking out, whatever the topic.
They can give you a greater sense of self and instill in a person the confidence to feel that you not only can achieve, but will do.
So if you feel like you are being passed up on things you're more than capable of doing, don't get frustrated or angry but instead see about how you can change what you think about yourself, so that others will change their opinions as well.
