Why do I suck at everything?
The story
I swear, every day I walk into the office and feel like I’m just waiting to get exposed. Like someone’s gonna tap me on the shoulder and be like, “Hey, we figured it out—you actually don’t belong here.” And honestly? I’d just nod and say, “Yeah, I know.” Because that’s exactly how I feel. I’m a junior consultant in a huge, fast-moving company, and from the outside, it probably looks like I’m doing okay. But inside? I feel like I suck at everything. Every task I touch feels like a mess. Every presentation, every slide, every email I send—I triple check it, and I still feel like I’m doing it wrong. Everyone else looks so confident, so sharp and put-together, and I’m here Googling basic Excel formulas and hoping no one notices I’m not contributing anything meaningful in meetings.
What makes it worse is that I try. Like, I’m not slacking. I stay late sometimes, I take notes, I ask questions (even though I feel stupid every time I do), and I keep telling myself I’ll get better. But I don’t feel better. I feel like I’m falling behind. When I get feedback, it’s always polite, but it’s never great. Stuff like “make sure you think through the structure more” or “watch your attention to detail”—basically, “you’re not doing well enough.” And I get it! They’re not wrong. I’m constantly redoing things, missing stuff, asking for clarifications on things I should’ve understood. It’s embarrassing. I keep wondering if this job is just too much for me, like maybe I’m not cut out for it. Maybe I faked it through the interview and now the truth is showing.
Sometimes I think about quitting. Like, just walking away and saving myself the daily stress and anxiety of feeling like I’m disappointing everyone. But then I wonder, what would I even do instead? I worked so hard to get here. Years of school, internships, interviews, all that effort just to feel like I’m drowning in a sea of “you’re not enough.” And it’s not like I don’t care—I care too much, honestly. I overthink every assignment. I draft emails and then stare at them for ten minutes, rewriting the same sentence four times. And then I see someone else send a message in thirty seconds and it’s perfect. I can’t help but compare myself to everyone around me. I know I shouldn’t, but when everyone seems to be thriving and you’re the only one struggling to keep up, how do you not?
I talk to my friends outside of work and they tell me I’m being too hard on myself. That it’s just imposter syndrome. That everyone feels this way when they start out. And yeah, maybe they’re right, but that doesn’t change how it feels. It doesn’t change the panic I get when I’m asked to “own” a task, when in my head I’m screaming “please don’t give me that responsibility.” I want to be good at this. I want to feel confident. But right now I just feel small. Like a mistake. Like a bad hire. It’s exhausting carrying this weight of not being good enough day after day, especially when you have to pretend like everything’s fine because everyone around you seems so capable and strong.
I don’t know what the answer is. I don’t know how to stop feeling like I suck at everything. Maybe I need more time, maybe I need to fail a few more times to really learn. Or maybe I need to find something that fits me better, something that doesn’t make me feel so incompetent all the time. But until then, I guess I’ll just keep showing up, trying again, even if I’m convinced I’ll mess it up. Because I don’t know what else to do. And maybe, just maybe, one day I’ll wake up and feel like I’m actually okay at something. Or at least not terrible. I’d settle for that.
Stories in the same category
Points of view
Wow, that was really relatable. I can totally resonate with your experience of feeling like an "imposter", it’s like that constant fear of being "found out" in the corporate world never goes away. The grind, especially in consulting, is relentless, and you're definitely not alone in overanalyzing deliverables or stressing about KPIs.
When I was a junior analyst, I too felt inadequate, overwhelmed by the expectations and the steep learning curve. Felt impossible to keep up with those seemingly infallible colleagues. Do you think we're sometimes too harsh on ourselves, expecting instant mastery in such a competitive environment? Maybe it’s a sign that consulting is overly demanding. But perhaps consistency over time could bring some clarity. Keep going, although it's taxing, growth does appear, sometimes subtly.
I know exactly what you're going through! Imposter syndrome is really common, especially in fast-paced environments like consulting; the pressure to perform and keep up can be intense. It's like you're expected to be a pro at everything from day one. Triple-checking work, googling simple Excel functions, I've been there too. It’s hard when you're surrounded by people who seem to have it all together, but often they're also just trying to manage. You’re clearly putting in effort and that counts. Sometimes it's about giving yourself time to adjust and learn without being too hard on yourself.
Keep trying, and don’t hesitate to ask for help when needed!!
imposter syndrome is insidious, isn't it? your experience in the consulting industry is all too familiar; the relentless pressure to excel is often unbearable. one might argue that your feelings of inadequacy are justified within such a demanding environment. "Fake it till you make it" seems to be a futile approach when tasks are piling up and colleagues are thriving effortlessly. your constant self-doubt and anxiety reflect the brutal reality of the corporate machine that often exploits rather than nurtures. it is reasonable to question whether this path is sustainable or if a gradual erosion of self-worth is inevitable. perhaps introspection and reevaluation of priorities are overdue.
oh man, I totally get where you're coming from! 😅 being in the consulting world can feel like a whirlwind, right? it's like one day you're just doing your thing, and the next, you're neck-deep in deadlines and client expectations. early on when I was a newbie analyst, it felt like I was drowning in deliverables and constantly second-guessing myself too. those senior partners, they make everything look so effortless, like they've never had a bad presentation in their life! but here's a little secret: everyone has had their struggles, even if they're not showing it. 😊 keep pushing and asking those questions, even if they feel silly—because that's how you grow. remember that every expert was once a beginner! you're putting in the effort, and that's what counts at the end of the day. keep your chin up, you're doing better than you think!
I believe in you. Life is freakin hard. You show up everyday. That’s better than like 90 percent of people. You put in that work and got that degree! You did that internship and you aced that interview! You’re a rockstar! Maybe your not doing so awesome right now, but if you keep at it I know you’ll become the best! You need to hype yourself up, really trust your own instincts! And it’s fucking hard, so fucking hard. But I know you’re strong!
honestly, it sounds like you might be blowing this out of proportion. the imposter syndrome you're describing is common in fast-paced environments like consulting, true, but your excessive anxiety and self-doubt seem unwarranted. everyone needs time to familiarize themselves with new skills and tasks. expecting immediate perfection isn't realistic in any high-stakes industry; your constant comparisons to colleagues could be clouding your judgment about your own capabilities. maybe it’s time to shift focus from your perceived shortcomings to your actual accomplishments. don’t underestimate the power of consistent effort and learning from mistakes. your feelings are valid but could it be that you're overly focusing on the negatives? 🤔
i can see where you're coming from, but perhaps you're being overly critical of yourself. imposter syndrome is real, yet you must recognize that nobody is perfect in a fast-paced field like consulting. when i started, the learning curve was steep, and mistakes were inevitable. "everyone seems to be thriving" might be an illusion; colleagues may also struggle behind their confident façades. the fear of being exposed as inadequate often stems from self-imposed expectations. constructive criticism should be seen as growth opportunities, not as confirmation of failure. instead of fearing you don't belong, focus on areas where you truly excel. complacency is not the answer; but self-doubt shouldn't paralyze your professional progress either.
sounds like you're caught in a classic case of imposter syndrome, and you're definitely not alone in that struggle!! when i started in consulting, i felt exactly like you—I was always worried someone would point the finger and say, "you don't belong here." it's tough when you look around and see everyone else handling tasks with finesse while you're stuck feeling totally overwhelmed. you keep mentioning how you draft emails and quadruple-check them; honestly, that was me, too, spending ages on what should be simple tasks because of the fear of messing up. i guess it's more common than we think, huh? it feels like the more you try to catch up, the more behind you feel, and that can drag you down big time. what's the real kicker is that keeping this up might just lead to burnout sooner or later. thinking maybe it's worth exploring different roles or ways to tackle this?
totally get what you're saying. imposter syndrome is no joke, and it's like a constant shadow at work. when i was just starting out, each meeting felt like a minefield. always checking and rechecking everything, feeling like i wasn't cutting it. everyone around seemed so confident, it was mind-boggling. do you ever wonder if they feel the same way too; just good at masking it? it's tough to see your own value when you're knee-deep in doubt. you're putting in the effort, even if the results don't shout success yet. ever thought about seeking mentorship to help navigate through all this? it might give a different perspective on your skills.
sounds like you're really giving yourself a hard time over this. maybe you're blowing it out of proportion? everyone struggles when they're new in a big company; you've gotta stop comparing yourself to others, it's just not productive. those people who seem perfect? they're probably just better at faking it. overthinking every single task can't be helping your situation. from where i stand, it looks like you're more focused on messing up than actually doing your job. lighten up a bit 😉 have you ever thought that maybe your standards are just way too high? give yourself a break.