Imposter syndrome: How to tame your inner critic

Do you doubt your ability to do your job, despite glowing feedback from your boss? Do you feel uncomfortable when people praise your work? Do you hold yourself to impossibly high standards?

You could be suffering from imposter syndrome.

What is imposter syndrome?

People with imposter syndrome experience chronic feelings of inadequacy and incompetence, despite evidence to the contrary. Often seen in high-achieving individuals, the phenomenon is thought to be fuelled by perfectionism and a fear of failure.

Although imposter syndrome can come into play in all areas of life, it's especially common in the workplace. In fact, it affects 3 in 5 workers in the UK.

Here are 4 signs you might have it:

1. You perceive yourself as unworthy of your position: You fear being “found out” by your boss or co-workers or have the sense that you’re fooling people by only ‘seeming’ to do a good job.

2. You're unable to accept praise or compliments: You never think your work is good enough, even when everyone else says it’s great. Every time you receive praise, your inner critic is speaking so loudly, that the compliments fail to register.

3. You’re riddled with self-doubt: You turn down opportunities to lead on projects/take on more responsibility as you doubt your capabilities.

4. You hold yourself to impossibly high standards: You find the fear of failure paralysing.

Although imposter syndrome is not a diagnosable mental illness, the negative thoughts and feelings associated with it can fuel a vicious cycle of anxiety, depression, and guilt.

Cognitive Distortion

Imposter feelings are often fuelled by cognitive distortions (exaggerated or irrational thought patterns that cause us to perceive reality inaccurately).

Here are four common cognitive distortions. Do any of them resonate with you?

• All-or-nothing: Also known as polarised thinking, this distortion occurs when people think in extremes. If a situation falls short of perfect, you see it as a total failure.

If your boss says you didn’t meet expectations in one area of your performance review, you label yourself as a failure at your job. There’s no room for nuance – there can’t be parts of your job you’re great at and areas that need improvement. In your eyes, you’re a failure.

• Mental filtering: You magnify the negative details of a situation while filtering out the positives.

This bias for dwelling on your shortcomings leads you to focus on the one piece of negative feedback you got on your job interview while disregarding the ten positive comments. 

• Overgeneralisation: You view one negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.

You once got nervous and stumbled your way through a speech at a fundraising event. As a result, your belief is "I always screw up speeches. I will never be able to speak publicly without messing up."

• Discounting the positive: You don’t take credit for things you’ve earned or achieved.

Your boss raves about a grant application you’ve spent ages on. You downplay the praise by telling yourself it was ‘nothing special’, or ‘anyone else could have done it just as well’.

Cognitive Restructuring

The key to overcoming cognitive distortion is learning how to identify, challenge, and reframe your thoughts. You can do this using cognitive restructuring (a series of therapeutic techniques that help people notice and change their negative thinking patterns.)

Step one: Identify your thoughts

The first step toward fixing imposter syndrome is to identify your cognitive distortions.

When a thought pops into your head that’s destructive or irrational, make a note of the situation that led to you having the thought and how it made you feel.

Step two: Question your assumptions

The next step is to challenge the thought and your assumptions about it.

Socratic Questioning can help you do this. The technique involves posing philosophical questions to challenge your beliefs and thoughts. For example, by asking yourself, “What evidence supports my belief?” or “How might another person view this situation differently?” you can analyse your thought patterns and make necessary adjustments.

Tip: This Cognitive Restructuring Worksheet is a handy tool you can use to analyse, evaluate and diffuse your distorted thoughts.

Step 3: Generate alternatives 

Come up with rational and positive alternatives to replace the distorted thought.

For example, if a group of colleagues stop talking when you walk into a room, instead of assuming they were talking about how bad you are at your job, consider other explanations i.e., maybe their conversation came to a natural end as you walked in …

Positive affirmations can also help i.e., remind yourself that you make valuable, positive contributions at work, and your colleagues always include you in what’s going on. 

Final Word

If left unaddressed, imposter syndrome can limit your career potential and damage your mental health and career. Instead of beating yourself up and getting lost in negative thoughts, use these strategies to nip your imposter thoughts in the bud and realise how awesome you are.

Looking for a fundraising role? Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 to chat through options.

Level up your social media fundraising with TikTok’s Charity Academy

According to the latest Charity Digital Skills Report, 4 out of 5 charities lack social media skills, and 79% say improving their digital presence is a key priority for 2024.

Are your digital skills up to scratch? If not, sign up for TikTok’s Charity Academy.

Touted as the platform’s ‘biggest charity sector training initiative to date’, the short-form video hosting service has partnered with Media Trust to offer 100 charities three weeks of complementary training to help them use the platform to reach new audiences and drive positive change.

That’s right. the training is free. No dancing or random pointing is required.

Before we dive into what the Academy offers, let’s look at the benefits of TikTok for charities.

• TikTok has just over 1.5 billion monthly active users. That’s a lot of potential eyeballs on your cause.

• With an average engagement rate of 2.65%, TikTok has the highest engagement rate of all the social media platforms.

• Research has shown that people retain 95% of the information contained in a video compared to 10% of the same information in text format. TikTok is video-led format, making it an ideal way to share your message.

• You can put a 'donate sticker' on your videos and live streams to encourage viewers to donate. And they can do so while remaining in the app.

• A large majority of TikTokers are between the ages of 18 - 34 (the demographic most likely to give to charity, according to Third Sector)

What’s the Academy offering?

That’s a quick primer on TikTok. But how will you benefit from joining the Academy?

First off, Media Trust will be host weekly live, practical training sessions every Tuesday and Thursday (10-11.30 am) between July 1-19.

In addition to content creation strategies, engagement techniques, and best practice advice for maximising your presence on the app, the sessions will teach you how to:

• optimise your TikTok profile 

• identify your target audience

• create a successful TikTok strategy 

• use platform features such as LIVE, TikTok sounds, filters, duets and stitch 

• edit content with CapCut

• reach new audiences with digital storytelling

• utilise analytics 

• integrate TikTok into your wider digital comms strategy

You’ll also get:

• access to pre-training support, helping you set up your TikTok account.

• expert led TikTok exercises and content activities to embed your learning.

• personalised feedback on the content you create from trainers who know how to use TikTok as a tool for social good.  

Sound good?

If you meet the following criteria, apply here.

• are you a registered charity in the UK?

• do you have buy-in from senior management to be active on TikTok?

• Does your charity have resources to implement the training?

As places are limited, TikTok is offering one place per charity. And to get the most from the training, they require the same participant to attend all the sessions.

Looking for a digital fundraiser to supercharge your TikTok activity? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the ball rolling.

How to Get Past the Robots and Get Your CV Seen

How to Get Past the Robots and Get Your CV Seen

Did you know that before a human even looks at your job application, it’s probably been scanned, sorted, and—if it doesn’t make the cut—rejected by a robot?

No, this isn’t a sci-fi thriller. It’s just modern recruitment.

Most employers and recruiters now use applicant tracking systems (ATS)—software that filters CVs based on set criteria. If yours doesn’t meet the right requirements, it might never reach a real person. It sounds ruthless, but in a world where some jobs receive hundreds of applications, it’s an efficiency tool. And if you want to get past it, you need to play by its rules.

Write for Humans, But Think Like a Machine

At its core, an ATS is scanning for keywords—specific skills, qualifications, and experience listed in the job description. If a hiring manager is looking for someone with “major donor fundraising experience” and your CV just says you’ve “raised significant funds for charity,” the system might not make the connection.

That’s why you need to mirror the language of the job ad where possible. If the role specifies “CRM experience,” spell out which systems you’ve used—whether it’s Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, or something else. And while it’s tempting to get creative with section headings to stand out, resist the urge. Stick to standard terms like “Work Experience,” “Education,” and “Key Skills.” Anything too unusual, and the ATS may not categorise your experience correctly.

But here’s the real trick: don’t go overboard. A CV crammed with repetitive keywords will feel robotic when it reaches an actual person. The goal is to pass the ATS without sounding like you’ve written for a machine.

Simplicity Wins Every Time

Design might help a CV stand out to human eyes, but for an ATS, less is more. Fancy fonts, graphics, tables, and text boxes? They can cause vital information to be overlooked or lost. Even headers and footers can create problems, as some systems filter them out entirely.

A simple, well-structured Word document (not a PDF, unless specified) is your safest bet. And check your spelling—because while a recruiter might forgive a typo, an ATS won’t.

Final Thought

There’s no magic formula for beating an ATS, but a well-structured, clearly written CV—one that includes the right keywords without overdoing it—will give you a much better chance of getting through the system and onto a hiring manager’s desk.

And at the end of the day, that’s the goal.

Need help getting your CV ready? We can help.

📞 Call us: 0203 880 6655
📧 Email us: contactus@fern.com

John Ellerman Foundation launches trustee shadowing scheme

The John Ellerman Foundation has launched its first-ever trustee shadowing programme.

Inspired by the success of a similar programme launched by the Smallwood Trust in 2021, the independent grant-making foundation is recruiting three people to participate in its governance processes through a Board shadowing scheme.

It forms part of the Foundation’s commitment to explore new ways to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion into its work, and aims to demystify the roles of trustees and boards within grant-making organisations.

About the scheme

The charity is looking for three people from diverse backgrounds with lived experience of poverty to participate in the six-month scheme.

Prior experience in a Board or Trustee role is not required, but applicants should have an interest in charity governance and the work of the Foundation.

Successful candidates will have the opportunity to:

• attend and observe all Board and sub-committee meetings.

• attend pre-meetings and de-briefings with the Director, the DEI Trustee Lead (Becca Bunce), and the Trustee Lead for this initiative (Annika Small) before and after each Board meeting.

• observe and be involved in the assessment of first and second-stage applications.

• attend other Board-related meetings that take place outside of the usual governance cycle.

• meet and learn from the Board and wider team.

• access briefings and discussions.

• attend external events (e.g. report launches/webinars etc).

• attend monthly check-ins with Annika Small OBE, (Trustee) and Sufina Ahmad MBE, (Foundation Director).

The role is unpaid and will approximate working hours of one day per month.

In the recruitment pack, the charity states: “Our Board meetings, and associated governance activities, take place during the day. If you work or have caring responsibilities that mean you cannot easily attend meetings in the daytime, we would be open to exploring reimbursement for your time to make it easier for you to take part. Reimbursement of all other out-of-pocket expenses, like travel, will be provided.”

Successful applicants will also receive a training budget of up to £500.

About the John Ellerman Foundation

The John Ellerman Foundation was set up in 1971 and funds charities for work with national significance in the fields of the arts, environment, and social action. It aims to advance the well-being of people, society, and the natural world.

It makes grants of around £6m annually to UK-registered charities.

Of the shadowing scheme, Sufina Ahmad says, “We want to design and implement different ways of working that help to create more diverse, equitable, and inclusive governance structures within the charitable sector generally, including the charitable funding sector. We hope that schemes like this will provide successful candidates with the confidence and experience to pursue formal governance opportunities successfully after their time with us.”

How to apply

If you want to apply or know anyone who may be interested, submit a written statement of up to one side of A4 outlining why you are interested in the role to recruitment@ellerman.org.uk by  Wednesday 13th March.

You can access the recruitment pack here.

Want some help with your application? Give us a call on 020 3750 3111.

The benefits of a diverse fundraising team

Diversity isn’t a new concept. The UK introduced the Race Relations Act in 1968 and the Equalities Act in 2010.

But the charity sector has only started embracing it in the last decade.

This is largely due to the influence of social justice movements like #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, and Time’s Up.

Campaigns like these have exposed the inequalities that exist in society, demanded accountability, and fuelled a drive for change.

As a result, equality, inclusion, and diversity (DEI) have been put firmly under the spotlight.

What is diversity?

Diversity refers to the characteristics, experiences, and other distinctions that make one person different from another. It encompasses everything, from our cognitive skills and personality traits to the things that shape our identity, including race, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and cultural background.

Workplace diversity refers to the intentional practice of building a heterogeneous workforce by hiring and promoting people with different characteristics, from a wide range of backgrounds.

Diversity in the third sector

While the charity sector has stepped up efforts to address the diversity gap in recent years, there’s still work to be done. This is evident from a report by NCVO.

Here are a few key takeaways:

• The charity sector workforce is mostly (90%) white. At 10%, ethnic diversity is lower than in both the public sector (14%) and private sector (13%).

• Women and older people are well-represented. Women make up two-thirds of the workforce. And one in four staff is aged 55 and above.

• Just over 1 in 5 (23%) of workers identify as disabled.

Why is a diverse fundraising team important?

It’s the right thing to do. But over and above this, diversity has tangible benefits:

1.      Greater understanding of beneficiaries and donors

51% of the UK population is female, 16 million people have a disability or long-term health condition, 24% are aged 60 and over, and nearly 18% are from an ethnic minority.

What does this tell us? Your stakeholders are diverse.

To fully understand the challenges beneficiaries face, and establish meaningful relationships with donors, fundraisers need to reflect that diversity.

2.      Increased creativity and innovation

Put a homogeneous group of people together to work on a fundraising campaign, and they’ll generate similar ideas.

As Kenroi Consulting explains, ‘a homogeneous group, by its very nature, is tied together by the similarity of its characteristics’, which limits the scope for creativity and innovative thinking.’

On the flip side, a team composed of people with different upbringings, values, and life experiences will bring fresh perspectives to the table.

As per this Media Frenzy Global article, ‘a unique blend of working styles and ideas allow for more successful brainstorms and insightful feedback. Team members can play off each other’s strengths, and each brings a unique set of skills to the table.’

3.      Better retention rates

Embracing a diverse workforce is about building a welcoming, accepting environment and providing equal opportunities for all.

Staff who feel accepted and valued are more likely to stay with their employer. In fact, a Gartner study found that employees at organisations with high levels of diversity are 20% more likely to stick around.

Increasing diversity

Those are just a few of the many reasons to get on board with diversity.

But how can you make your fundraising team more diverse?

Review your hiring practices

A diverse fundraising workforce requires an inclusive recruitment process.

Here are a few tips:

·        Make sure your job ads are inclusive

·        Add a diversity statement to recruitment materials highlighting your commitment to an inclusive work environment.

·        Remove unnecessary obstacles in the recruitment process to improve accessibility.

·        Review CVs blind to reduce unconscious bias.

·        Seek out qualified candidates from underrepresented backgrounds by advertising on platforms like Evenbreak.

·        Offer reasonable adjustments at interviews.

·        Make flexible working the default. It’ll open up opportunities to working parents, disabled people, carers, and international candidates.

Prioritise diversity training

Attracting diverse talent is only half the battle. The other half is retaining it. One of the unique challenges of building a diverse team is the potential for conflict.

As this article by Parris Consulting explains, ‘wherever diversity exists, be it a mix of cultures, generations, work styles or personalities, conflict has the potential to arise’.

Whether it’s due to cultural misunderstandings, unconscious bias, stereotyping, or communication barriers, conflict is not conducive to a happy, healthy workforce.

This is where diversity training comes in. An important part of the diversity puzzle, training is a sure-fire way to ensure employees:

• are aware of diversity issues in the workplace.

• appreciate the differences among co-workers.

• understand how unconscious bias can impact their interactions with colleagues and clients.

• are equipped with the skills to interact, collaborate, and work together effectively.

However, diversity training isn’t only essential for employees. Diversity starts at the top.

As Gusto says in a blog post, ‘fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) requires the active commitment and support of senior leadership’.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion training will ensure your head honchos are:

• equipped with the tools and skills to manage diverse teams.

• able to prevent and resolve diversity-related conflicts.

• implementing best practices when it comes to hiring, managing performance, and providing equal learning opportunities.

• nurturing an environment where diverse talent can thrive and grow.

We can help you build a diverse fundraising team. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the conversation started.