I am great, I am great, I am great
I am writing the section of a proposal on PI qualifications right now. This is the part where I say I am great, in as many different ways and using as many different specific supporting examples as I can think of. Curiously, this has started to become quite easy. (I always found it rather embarrassing in the past– as if I was being quite the egotist). I guess I am getting used to this job.
I’ve been spending most of grad school carefully training myself to say I’m great, even when I don’t believe it. It’s helpful, I think, but hard.
Comment by Jenn — January 15, 2009 @ 2:23 am
I think we just get more confident as we get older and advance in our careers.
And of course you’re great!
Comment by Cloud — January 15, 2009 @ 4:49 am
Two things that helped me a lot are
(1) Having to write letter for my own graduate students, saying how great they are, and
(2) Being on the “other side” as a reviewer and reading how researchers (whom I know well) describe themselves and their work (in grant proposals and research statements).
Comment by Non-US Female Prof — January 15, 2009 @ 10:39 am
for me the confidence has come from gradually replacing items on my CV that sound great with ones that actual are.
Comment by tania — January 15, 2009 @ 4:45 pm
laugh! indeed, funny how these things change. I think part of it is being in a real job long enough to no longer have imposter syndrome.
Comment by Wayfarer scientista — March 4, 2009 @ 1:35 am