Why Promotions Feel Weird (Even When You Deserve Them)

Getting promoted feels like it should come with a party, cake, and a dramatic LinkedIn update.

Instead, I felt… weird.

Part proud.

Part terrified.

Part “they’re definitely going to find out I’m winging it.”

I thought promotions would feel like leveling up in a game — new badge, new perks, new confidence.

Instead, it felt like someone handed me a slightly heavier laptop and said:

“You got this!”

(Do I?)

The Imposter Syndrome Hits Differently

• “Did I really earn this or was it just my timing?”

• “Am I just good at looking responsible?”

• “What if I mess up and HR says it was all a clerical error?”

Yes, even high performers think this. We just hide it behind confident-sounding emails.

The Shift No One Warns You About

• Here’s what really changes when you get promoted:

• You’re expected to know, but half the time you’re figuring it out as you go

• People come to you with questions, not just tasks

• You now attend meetings that somehow feel more important but accomplish less

• Feedback becomes less about you, more about how you enable others

• And weirdly, you miss the days when someone else made the call.

But Here’s What Helped Me Settle In:

• Asking dumb questions (quietly) to smart people

• Setting up 1:1s just to listen — not prove I’m a “boss”

• Accepting that growth feels uncomfortable because it’s working

• Reminding myself: if they promoted me, they already trust me.

• I just have to catch up to that trust.

Final Thought:

Promotions aren’t just about stepping up.

They’re about growing into a version of yourself you haven’t met yet.

So if you’re feeling a bit off after a shiny new title, congrats - you’re doing it right.