The age-old adage of 'fake it till you make it' is a familiar refrain in career advice, but does this strategy of bluffing, or modern 'manifesting', genuinely pave the way to professional success? A recent discussion among Guardian readers has sparked a lively debate, revealing a spectrum of opinions from psychological insights to hard-won personal experience.
The Psychology Behind the Performance
According to Rachel Lewis, a chartered member of the British Psychological Society, simply imagining success is rarely sufficient. She points to evidence suggesting that visualisation is most potent when paired with a realistic appraisal of obstacles, concrete planning, and sustained effort. Techniques like 'mental contrasting', where one envisions a desired future alongside the hurdles in the way, have been shown to boost commitment, particularly when goals feel attainable.
"Research indicates that manifesting can support success when it combines mental rehearsal, realistic assessment, personally meaningful goals, and deliberate action, rather than relying on wishful thinking alone," Lewis explains. This nuanced view suggests a middle ground between blind confidence and cynical fakery.
Readers' Real-World Experiences: Successes and Scams
The reader responses paint a vivid picture of the strategy's application across UK workplaces. One contributor, Andy from West Oxfordshire, notes that LinkedIn is "crammed full of people trying to find out" if faking it works, citing senior managers whose primary skills appear to be "overpowering self-confidence" and shameless self-promotion.
However, tales of caution abound. One anonymous reader shared a story of a colleague who lied on his résumé and used AI to generate methods in a technical field, resulting in a year's worth of work producing "junk." Despite this, the individual retained employment within the same organisation, prompting the question: "Has he 'made it'?"
Another, writing as DubGirl, condemned professional fakery as "an affront" to skilled professionals, highlighting the trail of destruction it can leave, including damaged working relationships and undermined commercial success.
Impostor Syndrome vs. Strategic Confidence
A recurring theme is the fine line between harmful deception and the necessary confidence to overcome impostor syndrome. Contributor lycheefoxpup offered a sophisticated take, arguing that professional growth is a "two-front battle." One must both develop skills in their own time while convincing others—and themselves—of their capability.
"There’s actually a certain paradox in being a professional," they wrote. "As you understand something better, your notion of what kind of work is 'best' continues to grow... you will always be acutely aware of all the things you would have to research." They advocate for a form of honest self-assurance: stating "I can do it" for a task within one's wheelhouse, given time to learn, is not deceit but "good professionalism."
A Strategy for Long-Term Success?
Ultimately, the consensus suggests that while a degree of confident performance can open doors, it is not a sustainable long-term strategy on its own. As Avatar pointed out, such approaches may hit a dead-end when advancement relies solely on another's perception of potential, or in fields where tangible, external results are critical, like medicine or engineering.
Psychologist Rachel Lewis's evidence-based perspective reinforces this: lasting achievement stems from a blend of positive mindset, realistic planning, and diligent effort. The readers' collective wisdom implies that while you might initially 'fake it' to get a seat at the table, you'll need genuine substance and a commitment to learning to keep it—and to live with yourself afterwards.
