A Proofreader’s Pep Talk: Imposter Syndrome vs. the Job Search
Here at Whoops Word, we understand the crippling mental fatigue, the self-doubt, and the emotional exhaustion of applying for job after job and feeling like you’re just not getting anywhere. Oh, dear reader, we hate to see you so demoralised. It’s time for you to see yourself the way we do: ambitious, hard-working, and tenacious!
This week, we’d like to give a special shout-out to all the nursing students in Victoria who have just finished submitting their applications for graduate nursing jobs in 2026. June is a notoriously gruelling month for third-year nursing students. Between writing all those applications, pulling together assignments for university, and providing excellent patient care at your final placements, you should take some time to feel genuinely proud of your achievements. The anxiety of waiting to hear which health services want to invite you for interviews is probably starting to sink in now. But big breath, darlings! And let us walk you, and the rest of the job-seeking world, through a few hot tips for getting through the imposter syndrome blues.
Get ready, dear reader, because today is the day Whoops Word gas you up! We believe in you! We know that you will land a job that you deserve. We want to see you crushing it in your chosen field. Now is not the time to give up! Now is the time to dig in and keep pushing. As the Disney version of Pocahontas said, you never know what’s waiting around the river bend, but we bet it’s something good.
1. Self-Doubt is Common
Seasoned professionals, parents returning to the workforce with “that gap” in their resume (it’s called raising a family, Todd – pretend you’re a human for two minutes and you’d understand), and new grads all face imposter syndrome. It is normal. Even the most qualified applicants experience those twinges of self-doubt and intrusive thoughts about being a fraud.
Your strength lies in your ability to stand up, despite feeling like your skills and qualifications are being scrutinised under a microscope, and lean into your confidence. You’ve made it this far, dear reader. Is it really such a stretch of your imagination to believe that you are good at what you do?
2. The Helping Hands of Your Proofreader or Editor
For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of having a proofreader or editor on your job application dream team, let us tell you what you’ve been missing. It’s a transformative experience. Your cover letter morphs from a document full of fluffy filler language, “sorry to bother you” energy, and perhaps a bit of a robotic voice (thanks, ChatGPT) to a well-structured, professional document defined by a warm tone that bridges the gap between your capabilities and confidence. Suddenly, you can see that your skills and qualifications are perfectly aligned with the job.
Beyond the transformative magic editors can wield on your cover letter, having a fresh set of eyes to eliminate those pesky typos, remould your turn of phrase to enhance grammatical correctness, and generally ensure that your documents are in top shape is pretty darn comforting. Small errors have the power to create massive craters in your self-confidence. Having a proofreader on sniper mode, eliminating these little errors, is majorly empowering.
3. Vulnerability is Hard
You’re not a fraud, dear reader. But that queasy feeling in your tummy when you hit submit on a job application? That’s the discomfort of vulnerability. Your cover letter is your word to a prospective employer that you are it, the one they have been searching for, the answer to their hiring woes. Naturally, the people with the power to say “no, thank you” to such an application have the power to hurt your feelings (and, by extension, your confidence). Nobody, and we mean nobody, enjoys rejection.
Rejection is a part of life, unfortunately, and being able to deal with it with even a modicum of grace is a valuable skill. Start by removing the emotion from the fact. Your job application has been submitted. It’s a fact that has no moral value to you. You (hopefully) gave it your best shot, and that is all you can do. What an employer chooses to do with it is their business. Let it go, Elsa.
Here's the bottom line, dear reader: a cracking cover letter isn’t about just showing a company that you’re super qualified to fill their staffing shortage. It’s also about reminding yourself that you are qualified, professional enough, and capable of great things. So, the next time you find yourself staring at a job ad or hovering your mouse over the submit icon and thinking “Who am I kidding?” we want you to take a moment to remember that you aren’t alone. Everyone feels like this. And when that thought starts to get a bit too loud? Well, maybe it’s time to call in the big guns. (We’re talking about us, dear reader – we’re the big guns! Think of us as your editing and proofreading SWAT team.)
