"What If I'm Not Good Enough?" - Recognising Imposter Syndrome in Career Transition

You've been looking at VA groups. Reading success stories. Watching other teachers confidently talk about their businesses on LinkedIn.

And the voice in your head keeps saying: "It’s ok for them, they can do it. I'm not like them. I'm not experienced enough. Not confident enough. Not skilled enough. Not ready."

But that voice doesn't tell you that every single person you're comparing yourself with was thinking the same things when they were where you are now. They just started anyway.

This is imposter syndrome. And if you're experiencing it right now, it means you're taking this seriously. Which is exactly what you need to succeed.

The Specific Flavour of Teacher Imposter Syndrome

Teaching does something particular to your sense of professional competence.

You've spent years in a system that constantly measures, marks, and judges you. Observations. Performance management. Data tracking. Ofsted. Every aspect of your work gets scrutinised, critiqued, and rated. You've been conditioned to believe there's always someone checking whether you're good enough.

So when you consider becoming a VA, your brain immediately goes: "Who's going to check my work? What if I'm not actually as good as I think I am? What if clients realise I'm just a teacher pretending?"

This isn't just general self-doubt. This is the result of a system that's systematically undermined you for years.

You've been managing complex projects, juggling multiple priorities, communicating with diverse stakeholders, solving problems on the fly, and adapting to constant change this entire time. You're already doing so many things a VA does. You just don't recognise it as "business skills" because you've been doing it in a classroom.

What the Imposter Syndrome Sounds Like

"I'm just a teacher. I don't have any business experience."

Translation: You've never worked in a corporate environment. But you've managed budgets, coordinated events, created content, handled difficult conversations, and organised complex projects. That is real business experience. It just happened in schools.

"Other VAs are so confident and professional. I don't feel like that."

Translation: You're comparing your internal experience to other people's external presentation. They feel uncertain too. They're just not broadcasting it. Confidence isn't a prerequisite for competence – it's a result of it.

"What if clients ask me to do something I can't do?"

Translation: You're imagining a scenario where you're somehow trapped and forced to do work you're not qualified for. In reality, you'll be running your own business. You get to say "that's not my area of expertise" and either learn it if you want to or refer them elsewhere. That's not failure. That's professional boundaries.

"I need more training/qualifications/experience before I'm ready."

Translation: You're waiting for external validation that you're good enough. But there's no governing body that certifies you as "ready to be a VA." You don't need more credentials. You need to start.

"Everyone else seems to know what they're doing. I'm still figuring it out."

Translation: Everyone is figuring it out as they go. The difference between people with thriving VA businesses and people thinking about starting isn't certainty – it's willingness to figure things out while doing them.

Why Teachers Are Particularly Vulnerable to This

You've been trained to seek permission. You can't just decide to change your curriculum or alter your timetable or try a completely new approach. Everything requires approval, justification, and evidence. So when you think about starting a business, your brain automatically looks for someone to give you permission.

There isn't anyone. You have to give yourself permission. 

You've been assessed constantly. Every lesson could be observed. Every decision could be questioned. Every outcome could be measured and judged. You've learned that your professional worth is determined by other people's evaluations.

But clients don't assess you like SLT assesses teachers. They care about whether you're reliable, communicative, and good at your job. And you get to demonstrate that through your work, not through some arbitrary marking system.

You don’t think your skills transfer. The narrative around teaching is often that it's a dead-end career. That if you leave, you'll have to start from scratch. That your experience "doesn't count" in the real world.

This is objectively untrue. Your skills are incredibly valuable. 

The Proof That You're More Ready Than You Think

You know how you can tell if someone's not ready to become a VA? They don't worry about whether they're good enough. They jump in without considering their capabilities, don't think about client needs, and assume everything will just work out.

The fact that you're questioning whether you're ready is evidence that you probably are. You care about doing good work. You want to serve clients well. You're thinking seriously about what this transition requires.

That's not imposter syndrome telling you the truth about your inadequacy. That's conscientiousness making sure you do this properly.

What Actually Makes Someone Good at VA Work

It's not having all the answers from day one. It's being willing to figure things out.

It's not being naturally confident. It's being reliable, responsive, and professional even when you feel uncertain.

It's not having extensive business experience. It's understanding how to prioritise, how to communicate clearly, and how to manage your time effectively.

It's not knowing every software platform. It's being able to learn new tools quickly and actually follow through on what you commit to.

Look at that list. You already do all of those things. You've been doing them in an incredibly demanding environment where you also had to manage behaviour, deliver curriculum content, and handle endless bureaucracy.

If you can do all of that in teaching, you can absolutely manage the comparatively straightforward requirements of VA work.

What To Do With Imposter Syndrome Right Now

You don't need to overcome it before you start. You start while experiencing it.

Some of the most successful VAs in our community still have moments of thinking "am I actually good enough for this?" The difference is they've learned to recognise it as imposter syndrome rather than truth, and they keep going anyway.

Here's what actually helps:

Name it. When you think "I'm not ready" or "I'm not good enough," add "imposter syndrome says" in front. "Imposter syndrome says I'm not ready." Suddenly it's not a fact. It's a familiar pattern you can choose whether to believe.

Look for evidence. Your brain will readily supply all the reasons you're not qualified. Make yourself find evidence that you are. What have you successfully managed? What complex problems have you solved? What feedback have you received about your organisational skills or communication?

Talk to other teachers making this transition. They'll tell you they had exactly the same fears. And seeing other people who felt like you do now building successful businesses is incredibly powerful evidence that this is achievable.

Start before you feel ready. Because you'll never feel completely ready. The feeling of readiness comes after you've started and seen that you can actually do this, not before.

Our Teacher to VA programme exists partly because imposter syndrome is so common among teachers considering this transition. We know you'll feel like you're not ready. We know you'll compare yourself to others. We know you'll question whether your skills actually transfer. And we’ll help you navigate through it. 

To find out more about the Teacher to VA programme visit our training page.