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Kathryn Cave

Kathryn Cave is a technology journalist and editor who covers the human side of the industry. Outside work, she likes books, bunnies and theatre.

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Latest stories by Kathryn

How high achievers can overcome imposter syndrome

  • Leadership
  • min read
    • "When I received your email, my impostor syndrome went through the roof," Lisa Ventura, multi-award-winning cybersecurity professional and founder of the UK Cyber Security Association, wrote on LinkedIn. "I thought it must have been meant for someone else and not me!" My email was about her inclusion in SC Magazine's 2021 Women of Influence list. To an outsider, her response seemed absurd. Ventura had written two books on security in 2020 alone, all while caring for her father, who has an autoimmune disease. First recognized in 1978, John Kolligian Jr. and Robert J. Sternberg described imposter syndrome as affecting "high-achieving individuals who, despite their objective successes, fail to internalize their accomplishments and have persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud or impostor." Imposter syndrome is more common than you'd think A 2020 systematic review of 62 studies covering some 14,000 participants found 9 to 82 percent of people experience imposter syndrome. For historically marginalized people, like women, Black, indigenous and other people of color, prevalence seems to be at the higher end of the scale. Kim-adele Platts, a coach who works with C-suite (senior) executives across industries, says, "What's surprised me is not only how many people suffer from it, but who those people are." She was amazed to find the number of people she knew who had these feelings. "These were people I aspired to be like who appeared to have great confidence. It made me realize I wasn't alone – we don't know what inner demons others face," she says. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg discussed her imposter syndrome in her bestselling book, Lean In. Every time she excelled at work, she thought she had "fooled everyone yet again" and that "one day soon, the jig would be up." This year, Ventura, Platts and entrepreneurship advisor Nat Schooler launched Imposter Syndrome Awareness Day to highlight the problem and provide help and resources to those who suffer it. Here's some of their advice. Challenge your critical inner voice "Your subconscious will find those examples too – then you can use them to give yourself the kind of advice you'd give others. "I am not enough" is just one of the lies we tell ourselves." "Negative self-talk is a bad habit, and it can heavily influence our stress and anxiety levels," says Ventura. The trick is to be kind to yourself, always challenge negative thoughts and add positive thoughts for balance. "Psychologists have found that repeating affirmations, like "I always work hard," can reduce stress and anxiety. Perhaps it's because these positive statements build a bridge into your subconscious mind," she says. Start a success log Ventura recommends starting a physical journal, document or spreadsheet to log all your successes, achievements and goals. Hers includes photos and inspiring quotes. "When my impostor syndrome creeps in, I look through my success log and focus on what I've achieved," she says. Ventura also thinks rewarding yourself for success helps. "It doesn't have to be with high-cost items," she says. "I reward myself with little things like watching a film I like, listening to my favorite music or eating favorite foods – anything salted caramel-related goes down well." Avoid comparing yourself to others "There are always people with more skills than you, who are higher up the career ladder or just better than you," says Ventura. "I honestly don't care, and neither should you." And remember, things don't always happen in a neat, straight line: "Life is full of twists, turns and curveballs." Ask for help and have friends around Nat Schooler stresses there's no need to do it all on your own. "If you get stuck, ask for help." He reminds us not to let others contribute to the problem: "Surround yourself with people who encourage you and actively build your confidence," he says. Although a common experience, imposter syndrome is finally being discussed and understood. Sheryl Sandburg speaks to the power of sunlight on this problem: "If you know you suffer from imposter syndrome, tell someone. Once you say the words out loud, you start to realize how ridiculous it sounds."
quantum computing talent

How business could leap the quantum computing skills gap

  • Talent
  • min read
    • Chiswick Health Centre is a large brutalist building in London, UK. Along its snaking concrete entrance ramp, masked people form a socially distanced line. Inside, the open-plan waiting room has neat rows of prefabricated cubicles, and a COVID-19 vaccination nurse is doing his rounds. New drugs and latest findings in the life sciences have never been more important. Innovative techniques to help develop and distribute vaccines have been delivered in double-quick time. And if there are the people to do it, quantum computing could make the process even faster. Where are the quantum computing skills gaps? Although the latest quantum hardware, pioneered by the likes of IBM and Google, has a way to go, in a decade or two, we could even see the 'holy grail:' a universal quantum computer. Ilyas Khan, Founder of enterprise quantum solutions developers Cambridge Quantum Computing, says, "There are two clear sectors in quantum computing. First, the hardware and second, the software and algorithm discovery. There are severe skill shortages in software and algorithm discovery. On the hardware side, the issue is less pressing, but the engineering problem that must be solved is, of course, very hard." Fast growth in the quantum computing market Tech industry insights firm ReportLinker forecasts the quantum market will grow from 472 million to 1.7 billion US dollars between 2021 and 2026. And governments are backing it by investing in education and training. In 2018 US Congress passed the National Quantum Initiative Act (NQIA,) investing more than 1.2 billion US dollars in quantum research and development. The European Union launched its quantum computing flagship around the same time, with an expected budget of 1 billion Euro. China, Australia, Singapore and others are starting their own quantum initiatives. But what's all this got to do with developing and distributing medicines? Drug discovery leading the quantum market The field of medicine and biosciences searching for promising new medicines is called drug discovery. Here, the value of quantum algorithms is already evident. A 2020 poll of life sciences organizations showed almost a third (31 percent) were starting to look at how they could use quantum computing. A further 39 percent said they have quantum computing "on their radar" for 2021. Khan of Cambridge Quantum Computing says things like drug discovery can take many years using the most powerful classical computers. Although quantum computing is still early stage, "it's close to starting to match classical timescales," making it worthy of investment. Pharmaceutical companies are keen to get ahead in quantum. This January, drug discovery firm Boehringer Ingelheim achieved a first in its industry, announcing it was joining forces with Google in quantum computing. In a statement, the company said it would "invest significantly" in the coming years to realize the full potential of the technology. Boehringer Ingelheim has already set up a dedicated quantum lab, hiring "outstanding experts in the field of quantum computing from academia, industry and quantum providers." Talent is key: The poll of life science organizations previously mentioned found 28 percent thought missing skills were a potential barrier to progress. Specialist skills needed for a challenging technology Vincent Yam, Co-founder of AI and quantum computing recruitment agency Tekna Search, explains how niche quantum computing skills are compared with regular software development. "Most people have a Ph.D. in something quantum-related and a physics background, either at undergraduate or Master's level. Even then, two say, superconductivity specialists may have very different skills." Khan says, "Quantum information theorists tend to have physics, maths and computer science backgrounds. A small but growing number have also done graduate or postgraduate quantum information theory." Anticipating quantum skills shortages, investment bank JP Morgan started an internship program for quantum talent in 2020 for Master's or Ph.D. students. Universities are stepping up their programs too. Renowned institutions like the UK's University College London (UCL) and Duke University in the US have launched a Master's degree in quantum technology. Khan thinks there's still not enough investment in education. "The range of quantum computing graduate and postgraduate degree courses must increase substantially." Practical internships can nurture the talent pipeline While true quantum computing is some way off, quantum developments are coming thick and fast. These will impact many businesses in the not-too-distant future. The skills are so specialized and sophisticated that governments are putting their weight behind developing the best talent, and even then, education is falling short. Yam of Tekna Search says he keeps seeing the same top 10 global institutions in his recruitment efforts. This shows how small the pool is and suggests businesses should focus on getting talent early from best-in-class quantum research universities. Tech giant IBM is working to secure the best people early with an initiative aimed at high school students. Quantum computing could help tackle society's biggest problems. Its computational power could hasten our way out of the next pandemic, but it will need the best minds. Companies must think today about who those minds should be, and how to hire and develop them.
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