Anne Bentley, Neighbourhood Manager at Worthing Homes and the 2024 Housing’s Next Generation winner, describes how imposter syndrome led to her entering the competition. And she hasn’t looked back since.
Despite growing up in social housing, I knew little about the sector, the breadth of work it involved, or the career opportunities within it. When I discovered my local housing association and saw the impact it had in the community, I knew it was where I wanted to be.
So, after a successful interview in 2020, during the first weeks of lockdown, I started my housing journey as an income recovery officer. I still remember the surreal experience of collecting my IT equipment from a deserted office and heading straight back home to begin my new job – no pressure!
It didn’t take long to realise this was the place for me. What struck me most was the commitment of my colleagues, all dedicated to providing the best possible service to our customers. Since then, the impact we can make in this sector continues to be a real passion of mine.
Fast forward to 2023, I began my first management role as neighbourhood manager at Worthing Homes. I was thrilled, but once the excitement wore off, I was faced with a nagging feeling: imposter syndrome.
The first six months were tough, filled with self-doubt and the constant question: “Am I good enough?” Determined to succeed, I grabbed every opportunity for development, which led me to Housing’s Next Generation.
After being nominated for the competition by my manager, I felt a mix of nerves and excitement. Researching past competitions, I was really interested in the variety of different challenges, but I was horrified to see the finalists speaking on stage at HQN’s annual conference – could that really be me?!
“The first six months were tough, filled with self-doubt and the constant question: “Am I good enough?” Determined to succeed, I grabbed every opportunity for development, which led me to Housing’s Next Generation”
The initial rounds involved writing short articles and I quickly learned that I quite enjoy putting pen to paper on topics that I find interesting. Before I knew it, I was selected as a semi-finalist and invited to London for a series of challenges. I was shocked – after months of self-doubt in a new role, I hadn’t expected to make it this far.
My nerves faded as I met the other semi-finalists. Despite the competitive element, I found myself in a room full of collaborative, positive people who were all eager to learn from each other. A standout moment was a group exercise where we had to plan the renovation and opening of a hostel with limited resources and time. With flashcards sprawled over the floor, countdown reminders being shouted out across the room, and frantic debates about competing priorities, it was pure, productive chaos in the best way.
When I found out I had made it to the finals, I was absolutely floored. The excitement quickly turned to nerves when I learned the final tasks included recording a video and participating in a live debate. Speaking on camera was great fun but much harder than it looked – I lost count of how many takes it took! But the scariest challenge was the debate. Sitting next to the stage, I remember thinking, “There’s no way I can do this – I can’t speak in front of this many people!”. But I did, and the pride I felt afterwards was immense. I can confidently say that I wouldn’t have felt brave enough to get up and do that without the development the competition gave me.
Since winning the competition, my confidence has grown, and the imposter syndrome surfaces less and less. Best of all, I’ve gained an incredible network of like-minded people to connect and collaborate with who I met through the competition.
I’d urge anyone looking to develop or progress their career to get involved in the competition. It really opens your eyes to all aspects of social housing and provides such a wealth of opportunities.
