Can’t Stop Making Mistakes
6-7 months in going thru my 2nd earnings season and I can’t stop making mistakes. I mess up during earnings prints, during common asks, client requests, literally every, single, thing. I feel absolutely useless right now considering how my team probably has 0 trust in me to handle anything.If anyone has been in the same place before, I’d really appreciate the advice. It just feels like everytime I patch something up a new leak appears.
It’s tough, but you’re not alone—many have been in your shoes. Based on the most helpful WSO content, here’s how you can turn things around:
Identify Patterns in Your Mistakes: Take a step back and analyze where you’re going wrong. Are these errors due to carelessness, lack of understanding, or time pressure? Once you pinpoint the root cause, you can address it systematically.
Ask for Feedback Regularly: Don’t wait for formal reviews. Proactively ask your team for feedback after key tasks or projects. This shows initiative and helps you course-correct in real-time. As one WSO thread suggests, constant feedback can prevent surprises and help you improve faster.
Double-Check Everything: Before submitting work, take the time to review it thoroughly. Printing out your work and reviewing it on paper can help you catch errors you might miss on a screen. Over time, this habit will make spotting mistakes second nature.
Communicate with Your Team: Have a candid conversation with your manager or a senior team member. Let them know you’re aware of the mistakes and are committed to improving. Ask for their guidance on how to better meet expectations. This not only shows accountability but also builds rapport.
Focus on Small Wins: Start with smaller, manageable tasks and execute them flawlessly. This will help rebuild trust with your team and boost your confidence.
Be Kind to Yourself: Remember, mistakes are part of the learning curve. As one WSO contributor noted, “Your attitude and ability to not consistently make the same mistakes over and over is what’s most important.” Don’t let the fear of failure paralyze you—use it as motivation to improve.
Leverage Your Support System: Whether it’s mentors, colleagues, or friends, lean on people who can provide advice, encouragement, or even just a listening ear. A strong support system can make a huge difference.
Stay Positive and Resilient: This industry is a marathon, not a sprint. Everyone makes mistakes, especially early on. What matters is how you learn from them and bounce back. Keep a positive attitude and focus on continuous improvement.
By taking these steps, you can regain your footing and prove your value to the team. Remember, even the best professionals have faced similar challenges early in their careers—it’s how you respond that defines your trajectory.
what's the root issue? is it moreso you lack deep industry/coverage knowledge or are you messing up on technical asks/financial statement/excel stuff?
A little bit of both. most recent example, clocked a 16 hr day and on the 14th hr closed out of the model but forgot to update the rest of the B/S as the Q came out that night, told boss I’d do it before submitting but he just did it himself
I'd be happy to help think through what's going on and how you can improve, if you wanted to DM me. In the past few years I've seen a handful of associates come and go (sometimes on their own volition, sometimes not...).
It's probably just a matter of taking your time on something like a client request and coming into each day as prepared as possible (esp. for earnings). Until I was a year in, I'd spend roughly an hour the night before an earnings print running through the model. How does it flow? What numbers can I get from the press release? What needs to wait for the 10-Q/K? What will I likely need to write about? Stuff like that went a long way and I can tell when a new associate isn't doing that. It's very obvious and very painful for everybody involved. And while there isn't an expectation for you to be perfect on Day 1, you should have an okay grasp on the common tasks 6-7 months in (in my opinion).
Thank you,your comment alone helps. It just feels like I’m trying my hardest and I keep missing stuff in spite of it. Was there anything you did which you think really helped you in terms of attention to detail?
A couple things I did (and some that I still do):
Realistically to answer your question I'd look at bullet 2 & 3. Those should improve your situation, along with the commenter who said to make sure you get some sleep, and give you an opportunity to learn. But I think bullet 1 is important too for building trust long-term with your analyst.
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