Attention to detail fix
Hey there;
I am a summer analyst who just got converted FT at a MM IB.
I feel like I am way superior in terms of technical knowledge / specifics of the division compared to my peers. However, I am behind them in terms of attention to detail and ability to spot spelling/formatting mistakes. This is ultimately what we are valued on, and during the summer I felt that it was much more important than understanding what you are doing (sad but IB). I don’t mean to flex here, but I really helped other fellow interns during the summer with excel/ppt/bbg stuff, but still I feel like I am the one who received most comments/worst grilling from analysts for stupid mistakes on my output.
I will be joining as an analyst soon and I am afraid that could be a big problem as a FT when no one will be reviewing my work and stupid mistakes could lead to a much worse outcome.
Is there anything one could do for that, apart from experience/printing stuff for review/etc.? I have a month before starting and really want to fix that because I am tired of feeling dumb for a missing decimal point/ being given the same comment twice / receive a deck back from Analyst’s review 8 times.
MBB consultant here. Few things:
- progress comes naturally the longer you are on the job. My manager always used to say that every junior makes the same stupid mistakes. You yourself will identify common mistake patterns in your own work (i.e. footnotes, action titles etc.) and in the future will see the same with your juniors/interns. because of that: don't think that your higher ups are just "naturally" better at working precisely. It just improves drastically with time
- throw in some sense checks along the way / before handing in the topic. Be 80/20, check the most important numbers, pages, etc. first. If minor mistake happens someone can always cover for you - if the major stuff is wrong you have a problem
- don't go OCD overboard with sense-checks. I used to be like that. I literally reviewed the same pages over and over again. You will loose precious time and there is a tradeoff between being too precise vs. handing in work too slow
- don't beat yourself up if you make mistakes. It happens to everyone - I used to go borderline crazy after receiving feedback that I had mistakes on decks we handed in. I am much more chill about that now ... stuff like that happens when working long hours and with tight timelines
Overall there is no magic formula here. It is also not rocket science. Just sense check your work along the way and notice the most common mistake patterns.
Make a checklist of things that are common errors, e.g., footnotes, font and font size, alignment, number of decimal places, etc. Ask your other analysts and associates if there is anything missing/common mistakes they look out for to extend this list.
Once you make this list as a table, print some copies out for easy reach so you can tick off each one as your review your work. You will find as you make more presentations and get better, you will use this less.
I also advise that it’s best practice to do formatting while doing a task as I find it saves more time than rushing at the end.
Also, never make a ppt from scratch. Use a template and get to know the specifics of how your firm/team want things presented once you get drive access.
Qui mollitia cumque aut temporibus. Laboriosam voluptatem necessitatibus modi aperiam exercitationem id nisi. Corrupti magnam qui delectus autem. At qui neque illo ea et. Provident esse tenetur ut corrupti et itaque excepturi. Ullam voluptas non in porro ex ea itaque.
Vel rerum ab vitae quo et. Sit excepturi quia soluta libero. Nulla non ratione veniam et quos. Aut qui asperiores blanditiis aut ipsa libero velit laboriosam. Qui quis delectus voluptatem illo optio id totam.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...