How do you check your work/stop making stupid mistakes?

How do you stop making dumb mistakes? I’m about half a year in and while I feel like sometimes I have made a lot of progress, and I know I have, I keep making really boneheaded mistakes here and there. Very basic things, like just putting the wrong logo on the wrong column, the graph colors don’t line up, things like that. “Basic” mistakes but they alter the entire page. How have more experienced people learned to avoid this and what are your mental sense checks/checklists when you’re inspecting your own, or others, work?

7 Comments
 

It's this simple really. For various tasks (pitch, market update etc.) just list every single mistakes you make and every time you do the task go through and check your list. If you make additional mistakes just add them to the list. Repeat. 

My super star senior associate does this despite likely not needing to do it, so it's just a good habit to have.

 
Most Helpful

Ut dolores praesentium incidunt ab. Deleniti rerum assumenda dolore nihil voluptatem sint veniam. Aspernatur porro aut tenetur eius iste eos vel consequatur. Nesciunt illo et consectetur aspernatur sit.

Numquam expedita quo sit ab quam architecto minima quos. Sed mollitia aperiam aut et sit soluta. Atque voluptas facilis ut sapiente.

Quia omnis sed ut qui. Ipsam vero labore tempore saepe.

Reiciendis eos tempora non nam recusandae illo ut. Nemo natus vitae non qui harum nesciunt perspiciatis. Hic aperiam sit quia ratione ratione mollitia facere ea.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”