Making mistakes at work

So, 'miskates' seems a bit vague, do you mean like errors in analysis or like cursing at the boss?

I'm assuming you mean the former, but it may help to add some detail for better reponses.

In general, if you are 'new' most people won't expect perfection. The biggest thing to do is have the right attitude. Accept responsibility for the mistakes you made, ask questions to learn how to correct, then go the extra mile to fix them (even if working really late or on weekends).

The way to prevent a bad outcome is with work ethic and the proper attitude, I would never just 'fire' someone who was trying to fix themselves and showing self-awareness.

Oh boy... anyone who says they can't relate to this post is lying to you.

There is a learning curve to any role and I assure you that you are not the only new hire making mistakes. It's very easy to feel incompetent when most of your coworkers have been in this role for years and you are still learning the ropes. Unless they joined the company with experience doing something similar, everyone started where you are now. What matters right now is showing that you're willing to admit where you might need help and doing what it takes to learn from your mistakes. Put in some extra time and ask for feedback often. Now is not the time to compete with your more senior coworkers- it's the time to learn from them.

You were hired right out of college, so chances are that your employers were aware that you are pretty green when you started. Early in your career, employers are really just looking for someone coachable who is willing to put in the effort to learn and improve. Try not to make the same mistakes more than once. Keep working hard to show improvement and you will be totally fine!

Don't overthink it. As a new hire out of college somewhat of a learning curve is expected. Work hard and put out the best product you can.

Don't be hesitant to ask intelligent questions when necessary...just make sure you aren't repeatedly asking rudimentary questions you could address through research or lower level colleagues. Try only to ask your superiors questions that require their experience, don't waste their time. Good questions can demonstrate commitment and growth potential within the company. Bad questions can show incompetence or lack of initiative, be aware of this.

Do everything you can to minimize mistakes. When they do happen learn from them and never make the same mistake twice.

Oh man I remember making tons of mistakes coming out of college. Emailing clients too quickly with typos, making up information on property tours because I was afraid of saying "I don't know" and getting caught by a senior broker for doing it...one time I downloaded the completely wrong presentation to a flash drive for a zoning hearing presentation and didn't catch it until right before presenting (I fixed it but would have been a complete firing-worthy disaster if not).

CRE list is a good one. I think the biggest ones are double-checking and triple-checking work to build good habits; creating and using lists to track to dos; and not making the same mistake twice are the most important.

I would add one to the list, which is to ask your supervisor how you are doing and what you could do better regularly. It shows you are focused on improving yourself, able to digest criticism, and taking the inititiave to get better instead of coasting.

Print everything out and look over twice before handing to your superior. I know it is annoying, but trust me. Do it.

Control the things within your control. You don't know everything - that is okay. Like many have mentioned, don't make the same mistake twice, that aspect you can control.

"The Real LGS" I’ve been overwhelmed with tasks due to being in retail asset management but I’m not sure that’s a great excuse.

Lol trust me - it's a good excuse. Don't worry dude - every mistake you make is expected, especially that early on. As long as you don't make the same mistake over and over, we expect you to fuck EVERYTHING up for the first year.

Worry about getting fired when they schedule a performance review out of the blue and then another a couple weeks later.

All good advice above. I got my ass taken to the boardroom by a VP after a mistake on the cap rate sensitivity presentation (forgot to change the rates last min) and got asked, “what are you?” I said, “I’m an analyst.” “What do you do”. “I analyze”. It was a ass chewing.

What I can add is:

• try to get really good at the routine or mundane stuff. 10-key by touch, hot keys. You need the extra time to perfect the finished product. If you are rushed, you’re going to distribute not the best product.

• version control. Own your work. Your initials in the file name. Put a date like “2020.04.16”. “Save as” often. I train my analysts to do this. It’s helped me. Soon your initials become your brand for quality. Nothing like taking credit for great work that you did.

This will be for a good debate.

• I don’t like using multiple screens. Never liked it. Just use one screen. Focus. Also the extra real estate (screen real estate with your mouse) slows you down. Learn to “go deep” with multiple windows with only your keyboard.

“It’s like trying to drive 100 mph while glancing at the hottie sitting next to you”

Some great advice in here. I am only 2 years out of school and went through what you are currently going through (although it wasn't in an analyst role). Here is a couple things that helped:

1. Regular touch points with your boss. I had one once a month and would highlight mistakes that she caught me on and ask for feedback and how I could fix things. I treated these meetings like office hours with my professors in college. This is important because if your boss sees you making an effort and trying to improve most bosses won't get rid of you.

2. Making how-to's for myself. Whenever you learn something new as soon as you have time create a quick word doc outlining the steps with screenshots on how to complete said task. This prevents you from forgetting how to do certain tasks that you may not complete very often, and serves as a template for future problems that you may have. It may not be the exact solution but more often than not it gives you something that you can tweak to get the result you need. I use this a lot with excel things.

Im in the exact same position. the whole pandemic thing has really fucked up my training/on boarding situation. I’m working 10x as hard with this volatility WFH with just a MacBook and can only get help through Skype chat and training manuals from 2018.... I feel like I annoy the shit out of everybody asking for help all the time but I really don’t have any other options. shit is crazy for everybody especially us because we’re new. Just try and stack base hits and we’ll get through this.

Everyone went through something similar when they first started - so anyone who says otherwise is definitely lying.

What I have found common with many juniors is those who mess up more frequently are actually the ones who are nervous as they want to do the best job. I was my own worst critic back then, putting immense pressure on myself to deliver quickly and accurately but that ultimately led to my own demise. The self imposed stress, which came from wanting to do an amazing job really just blurred my vision and ability to think. Fast forward in my career, I have seen the same with junior staff who really want to do well and be good at their job.

Biggest thing for me was to slow down, take a breath and just remember its not the end of the world. Deadlines get pushed, mistakes get made and your life won't end.

If this sounds like how you might be feeling (pressure to perform, want to deliver but can't think clearly because you're panicking), few things to remember:

1) Most deadlines have some wiggle room. 5pm inaccurately completed with mistakes is worse than 5:15/5:30pm with the work accurately completed. So take a deep breath and slow down.

2) Prioritize - do this by keeping track of deliverable deadlines and communicating with your internal stakeholders. If you have 5 things on the go for the same superior, ask them which ones are more important. This will help you decide where to focus majority of your effort and you may find out that only 2 are deliverable in the short term and 3 can be put on the back burner.

3) Remember expectations are small - since you're out of college / university, most (hopefully) of your superiors have their expectations managed. They know you're green and expect questions / mistakes. If they don't, they need to evaluate their expectations and right size them, because you can't expect an analyst to complete VP quality work.

If the above doesn't help, I would definitely communicate to your superiors about the situation you're in. Letting them know doing a good job is extremely important to you and it will actually earn you respect. As mentioned chances are they have been there and ultimately have been their own worst critic at some point.

Good luck!

Man, do I know how you feel!

An important point to remember is that if you're doing that badly, someone on your team will take you aside and let you know. No team will let dead weight stick around for too long, unless maybe that dead weight is related to someone important to the company. So as long as that hasn't happened to you yet, you're probably okay. Give yourself a break!

I think everyone's advice on how to tighten your work product is great. I highly recommend having regular check ins with your direct supervisors -- whoever provides 1st level review of your work. Ask them to point out the areas of improvement and how you can address it between now and the next meeting. That proactivity will go a long way toward showing your company that you take your progress seriously.

You definitely aren't the only one

I made TONS of mistakes at my first job because I was so disinterested in the job and wanted to get out of that place. It's a shitty feeling but although I tried avoiding mistakes, the tasks were so monotonous and doing it for months and months just wears you out. Eventually due to the mistakes and the work atmosphere we both mutually thought it would be best for me to leave.

My advice - don't worry and keep trying to better yourself. Accept the mistakes and learn from them. Ask yourself why you're making them.

The heavyweights like CRE already chipped in, take that advice. One more thing to add: look at all the changes your superiors made to your product. Ask yourself why those changes where made, reflect, learn and only ask if you really don't understand. That shows you're paying attention.

And one thing my director told me back in the days when I was an analyst: "You'll make every fuc*ing mistake under the sun. I'm fine with that. If you make the same mistake twice, you're out of here."

Lot's of solid advice here. My only clarifying addition would be to make a check list of prior mistakes. Each time someone catches one of your mistakes, add it to your checklist. Prior to passing anything along (whether it be an email, model, deck, etc.) take the 5-10 minutes to run through your checklist and make sure you have avoided every one of your prior mistakes. As you gain more experience, you will find yourself not needing to check your list every time.

I messed up a lot in my first job. It sucks, but you can dig yourself out of the hole by continually improving and showing enthusiasm for getting better.

couple things that will really help you.

1. get a buddy with 1-2 years more experience you can learn from and who you can access with dumb questions.

2. get a mentor who is a VP or higher you can look up to and learn from.

3. remember, generally no one gets fired for making small mistakes as long as they have a good and willing attitude to improve. SHOW IT and be PROACTIVE and let people know you are working those long hours....in a humble way if possible

4. overcommunicate. people get mad if there are issues and you haven’t been communicating

Not RE, but probably the most common mistake that I still make is that, as I keep moving from project to project/client-to-client, expectations are never the same. (client A is so in the weeds that they want to see a breakdown of every change, vs new client B who DGAF and wants to stay at the high-level/tactical level (what is the overall impact)

If someone asks for something, and you miss their intent when you deliver, clearly highlight (whether in email or in the meeting) that you acknowledge this miss (showing self-awareness) and also highlight the action item you will take (to do X instead of Y, to shift your tactics going forward, etc) so you come off as proactive.

While you can never be a genie when dealing with new people for the first time, showing self-awareness and proactive mentality will win you over more than not, as others have underscored in the thread. Also applies to all facets in life (i.e. relationships)

I didn't read everything above so this may have been said arelady, but if there is someone in your office you know in a role similar to yours who is more experienced ask them if you can quickly review your assignments with them before you turn them in.

I disagree with one piece of advice :

"A couple tips:

Double check everything until you're confident in your work."

The advice should be to always double check, no matter how confident or experienced you are. I can't tell you the amount of times I fked up a silly calculation, but was able to catch it because I decided to randomly check the calculation.

Here's an excel tip I like to use:

When applying a formula to perform a calculation across multiple cells of data, always pick the cells in the middle and the last cell in the column to fact check. You never want to fact-check the first cell where you applied a formula because psychologically the first cell will have taken up most of your focus and will be correct. But what about the cells below it (did you lock the row/column, perform the math right?)

Other contributors have made great comments. I’ll add a couple from a different perspective.

Before you work on any project, make sure you know, at least roughly, the expectations of your project supervisor. Otherwise, you always make mistakes no matter what you are asked to do.

Another situation, which is by no means rare, is your supervisor won’t have a clear framework for you. This has happened a lot on me, unfortunately, because my most direct report is not that kind of guy to whom I show my work and walk him thru my work. He’s more like : do xyz, I don’t know how to, but bring me the final product. When I do: okay, tell me about abc. Why have you not done abc ?

In that case, try working with other senior people or leave the company...

Welcome to the real world where you don't have a book with all the answers and most of the time you learn by making mistakes. This is one of the many reasons education is terrible. You can't get everything right straight away, especially if it's something completely new. I recall the first week of my job, my direct superior costed the company 20k, which is nothing because the head of the dept. costed the company 1 million a few weeks later. Shit happens, you don't know everything nor are supposed to. If you mess up, make a good analysis on how that can be avoided in the future, you'll be fine.

Cant learn if you are not making mistakes. In school they teach you that you have to be right all the time every time. In the real world people do make mistakes and you have to learn from them.

Not trying to sound like a guru but this is a fact. In the start-up community there a a saying "fail fast and fail often" This is a key process to innovation.
Zuck says "Move fast and break things"

2nd year PE associate and I make mistakes. Don’t beat yourself down, just don’t make the same mistake twice. Triple check your work (this goes for e-mails you send out) and come clean (ie. never hide mistakes, no matter how big).

A couple things that I haven't seen skimming through the responses:

1. IMO, ignore the people who say "don't beat yourself up over it". DO beat yourself up over it, to an appropriate degree. I find that's one of the best ways to motivate myself to not make the same mistake twice.

2. Ask for feedback on a regular basis. Either every week, month, or quarter, depending on your boss and company culture.