Dear Rookie,
If you mess up (and you will), just say sorry. Fast.
I learned this the hard way. Early on, I thought if I kept quiet, maybe no one would notice my screw-up. Spoiler: they always notice. And the longer you wait, the weirder it gets. The best move? Own it, apologize, and move on. People actually respect that. Plus, when you’re new, you get a bit of a free pass—use it wisely.
Just don’t make the same mistake twice. Once is a rookie slip-up. Twice? That’s your new personality.