How my career mistake changed the way I tell stories Accuracy, context and humility matter more than perfection in building a credible career. Gender Just now

When I was extremely young in my journalism career, I made a mistake that turned out to be a lesson I needed to learn early.

A reader who recently graduated with a degree in journalism wrote to me, on an email, and asked, “Have you ever made a big mistake in your career?” I was not able to immediately decipher what “big mistake” meant for this particular reader, but the context of the question suggested they were nervous about the profession because they worried they would make mistakes.