My Blunder at the Office Meeting

I started my first job a few weeks ago as an intern in marketing. Today was my first major meeting where I got to present some of my ideas for our new campaign. I was so nervous but also really excited. Everyone seemed engaged, and I thought it went pretty well until the end when we were discussing the budget for the project. I confidently spoke up and suggested a number that I had scribbled down before the meeting started in one of those hurried moments where you jot things down quickly without much thought. The moment I said it out loud, everyone at the table stared at me like they were waiting for me to take back what I just said because my number was half of what we currently have allocated. It was clear that I had made a massive mistake by not double-checking my work before speaking up. Everyone remained silent as the tension filled the room, and then our team leader kindly pointed out that this might need some re-evaluation based on market trends and past campaigns. The rest of the meeting went downhill from there because everyone started questioning if I was really ready for such a high-stakes project or if I had overestimated my capabilities. I felt so embarrassed after everyone left the room, but no one said anything to me directly; it was just an awkward silence that lingered until I could escape back to my desk. The whole day has been spent replaying what happened and trying to think of a way to make amends or show that I’m still committed to this project despite my blunder. Part of me is scared about the future here if one mistake like this can affect how others perceive me, but another part is determined not to let this setback hold me back. Now I have to figure out how to rebuild trust with my colleagues and prove myself again without letting this moment define my entire experience at the company.