Am I a dick for gaslighting my coworker?

So I didn’t study finance in undergrad. Did engineering and then a PhD. After graduating I started working in SS ER. I’m not too well liked at my current shop but I’ve been here for less than 1 year. I think it’s because I didn’t even have to interview they just offered me without really any due diligence. It’s evident I didn’t really know what I was doing in respects to modeling or finance lingo.

I just lateraled to a MM HF (Citadel/Point72/Millenium). I know a few people at my firm who don’t particularly like me, but their dream is one of these shops. Definitely some really douchey finance bros.

They asked me how I got a job at one of these funds so soon and I said idk I never heard of this place I just applied on LinkedIn and got it. That’s not true, I busted my ass to move to the buyside, but me playing it off seemed to really annoy these guys.

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This isn’t really gaslighting it’s just making a joke or messing with someone.

Gaslighting is when my girlfriend tells me she would like to have dinner with her friends and I say “sure, I’m free Saturday” then when Friday rolls around and she reminds me about the dinner I tell her “What do you mean Saturday? I said Sunday, why would I tell you Saturday when I already made plans with the boys?” 
 

See this works because then I get to hang with the boys and skip dinner with her crap friends, while she questions her reality and sanity and thinks she somehow misheard the day. 

 

Initially… it’s not hard to pick up but struggled a bit when starting.

 

Next time, don't leave out personal identifying information for us to look for on LinkedIn. First half of your post was unnecessary. Lol.

 

Hilarious story so no. And SB. Would help if you didn't use such inconsistent and confusing wording

I'm not too well liked at my current shop 

So which shop is it? Is it the SS ER house or the MM HF (Citadel/ P72)? Have you moved to the MM HF already or have you just accepted the offer and will move soon

just lateraled

 a few people at my firm who don't particularly like me

So the people at the SS ER firm don't like you, right? And it's because they're salty over the MM HF offer. The HF people like you, right?

 

I’m confused how it comes across that way… just messing around with them.

 

This is not gaslighting. Gaslighting is telling those people you don’t like that you did ABC to get a job at HF. After they busted their ass and truly followed ABC and didn’t work you told them what you actually said was XYZ and blamed them for not listening to you carefully.

Something I found irony is that those guys don’t like you and they have no problem letting you know but still have thick skin to come to you for advice. These people are too arrogant and think that you can’t figure it out. They don’t deserve your help.

 

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