I’m 23 yrs old, one year out of school, spend 6 mos as fund acct (where I didn’t learn sh*t) and about 6 mos where I am now. I’m the only young person where I work, everyone else is 50ish if not older… Well today we had a few people come in from a Bulge Bracket Firm and I got invited to lunch with all of them (they had a meeting in the morning and I was unable to attend it b/c I had to handle crap b/c they were in a meeting). When I walk into the meeting my boss introduces me and says “Oh, this is ____, he runs the money desk, maintains our portfolio, and oversees all accounting for it.” I’m thinking, “Wtf? Why the hell did he say that to these BSD’s- I don’t know sh*t, I am a level 1 candidate and am still learning.” So all they guys start grilling me and asking all these questions about FAS 191, CDO’s, Pooled Trups, etc…and I’m completely lost- my boss didn’t come in to rescue me and he pretty much sat there smiling watching me squirm to answer their questions with the most wrong and BS answers after he threw me under the bus. It was the most awkward, terrible experience, and I pretty much sat there the entire lunch dead quiet for 1.5 hrs b/c I couldn’t chime in… Has anyone else had a bad experience as such? Getting thrown under the bus? I guess it was just a bad day…
ya i had no idea what you were talking about, explain why cdos failed again 
What the heck? I’m not sure if I should totally commiserate or bust out laughing. Are you for real? Is your boss for real? This story is pretty far out, but it also seems like the type of stuff that you couldn’t make up. If someone puts you on the spot about CDO’s again, next time come up with something like, “CDO’s, CMO’s, C-Deez …” (edited for our PG-rated audience)
TPain88 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I’m 23 yrs old, one year out of school, spend 6 > mos as fund acct (where I didn’t learn sh*t) and > about 6 mos where I am now. I’m the only young > person where I work, everyone else is 50ish if not > older… > > Well today we had a few people come in from a > Bulge Bracket Firm and I got invited to lunch with > all of them (they had a meeting in the morning and > I was unable to attend it b/c I had to handle crap > b/c they were in a meeting). When I walk into the > meeting my boss introduces me and says “Oh, this > is ____, he runs the money desk, maintains our > portfolio, and oversees all accounting for it.” > I’m thinking, “Wtf? Why the hell did he say that > to these BSD’s- I don’t know sh*t, I am a level 1 > candidate and am still learning.” So all they guys > start grilling me and asking all these questions > about FAS 191, CDO’s, Pooled Trups, etc…and I’m > completely lost- my boss didn’t come in to rescue > me and he pretty much sat there smiling watching > me squirm to answer their questions with the most > wrong and BS answers after he threw me under the > bus. It was the most awkward, terrible experience, > and I pretty much sat there the entire lunch dead > quiet for 1.5 hrs b/c I couldn’t chime in… > > Has anyone else had a bad experience as such? > Getting thrown under the bus? I guess it was just > a bad day… Were the guys from the BB pals of your boss? If not (or even if they were), he’s simply making his department look bad. I could see him playing a cruel joke on you if they all used to be keg stand champs back in the day.
yeah if he was smiling… im pretty sure they were joking around man. April fools.
either they were joking…or your boss is a d-bag!
TPain88 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Has anyone else had a bad experience as such? > Getting thrown under the bus? I guess it was just > a bad day… What did we learn here? Don’t try to BS people who know a lot more than you (even if it wasn’t your fault). I doubt this will happen again, but if it does, handle it with humor. I would have smiled and said something like, “Wow, I didn’t realize you were paying me for all that! This is an even better job than I thought!” Or some comment like that to get yourself off the hook. Everyone has their own style, but I have found that as a younger person in the industry, I can set the tone pretty well by using a little humor and/or mild sarcasm (as long as it is delivered humourously).
Thanks for the advice/comments- it wasn’t a joke, and yes he is a d’bag and he’s done it before. I think he was trying to make it seem like I was more important than I really was but he ended up making me look like an idiot an getting me in over my head. We were the BB Firms clients but still…no one likes looking like an idiot. I might say something to him about in a general sense on Friday without offending him, we’re supposed to be going to NYC for a biz trip (and I don’t want him pulling that sh*t again)…
“Wow, I didn’t realize you were paying me for all that! This is an even better job than I thought!” Haha. Say that TPain…
you should have jumped in and said that its not really what you do (and that you don’t really know anything) right after your bosses comment – preferably in a lighthearted manner. the BSDs would have appreciated your honesty (not that you have any other choice imo) and wouldnt have sat there for 1.5 hours thinking that you’re developmentally disabled.
I’ve been there before and I handled it by answering the ‘over my head question’ that it wasn’t my function at the firm and they should talk to ____ at the firm. BSDs will give you a lot more respect if you answer directly with an I don’t know than BS. Never try to BS anyone, especially someone you just met. You don’t know what they know.
I would have tried to play off the situation by “pretending” to be modest and saying “haha, the only thing I’m an expert of is fantasy football”, and hope they take the bait to switch into a lighter conversation.
When encountering something I don’t know about, I’ve tried to make a habit of saying “I don’t know,” rather than trying to bs my way through it.
MCalamari Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I would have tried to play off the situation by > “pretending” to be modest and saying “haha, the > only thing I’m an expert of is fantasy football”, > and hope they take the bait to switch into a > lighter conversation. yeah, this would also work. you want to find a way to say “I don’t know jack” without actually admitting that you don’t know anything.
Hey man sorry to hear this happened - I agree don’t try to act like an expert if you’re not, it’s always pretty easy to see through and makes you (rather than your boss) look like an a-hole. You should try and turn it into a joke on your boss next time