Should I work where my boyfriend works?
I’m about two years out of college and I was wondering if you had some advice for me. What would you do if you were offered a job at the same office as your boyfriend? I interviewed at the same company, but at a different branch. It looks like I may be offered a position at his location.
It’s not ideal. If you have another option that’s almost as good, I’d probably take that option. Otherwise, just play it really cool at work.
To be honest, it hurts you a lot more than it hurts him. You get tons of attention for being a young woman — older men just like being around you. Having your boyfriend there means you’ll get a lot less of that attention which is, in the end, bad for your career.
Here’s one statistic, among a gazillion, to support what I’m saying: Uinversity of Santa Cruz ran a study about women who get mentoring. And most men who mentor women do it, in part, because there’s attraction there. I know this is not the perfect world, but it’s reality. And you’d get better mentoring if your boyfriend were not circling you at work.
Penelope
Your response is spot-on.
I agree with Penelope’s points. Although, I have a few questions:
1.) Is it possible to work in an entirely different department? At some companies, accountants and salespeople never see one another, and it is almost like they work for two different companies.
2.) Is there another location at which one of you may work? You mentioned two branches.