I’ve developed a crush on someone on my team. It’s not inappropriate — we are both around the same age and single — but I know that any type of relationship with someone on staff is taboo. I’d like to ask her out, but will I get into trouble if I declare myself and she doesn’t have any interest?
Oh, come on man. You know that you are treading on very dangerous ground. This is an area where you’d better be prepared to lose your job if the feelings aren’t mutual or if you declare yourself in anything less than a Hollywood scripted RomCom way. It might be romantic to say that your feelings are so strong that you are willing to put your job on the line for her, but if she says no, well, what an awkward situation. If she is offended and reports you, then you will certainly be looking for another job. If the feelings are mutual, one of you is going to have to leave immediately anyway, but at least you get the girl. Only you can make the calculation. Just be charming and not a jerk. Good luck, Romeo.
My son graduated from college almost 18 months ago and moved back home. He still hasn’t found a job. I am contemplating forcing him to leave in the hopes that having to provide for himself will force his hand. He says that jobs in his field are very hard to find and if I kick him out, he will have to take a menial burger-flipping job and that will hurt his chances of a career. Is that true? And is it normal for a college grad to be out of work for 18 months?
Do you want to know what I see when I walk into a fast-food place? (Not that I indulge very often, but those late-night drives up I-95 have a way of stimulating a Mickey D’s fries craving.) I see mostly young people who aren’t lounging around their parent’s house playing X-box and watching YouTube videos, and instead are working hard for not a lot of money, so kudos to them. I’m not telling you to kick your son out, but after 18 months, he needs to start looking for any line of work. Any job is a job and won’t hurt long-term career plans. So I think it’s time to light a fire under Junior and see how he reacts to the heat, because he seems overly comfortable to me.
Gregory Giangrande is a chief human resources and communications officer in the media industry. Email your career questions to gotogreg@nypost.com. Follow Greg on Twitter: @greggiangrande. His “Go to Greg” podcast series is available on iTunes.