Remember when you were a teenager and your parents would encourage you to make contacts, organise work experience placements, and ask family friends for career advice?
More often than not, this would result in that indescribable embarrassment of a) having to talk to adults *shudder*, and b) asking them about a career you're not even quite sure is for you?
'Why yes, I've always wanted to become a pathologist,' you say to you Dad's mate on the phone as you Google the word 'pathologist'.
Well, take a moment to think of 18-year-old Lydia Jones who recently plucked up the courage to ask for career advice from a male entrepreneur.
Hoping to enter the tech scene in London after creating her own start-up, Trooops, in the north of England, Jones admitted to Mashable she had previously found it 'very difficult' to find people wanting to help her grow her business.
However, one day she reached out to a man after seeing him post 'numerous times' in the London Startup and Entrepreneurs Facebook group.
'I simply asked him if he could introduce me to any mentors or advisors in London for growth and funding,' explained Jones.
Sadly, it didn't take long before the career conversation took a turn for the worst.
The entrepreneur soon asked for her age, her relationship status and whether her 'BF [boyfriend].'
Jones replied that she is, in fact, gay.
'Are you quite open about your sexuality?' responded the entrepreneur, to which Jones admitted she was.
The entrepreneur proceeded to ask her: 'So men don't turn you on at all?'
Sensing the entrepreneur was less interested in her career and more curious about her private life, Jones stated she thought he was a 'businessman', to which he replied: 'I'm also a human being too right?'
Well, we have other words to describe the man but 'human being' will suffice, we suppose.
The publication reached out to the entrepreneur involved, who replied to anonymously defend his responses to Jones.
Explaining how he asked her about her sexuality and realised 'it wasn't appropriate to ask her even though she said she was open', the man justified his actions by adding 'if this was said in person it wouldn't have been a big deal'.
The entrepreneur went on to explain how Jones blocked him 'with expressing how she didn't appreciate that question'.
Perhaps it was because alarms were ringing that you were a creep, mate?
'Very mature. Commutation is the universal solvent,' he commented.
'Richard Branson said all publicity is good publicity so I'm glad she's spreading my brand around. I haven't committed a crime here,' he added.
To make matters worse, the entrepreneur refused to take any blame whatsoever for asking inappropriate and prying questions, shifting the responsibility onto Jones, instead.
'I could say she was harnessing me for free advice. I gave her some free advice too,' he added.
Unfortunately, Jones isn't the first woman to experience sexual harassment in the tech industry, with a research by the Kapor Centre for Social Impact and Harris Poll earlier this year finding that one in 10 women in tech experience unwanted sexual attention.
We can't wait for the day when Jones becomes this entrepreneurs boss.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
