Sexual harassment is one thing, but how do you deal with peers or contacts who see you as a romantic possibility rather than an expert in your field? I had a very hard time networking at a health education conference last fall because many of the men I met only seemed interested in flirtatious conversations, no matter how many times I redirected to professional matters. "Nice/polite" and "flirtatious" are too often conflated, and I found it difficult to discourage flirtation without being rude. How do you make it clear you're only there to network without coming off as impolite or standoffish? Is this a problem that plagues women at every level, or is it a byproduct of being an undergraduate/intern (young, inexperienced, vulnerable)?

You're right, it is very frustrating. It's definitely WAY worse when you're younger. You did the best you could by redirecting the conversation to professional matters. As lame as it is, it seems to me that a woman's appearance makes a difference. When I was young and had this problem :-), it helped when I dressed as conservatively as possible (i.e., low heels, minimal makeup, no sleeveless or low cut shirt, subtle jewelry). Also, maybe try to focus on networking with the other women at the conference, as they may be less likely to flirt with you :-) Best wishes, Haylin.

As a male, I can't exactly say much on advice of how to deal with a situation like this, however I can weigh in on your last point.

Recently, via Twitter, the idea of sexism in the video game industry has been brought up many times, in both the aspect of working in the industry and also just playing video games as well. For example, here is a link which gives a good amount of information on what I'm talking about:

giantbomb.com

It truly is disappointing that this happens, but it really is not limited to just undergraduates. As a male, I am disappointed by the fact that this is something that exists at all because females deserve all of the same rights and respect that a male does.

I apologize for your troubles and wish you luck!

As a young professional female - I understand your dilemma. You shouldn't lose that inviting personality – or hide behind a chador (unless you want to). A good trick is keeping a poker face. I like to smile as much as anyone, but you’ll be surprised how quickly those flirts adjust when they can’t exactly read your immediate reaction. Try it out and let me know if it works for you. Watch a lot of Joan Crawford movies – now THAT’s a serious woman.