Ask the expert: Rumour-mongers must be stopped

Dr Marie Wilson is associate professor of management at the University of Auckland, research director of the ICEHOUSE business accelerator and a veteran of 20 years in corporate management and small business.

Q: How should you handle a colleague spreading malicious rumours?

A: One of my colleagues seems to have it in for me. She has started spreading a rumour about me and another member of staff that is completely untrue and potentially embarrassing.

This woman has made it clear in the past she has no time for me but I don't understand what I have done to deserve this - and I don't expect a fair hearing if I approach her about it, either.

At the moment I feel a bit bewildered but know I'll start getting angry about it pretty soon. Perhaps you and your colleague need to take this issue to your supervisor. Your boss may moderate a meeting, or may ask another party to assist in mediating this problem.

When this kind of situation arises, your supervisor has a duty to ensure that you have a reasonable working environment. Gossip is an unavoidable part of work and life, but destructive rumours, and those who initiate and spread them, need to be dealt with as a matter of urgency.

A public apology and/or retraction goes a long way toward redressing the problem and ensuring that there are consequences for workplace slander.

I am a dental graduate, with experience in medical devices sales.

I hope to visit New Zealand soon, with the objective of attending as many interviews as possible towards a medical sales position.

What, in your opinion, are my chances of landing job interviews to begin with?

It's very difficult to get everything to happen in the short period of an interview.

Assuming you wish to continue in medical device sales, your chances will be enhanced if you use your research skills to identify all potential employers (or as many as you can) and then contact them first, by phone if possible, to undertake some informational interviewing, and try to find out their market positioning, growth opportunities and sales approaches.

If you are not seeking a job interview, you will find access easier, particularly if you intially set up a time for an interview of a fixed duration.

Stick to your time frame (no more than half an hour) and then follow up with thanks. Take stock of all the responses that you receive and then assess your own CV and experience; where is the fit the best?

Now you are ready to send your CV with a letter that explains why you want to work for this company, showing your knowledge of both the company and the industry.

Follow this with a phone call, requesting an interview.

It still won't be easy, but your chances of access, and finding a job, will be much higher.

I need to convince a prospective employer of the merits of working from home. Are there any HR or management articles that you can point me to? A comprehensive set of resources can be found at the website www.globaltelecommute.com. The specifics of your job will determine how you make the case, of course.

Most telecommutable jobs do not involve teamwork or interaction at the worksite, and have clearly specified objectives that can be accomplished wherever you are.

Employers are usually interested in telecommuting because it frees overhead expenses in providing a physical workplace, and it may make workers more productive if they do not have to battle traffic to commute to and from work.

I am an Indian working in software. I have experience in accounts also, and will be in New Zealand by September or October.

Is it possible for someone like me to get admission to university for an MBA course?

There are well over a dozen MBA programmes in New Zealand, many of which are structured for individuals with business experience.

The majority of courses begin in February-March but there are some available throughout the year.

I would advise that you contact several programmes and ask for the programme of study as well as the entry requirements; some require university study with good grades, some do not.

You will need to consider a number of factors, including the length of study, whether it is part-time or full-time, and whether it will enhance your career prospects in terms of both the programme content and its reputation.

Send your questions to: julie_middleton@nzherald.co.nz