Do reputational concerns impede knowledge diffusion at work? While seeking advice supports learning, professionals may worry that it leaves a negative impression affecting their career prospects. In two experiments with white-collar professionals (N=3,469), we find that reputational concerns cause a decrease in the willingness to seek helpful advice, finding little evidence that others’ perceptions of competence mediate this. While reputational concerns emerge as unwarranted in our setting, this misperception is hard to correct since reputational concerns prove deeply ingrained. An original survey (N=500) confirms that they are a frequent reason why professionals do not seek advice at work.