Students learn the ways of how to find a job at Fall Etiquette Dinner
Posted by The Skyliner on November 11th, 2009Rachel Ham
Staff Writer
Full of useful information about business dinner etiquette, job interview dos and don’ts and ways to dress properly for job interview situations, the Office of Career Services’ Etiquette Dinner can be helpful to all students. This dinner can be beneficial for students majoring in anything from business administration to education.
Students are able to enjoy a great meal provided by Aramark Food Services and get to know the other people at their table.
The goal of the dinner is to give students a chance to learn the proper ways to conduct themselves in a formal business situation or in a job interview. Students are also able to ask questions about formal protocol to those hosting the dinner.
This semester’s Etiquette Dinner opened with Dr. Tony Beam, vice president of student services and director of the Christian Worldview Center, giving his opening remarks. After Beam, Lisa Van Riper, director of the Honors Scholar Program, took the microphone.
Van Riper discussed proper place settings, which utensils to use for which dishes, and proper eating methods for difficult dishes. She also gave examples of the proper ways to act in certain business dinner situations. Students were also given a packet of information about additional business or interview meal etiquette.
Even though many students do not know the difference between a salad fork and an entrée fork, learning how to use utensils properly is important. As Van Riper pointed out, some companies may want to give a job interview over a meal. Knowing the proper meal etiquette can be useful in a situation like this.
Dr. Steve Holcombe of the business department then talked about the many dos and don’ts of the job interview process. He mentioned that applicants should arrive 10 minutes early for interviews, show enthusiasm about the company, dress appropriately, be friendly, and be very careful of what they say. He discussed some things that applicants should not do such as talking negatively about a former employer and having misspellings on their applications.
To wrap up the evening, Van Riper and Professor Weston Warren gave examples of proper business attire and gave advice on how to build a professional wardrobe from only a few pieces of clothing. This segment was very helpful to students working with a limited budget.
Overall this dinner is very beneficial to students, especially those who may be graduating and heading into the work force in the coming months.
Tags: Fall 2009, Vol. 109 - Issue 9