When someone is in a business situation, it can be hard to remember which side to pass the butter or how to pass a roll properly.
Something like eating a cherry tomato might become a big problem while sitting in front of a job recruiter.
This predicament is one of the many addressed at last night's etiquette dinner. Marcia Klipsch, assistant director of the Center for Retailing and Consumer Sciences said her goal is to prepare students in the "art "of the interview dinner.
At the dinner, sponsored by Kohl's department stores and the Center for Retailing and Consumer Sciences, with help from the Students in Free Enterprise program, Klipsch reviewed dining etiquette and students learned while they ate chicken, rice and peas.
Klipsch's Etiquette Tips: |
"As young executives you're on the cusp of the working world," Klipsch said.
She said these skills would help students in future job interviews by making them more comfortable with the professional atmosphere.
Students said they were intrigued and hungry as they began the meal with a cream of broccoli soup and moved through the carrot cake finish.
Many students who felt they knew how to eat properly were a little bit surprised when Klipsch broke the process down.
The meal was open to all students and cost $5. The 75 seats sold out by Sept. 30.
The group of 75 students asked questions and were surprised when they learned the process they had used for years was wrong.
For students ready to clean their plate, Klipsch stopped them mid-meal.
"When interviewing you should leave food. If you eat it all it appears you're starving," said Klipsch. "This leads the interviewer to believe you're more interested in the meal and not the job."
Some students, who remember their mothers telling them there are starving children in the world, had to break their usual routine.
"I didn't know you were supposed to leave some (food)," said Michael Connors, an agriculture and resource economics senior.
"You think they'd be happy to feed you, being you're hungry students and still growing," said Matthew Connors, an agriculture resource economics senior and Michael Connors' twin brother.
Others used the dinner to brush up on previous lessons of etiquette.
"I thought it was very thorough and very informative," said Cathryn Deacon, an accounting senior. "It's going to be more relevant in the near future, applying for jobs."
Todd McClement, Kohl's college relations coordinator, said the dinner was successful.
"I think it went fantastic and Marcia did a great job," said McClement. "We're very happy with the outcome."
SIFE will sponsor another etiquette meal next semester, said Amanda Zaluga, communications senior and SIFE member.