Students learn dining etiquette to prep for working world

Put your cell phone away. Use the right fork. After the meal, put the napkin on your chair and push in the chair as you leave the table. These may seem like small things to some, but to a potential employer or business partner with a careful eye for details, every little thing you do at a business lunch may very well be under the microscope.

That’s why Career Services recently offered students the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of dining etiquette from a catering professional. Faculty, staff and area business representatives joined students for an afternoon of networking and tips on business manners to prepare students for the interactions they’ll face in the working world.

“In today’s job market, networking is essential and an individual’s ability to display professionalism is imperative during the interview process,” says Sim Covington, career services director.

With guidance from Cornell University catering professional Brian O’Hara Earle, 75 students in attendance learned dining etiquette and got a chance to polish their networking skills as well. They were joined by SUNYIT faculty and staff, as well as representatives from the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI), Indium Corporation and Quanterion Solutions Incorporated.

Graduate student Cassandra Orcutt said she expects to be attending many business luncheons in the course of her career and wants to be ready.

“It helped me to get an idea of the proper way of acting in those business luncheon settings,” she says. “This was great because instead of asking what I’m supposed to be doing, on the spot at a business lunch or dinner, I can learn it all ahead of time and be prepared.”

Sean Furman, a freshman majoring in electrical and computer engineering, said the event was a way to gain formal experience in a professional dining atmosphere before he heads out to the real world where he knows many follow-up interviews and business meetings are conducted over meals.

“It’s definitely a good business skill to have,” Furman said. “For any job, interaction with people is crucial. It’s not just the work itself. It’s getting along with the people.”