Etiquette expert, author to consult students on business dinner etiquette

Hunter Ellis, Reporter

Students will learn proper etiquette during a business dinner sponsored Career Services Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in the Shawkey Dining Room and a second dinner at 6:30 p.m. in BE5 of the Memorial Student Center.

The dinner will be a four-course meal that consists of soup, salad, a chicken entrée with vegetables and a dessert. The event will last around an hour and fifteen minutes, and students will learn proper business and etiquette skills.

Jennifer Brown, program manager for internships, said, “They should expect to come out of it with a set of skills that they can potentially utilize when they’re interviewing and they have to go out to a meal as part of that interview.”

The dinner will be taught by etiquette consultant Terri Thompson. Thompson is a nationally renowned speaker, author and entrepreneur specializing in helping individuals succeed.

Brown said Thompson goes around the country and talks about etiquette, speed networking events and how to manage networking skills in different social situations.

“She’ll go over situations like, if you are of legal drinking age, and everyone at the table orders alcohol should you follow suit,” Brown said. “She’ll go over decision making skills and proper etiquette for mainly meal situations, but it really just depends on where students’ questions guide her.”

Students are to wear interview appropriate clothing, like dress pants and a dress shirt, with or without tie, for men and a dress or dress pants and a blouse for women. The main audience for the event will be juniors, seniors and grad students but they will accept students at lower levels as well.

To sign up for the event, one may visit Career Services and choose either time slot. The  $5 reservation fee will be refunded on arrival.

Hunter Ellis can be contacted at [email protected].