Where is my fork? Career Services teaches students etiquette

Natosha Hubbard
Blue & White Flash / Staff Writer

Salad fork, seafood fork, dinner fork, dessert fork; confusing fork is what may come to mind for some college students but the staff of the Jackson State University Career Services Center is making sure that students know which utensil compliments each course as well as what makes a successful dining experience.
CSC hosted its 6th Annual Etiquette Dinner “Beyond Please and Thank You: Business and Dining Etiquette” on Feb. 15, 2012 in the Student Center. The etiquette dinner was the brainchild of Pamela Anderson, a recruiter for Geico Insurance from Dallas, Texas.  Geico both sponsored and hosted the first Business Dining Etiquette Dinner with 50 students.
“Employees must be able to effectively communicate with others on a daily basis and this might include dining out with colleagues and others on the company’s behalf,” said Lavenita Cottrell, Assistant Director of Career Services at Jackson State. “Knowing proper business dining etiquette will also make the student feel much more comfortable in such a setting.”
Corporate sponsorship from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, State Farm Insurance, Walgreens, BankPlus, Mississippi Power and Union Pacific allowed students registered with Tigers2Work to attend the dinner for free.
“It is important for students to know proper business dining etiquette because employers want to make sure you are a good fit for the company, not only by judging your educational skill set, but also your communication skills with others. Employers want to make sure that you can represent their company/agency in a social setting if necessary,” said Cottrell.
A great meal was not the only goal of the Career Services Center. Education was also a vital part of the etiquette dinner as well.  To ensure students received the best information possible there was a panel of faculty, staff and corporate recruiters on hand to answer questions.
The panel included Catherine Davis, a recruiter for Sherwin Williams; Melinda Samuel, a Human Resources Manager for Saks, Inc:, Rafael Brown, a market manager for Wal-Mart; Chantal Lewis, a JSU junior mass communications major and Lashanda Jordan, CSC Director at Jackson State.
Upon signing in, the 90 student participants were escorted to their tables and seated in front of their names to await the five course meal that was served.
“It was very fun and informative. The food was great and I loved it all. I was so happy to be able to participate and the décor was stunning,” said Lauren Ragland, a senior biology major from Tampa, Fla.
Latara Taylor, a senior mass communications major from Jackson, Miss. said, “I really loved the way the ballroom was set up. The atmosphere was beautiful and the information was invaluable. I learned so much. Etiquette is hard work.”
CSC provided all guests with programs that included dinner etiquette tips on the back.
Do
• Initiate the passing of bread, butter and condiments even if you do not wish to have any
•  Always pass to the right
•  Remove the lemon; place it in your glass or on your serving plate
•  Stand up when your hosts arrives
•  Cut one bit (meat, fruit or vegetable) at a time
•  Spoon soup away from you
•  Wait until everyone at your table has been served before you start eating
•  Say “please” and “thank you” to the waiter
•  Place your napkin in your lap as soon as you are seated
•  Break bread and buns with your hands and butter one bite size piece at a time
•  Place your napkin to the left of your plate when you finish your meal and leave the table
•  Write a thank you note to your host

Don’t
• Begin to eat until your host begins or indicate you should do so
•  Chew with your mouth open
•  Talk with food in your mouth
• Spit seeds, pits, etc. into your palm… as it goes in so it should come out
•  Crumble crackers in your soup
•  Push your plate away when you are finished with your meal
•  Use your fingers to push food on your spoon or fork
•  Order foods that are difficult to eat
•  Reach! If the food isn’t directly in front of you, ask for it to be passed
•  Put your elbows on the table
•  Use toothpicks, fingernails or napkins to dislodge food
•  Smoke during a meal
•  Apply makeup such as lipstick or comb your hair at the table
•  Leave your spoon of fork in the coffee cup, soup bowl or dessert dish
•  Say, “I don’t like this” or “I am allergic to this”…. Simply say, “No thank you”