As Peter Drucker once noted, “More business decisions occur over lunch and dinner than at any other time, yet no MBA courses are given on the subject.”
Until now, that is, at Thunderbird.
This past Monday, 25 students sat down for dinner with CMC Coach, Tony Kmetty for a business dining etiquette seminar. With topics ranging from ‘Managing Soup’ to ‘The Napkin’, Tony reviewed the basics of table setting layout and dining etiquette, but also offered suggestions on table topics and conversation no-nos.
“During the final stages of the hiring process, employers want to see the real you and that usually comes out during a dining experience. It is imperative that you handle yourself in a professional, formal manner while eating and be able to engage in meaningful conversation,” Tony said.
The CMC offers several dining etiquette seminars every trimester to help students focus on closing that final interview and ultimately landing the job. It is well understood among hiring managers that the dining interview process is to demonstrate to the how you would represent the company if they decide to offer you a position.
Piyush Chandra ’15, attended the seminar and considers this level of detail an advantage over his competition when being considered for a job. “It’s imperative for us, as students, to pay attention to these minute details and leave a lasting impression. Every action is being carefully evaluated and we have to be on top of the game always.” Piyush went on to say, “The CMC was pragmatic in its approach, the students were served dinner and had the opportunity to clarify any doubts while eating. The session was truly worth every minute and every bite! Stop slurping!”
Tony agreed, “[The dining interview] definitely plays a part in their final decision, so take the time to learn what to do in that setting and impress them with your knowledge about the role and the company was well as professional topics outside the workplace….you will be glad you did!”
Check for the next scheduled dinner etiquette seminar in the “Workshops” link under the “Events” tab in Global Connect.