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Etiquette in the 21st
Century: Professional Manners 101
By Robin Reeves
Soulcial Scene Contributor
It’s that
time of year when college graduates are looking forward to
starting their new careers with a company they have always
wanted to work for or at least a job where they can use
their new knowledge, skills and abilities. This is an
exciting time of year when employers compete for the best
and brightest interns or better yet the new hire who really
fits the culture of their workplace.
While a
student’s grade point average may be attractive to some
employers, studies have shown that your GPA may not have the
competitive edge you need to hear those two life-changing
words “you’re hired.” Body language, verbal communication,
appearance, to name a few, may be just what you need to give
you a competitive edge and land you that new job!
Earlier this
month REIC had the opportunity to visited Bluffton
University and present our Professional Manners 101 Workshop
for 16 students who were selected by their teachers. After
a few weeks of coordinating this event with Julia Szabo,
director of Alumni Association, it proved to be a
well-received and successful event.
Szabo said,
“I
am feeling lifted up by this experience because we (you,
James Jacobs and I) helped 16 students in a very immediate
and tangible way and we also helped 12 alumni feel good
about contributing to our mission of student success.”
Szabo also said, “It surprised me that
21-year-olds don't know about shaking hands. But I probably
was in the same boat when I was 21. It's a common
professional gesture that I have taken for granted all these
years. One alumni assessment I received said "this student
was very professional....but she forgot to shake my hand
when she left!"
In general, everyone involved was very happy
with the process and the outcomes according to Szabo.
The Bluffton University Alumni Newsletter:
With
graduation just a few weeks away, many seniors are on the
hunt for a job, but the process can be intimidating. So, the
alumni engagement office held a two-day event for students
to learn and practice their professional manners.
“These
activities were absolutely helpful because we’re heading out
into the workplace, and we learned that an interview during
a meal is increasingly common,” said Meg Short ’16, a public
relations major from Archbold, Ohio.
On the first
day of the event, 16 seniors took part in the Professional
Manners 101 Etiquette Workshop given by Reeves Etiquette and
Image Consulting which is based in Toledo.
During the
workshop image we provided tips on topics including
non-verbal communication (gestures, posture and facial
expression), table manners (napkin and utensil use) and
small talk (conversation starters and preparation).
The students
honed their newly-acquired skills on the first night by
practicing handshakes, eating spaghetti and introducing
themselves.
Short
learned a few lessons in body language. “I didn’t know you
should keep your hands on the table. It shows that you’re
not hiding anything.”
Thank to
Luke Shipp, Vice President of Commercial Lines First
Insurance Group and Bluffton University Alumni for
recommending REIC for this workshop, I am truly honored and
grateful for this opportunity and I enjoyed working with a
wonderful group of talented future leaders.
REIC
Professional Manners Tips:
1.
Have an attitude
that reflects that you want to be there. You can do this by
showing up on time for interviews or to start your job. If
you are to be there at 8:00 a.m. and you get there at 8:00
a.m., you are late.
2.
Take pride in the
way you look, wear clean, pressed clothing, neat hair, clean
hands etc. Just because you think you look great, think
about how your appearance represents the image of the
company you work for or hope to work for.
3.
Learn how to
communicate verbally by understanding open-ended and
closed-ended questions and how to respond.
4.
Understand the
business acumen of your company. When you understand how a
company makes money and how valuable the human resource is,
you will identify why you are an asset to the company and
how your job performance affects the entire company
5.
Branding your
behavior is a great way to develop your work ethic, focus
and your ability to find where you add the most value to
your company. Employers like employees with a consistent
personal brand that reflects dependability and more.
6.
Do your research
on a company before you go to the interview so that when you
meet company representatives for the first time you will
know enough about them that it will feel like you are
meeting them for the second or third time. This is where
you get your small talk topics from.
Upcoming
Business Etiquette events:
Women’s Success Series (attend morning or
evening sessions)
Mondays, April 4 – May 9 • 9:30 a.m. – 12
p.m. or 5:30 – 8 p.m. (April 4 Business Etiquette)
Join us for the newly revised addition of our
professional development series! Call 419.530.8570 for more
information or to register : Free
Partners in Education Parent University
Etiquette Class
Thursdays, April 14 - May 5 * 6:00 p.m. -
7:00 pm
Visit:
www.partnerstoledo.org
to register
Scott Park Campus, Free (only 4 seats
remaining)
Professional Manners 101: Performance
Improvement
Tuesday, April 19 * 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Scott Park Campus,
Visit
www.reevesetiquette@bex.net
or call 419-340-5715 to register.
Quote:
“Respect for ourselves guides our morals;
respect for others guides our manners”
― Laurence Sterne
Peace
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