Picture this lunch scene: 40 college seniors are sitting with their shoulders straight, napkins neatly draped across their laps, slurplessly sipping their soup. It's only the first course out of four they will consume over the next two hours as they get tips on everything from proper utensil usage (work from the outside in) to whether to indulge in dessert (follow your host's lead). They will know never to salt their food before tasting it (a sign that they rush to judgment), and when asked to pass the salt, they'll send the pepper, too, and vice versa. They concentrate as if their careers depended on it. And in a few months it may. Even with a strong resume, social graces can make the difference between them landing a job and remaining a runner up.
"Such nuances of the table may not be emphasized in the dorm or college apartment, but they matter in the business world," says Ruth Hayden, who is leading the etiquette luncheon. She is a veteran of the dining room. As a divisional trainer for the Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Hayden has overseen countless business luncheons and trained hundreds of wait staff for the company's 40+ eateries. As she reminds the students: "Many companies won't hire a person until they've seen how they handle themselves during a business lunch."
The etiquette luncheon was one of three career preparation seminars that LAS organizes for its seniors in the spring to help them make the leap into the real world. Last year was the first for the program. In addition to the luncheon, the series also served up practical advice on financial planning and workplace survival. The financial planning session covered the top 10 financial decisions young adults face after graduation, such as selecting a benefit plan and when and how to begin investing. The workplace seminar offered tips on surviving those crucial first 90 days on the job. Students learned what to expect as the newcomers and how they may gain the respect of their peers.
The response to the seminars was so overwhelming that LAS brought them back again this year, with slots for two to three times more participants. All three of this year's sessions filled within days after they were announced in an email notice and a flier sent to students.
There were some changes. The 90-day survival seminar was swapped with one on "getting hired," a topic that is of keen interest due to the tight job market. Also, the meal was dropped from the etiquette seminar and its focus shifted to business etiquette so that more students could be accommodated.
All of the seminars feature alumni or are made possible by alums, which is how LAS is able to offer them to students. LAS alumna Martha Melman, whose husband is the founder of Lettuce Entertain You, volunteered Hayden's services last year and again this spring. The financial planning seminar is courtesy of LAS alumnus John Micetich, a financial advisor and owner of Kensington Financial. Members of LAS's alumni board participated in the workplace seminar, and another alum will be hosting the seminar on hiring.
