Del Mar Career Development Center holds luncheon to teach manners
Not too often does an opportunity arise to hone your professional dining etiquette skills — in fact, it only happens twice every semester.
Del Mar College’s Career Development Center hosted a business etiquette luncheon on Feb. 28 on East Campus and a dinner on March 1 at West Campus to inform students about proper dining techniques needed for possible future interviews.
“It’s an opportunity for students to come in and learn about luncheon business etiquette for dining interviews with potential employers,” said Darcy Letson, an architecture major who works in Career Development. Letson has been to six business etiquette meals over the past three semesters.
The luncheon featured a three-course meal and an instructive presentation given by Jane Ibanez, a recurring speaker for these etiquette meals. Ibanez taught different styles of holding eating utensils as well as proper ways of passing tabletop dishes and condiments.
“When you show up to a dining interview, you’re having a silent conversation as soon as you walk in,” Ibanez said. “Before you even sit down, that potential employer is paying attention to everything they see.”
After Ibanez’s energetic etiquette course, the luncheon featured a guest panel of local business employers to answer questions from students on issues ranging from past interview experiences to professional content posted on Facebook.
“Really it’s just career readiness training,” Letson said, “and this is something that hopefully people will be able to put on resumes so employers know they have skills to interact with others in a formal setting.”
