Every college student hopes to acquire a job after graduation, but students may be unaware of how important the interview process is for getting a job after college.

“Manners Matter – Networking & Business Dining” was an event held Monday at the Gorecki Alumni Center. It provided a chance for students to network with local employers and learn about professional etiquette necessary during business dining.

“Many students believe they don’t need to think about their future until senior year, but that’s not true,” Director of Career Services Ilene Odegard said.“The most successful students I work with plan their college path so that it feeds into their career path every step of the way.”

The Etiquette and Networking dinner offered students a chance to practice and learn about important networking and etiquette skills during a formal interview. While pursuing a job, manners are an important thing to remember, as they are an expression of oneself. It’s important for students to know how to conduct themselves professionally while out corporate dining, during an interview.

“Whether it’s lunch or just coffee and a donut, 80 percent of all second interviews involve food of some sort.” Odegard said.

At the dining event, an open social discussion took place 30 minutes before the dinner to provide a chance for students to network with local employers and other guests in attendance.

Guests at the event included Marilyn Hagerty of the Grand Forks Herald, Juan Pedraza of the UND Business and Marketing de- partment, Target and Eide Bailly LLP accounting firm in Fargo.

Students also had an opportunity to win raffle prizes, which included a $50 gift card from Target, a new backpack from Eide Bailly and a gift basket from Career Services.

Following the social, students sat down to partake in a three-course dinner including soup and salad, entrée and dessert.

Traci Kovar, Director of Happiness from Verizon BeMobile, was the presenter of the event and gave a detailed presentation on the ins and outs of professional etiquette of business dining during the dinner.

The presentation discussed proper dress attire for business dining, appropriate table etiquette and how to conduct behavior at the table.

The slideshow featured comprehensive information from the book “Pardon Me, Your Manners Are Showing” written by Bruce Gjovig.

During dinner, Kovar walked around demonstrating and explaining helpful tips to students about how to appear professional during a business dinner.

The dinner was a great opportunity for students to practice and learn about professional skills and chat with local employers sitting at their table.

Students interested in this event will still have a chance to attend the informational dinner, as there will be another Etiquette and Networking dinner offered in the spring semester.

“I heartily recommend the Etiquette and Networking Dinner for all students, no matter where they are in their college career,” Odegard said. “They’ll learn that net- working and good manners are still a vital part of career development and future success.”

Amanda Hefner is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected].