Many students who wanted to ensure they knew proper protocol for a meal with a prospective employer learned how to properly go about it at a professional prep dinner hosted by the MSU Federal Credit Union Wednesday night.
The dinner was held in the ballroom at the MSU Union and served as dining practice for professional eating scenarios, such as having an interview over lunch.
The students enjoyed a multiple-course meal complete with cloth napkins and numerous utensils on the table.
The night included several presenters, who spoke about everything from how to correctly pass the salt to delivering an excellent elevator speech.
More than 200 MSU students were in attendance. Some students were even equipped with paper and pencil to take notes on the presentations.
This was the case for human resource management junior Ashley Jones.
Jones approached the dinner with extreme seriousness and took notes throughout the night.
“I gained a lot of practical advice,” Jones said. “The real world is not as simple as it seems, and a lot of the skills (presented) can be transferred.”
Many of the students were dressed in business attire. Some students came with friends, but most students sat next to someone they didn’t know, which helped give the event more authenticity.
Executive Vice President of the MSU Federal Credit Union April Clobes said credit union officials hope the professional prep dinner helps student attendees obtain jobs in the future.
“Everyone’s really excited to come and learn ... (and) get a little edge on something to be able to be better positioned for a job in the future,” Clobes said.
Some of the rules of etiquette invited humor to the event, but most of the information offered to attendees by experts could be crucial.
Global studies sophomore Mauricio Hernandez said he learned several new tips during the night, including eating at the same pace as your host.
“This truly will help me develop leadership skills,” Hernandez said. “This helps for every student in high school, middle school and college.”
Clobes said the event has been around for more than 10 years, and the attendance at the dinner has increased every year.
“We’re hoping the students feel that they have an opportunity to know what to do instinctively in a situation in an interview that would occur over a meal,” Clobes said. “The last thing you want to have happen is the moment of panic, like which fork do I use?”
