Students to learn dinner party etiquette | Press Releases

Fairfield University students to be put through paces of mock business dinner party

Dolan School of Business event to provide skills in professional interaction, job interviewing, and networking

What: Etiquette expert Ann Marie Sabath, president and founder of At Ease Inc., a New York City-based business protocol and social skills training firm, will spend the evening putting students through the paces of a mock formal dinner and cocktail party. The evening will offer undergraduates lessons in professional interaction, presentation, personal style, mixing and mingling. Along the way, Sabath will select some students to role-play tricky situations. The event is part of the Professional Development Series at Fairfield University's Charles F. Dolan School of Business to make students career ready.

When: Wednesday, October 22, 2014, at 5:30 p.m.

Where: Charles F. Dolan School of Business Dining Room, Fairfield University campus.

The agenda will include:

What are the first three words you use when speaking to recruiters
How to establish instant rapport with recruiters and interviewers
Professional Presence for Men: the "Always, sometimes, never" rule
Professional Presence for Women: The Rule of 13 when wearing accessories
What to do when you have a tattoo
When you should pen a thank you note vs. email one
Smart phone courtesy
How to have the last word even when you are not offered the job
How to get rid of slang for once and for all
Words to delete from your vocabulary

Why: Donald E. Gibson, Ph.D., dean of the Dolan School of Business, said this 'Competitive Edge' seminar for Fairfield University students will help prepare students for internships and their careers. "In this increasingly competitive job market, we see it as vital to provide students with lessons in interpersonal and social skills," he said. "A skill set in professional interaction skills and diplomacy can make or break a job interview, and are key to every business leader's career growth."