Over 100 Worthington Scranton students, along with faculty and staff members gained some valuable insight during last week's instructional Business Etiquette Workshop.
The workshop, now in its sixth year at the campus and always a very popular event, featured Patrick Cataldo, MBA, Associate Dean for Executive Education at Penn State's Smeal College of Business.
Mr. Cataldo walked those in attendance through each stage of the luncheon, starting with the basics - from knowing which cutlery to use based on its place setting and how to hold it, to how to eat certain foods, such as soup and pitted olives, as well as what not to do -- holding a cell phone conversation while seated at the table or constantly checking one's Blackberry are definite no-nos.
Gavin Cerco, vice president of Prudential Financial, the workshop's sponsor, stressed the importance of, and need for, knowing and using proper etiquette in business settings, most especially when at an executive dinner or luncheon.
He recounted his own experience of being at his first formal business dinner and not knowing the proper way to act. Instead, he found himself waiting to see what others did, and then followed their lead.
Luckily, those in attendance at Worthington Scranton's workshop won't have that problem when they find themselves in a similar situation.
Thanks to Mr. Cataldo's very thorough instruction and well-presented information, these students are now armed with the knowledge that can help them make a fabulous first impression and quite possibly, be one of the determining factors of whether or not they get that job or promotion.
Bob Armstrong, sophomore -- engineering, said the luncheon was much different than he expected in terms of how the instruction progressed throughout the entire meal, and said it gave him some very useful knowledge that he believes will help prime him for the corporate world.
"There was a lot of new information I picked up that I hadn't known before," he said.
The Professional Protocol and Etiquette Workshop was one of several other business-oriented events scheduled for the month of April at Worthington Scranton, as the campus kicks off its Business Awareness Month.
On Thursday, April 17, the campus's Business Club is sponsoring a Business Internship Panel from noon to 1 p.m. in the SLC's Cafeteria Conference Room. The panel will be comprised of current business students, as well as recent graduates, who will discuss their internship experiences and share the knowledge and insights they have gained through internships.
The month's activities wrap up with a Business Awareness Night on Wednesday, April 23 at 6 p.m. in the Study Learning Center's Sherbine Lounge. This informative session is open to the public and will feature a panel of local professionals from various local businesses, as well as presentations from Worthington Scranton's business faculty and admissions staff who will provide information on pursuing a business degree at Penn State.
Worthington Scranton currently offers associate and bachelor's degrees in Business, with options in management, marketing or finance.
Anyone interested in attending the Business Awareness Night can register by calling 963-2500 or register online at http://www.ws.psu.edu.
