The TL/DR...
- Soft skills like reading social cues, engaging in polite conversation, dressing appropriately, and demonstrating civility can be learned and are essential for success in professional settings, especially in people-oriented and client-facing roles.
- Learning the rules of formal dining, networking, and pleasant conversation in a hands-on, low-stress setting such as the Immersive Etiquette Dinner can provide students with the practical experience needed to succeed in a professional business environment.
- Students who enhance their interpersonal skills through the Immersive Etiquette Dinner experience are likely to feel more confident and polished in real-world business settings, giving them an edge when pursuing internships or employment—especially in fields like tourism, events, and hospitality management.
Whether you are interviewing for a job, applying for an internship, or developing professional contacts through networking, first impressions matter. A person’s mannerism and the way they conduct themselves can influence how they are perceived by a potential employer, client, or business contact. The ability to “read” social cues and maintain a civil, pleasant, and respectful demeanor is essential when navigating the complexities of professional and corporate settings. It is also important to choose attire appropriate for a professional environment. Being able to engage in a polite, sustained conversation that avoids controversial topics is also crucial. For many people, these interpersonal skills—often called “soft” skills—do not come naturally. They are skills that must be learned.
There might be no better test of a person's soft skills than an event such as a dinner or lunch where business is frequently conducted. An employer in thinking of hiring an individual for a client-facing role may want to assess if a candidate has developed the necessary social skills to represent their company in meetings. The ability to make positive connections with individuals on a professional level is a prerequisite for success in many business sectors, but it is especially important in the tourism, events, and hospitality management industry which is “people skills” oriented. Tina Jones, Senior Instructor in the Tourism and Events Management Program at George Mason University, recently discussed an innovative way in which students are learning those skills—all while breaking bread with their classmates over a four-course meal professionally catered by Chartwells Higher Education (a national leader in campus dining) and Mason Dining staff.
The rules of formal dining etiquette in the business world can be intimidating.
The Immersive Etiquette Dinner is part of a course taught at George Mason that addresses the importance of professionalism and civility when working in the tourism and event management industry. The dinner provides students with a hands-on opportunity to learn professional etiquette practices that would be expected of them at a formal business banquet. Anyone who has ever attended a formal dinner or banquet has seen the extensive array of eating utensils, plates, and glasses carefully laid out in a specific order at each place setting. For individuals who are not accustomed to such events, the experience can initially seem intimidating. A person may be concerned that they are using the wrong utensil for the course being served. In addition, since there are usually 8 to 12 people seated at a round banquet table, the place settings can be crowded. It may be difficult for a person to figure out which glass or bread plate is theirs, and which one belongs to the individual sitting next to them.
Students can learn networking, conversational, and interviewing skills while participating in a hands-on, low-pressure dinner experience.
Participation in the Immersive Etiquette Dinner experience can reduce a student’s anxiety about unintentionally breaching formal dining protocols. Any mistake the student makes happens in a non-pressured environment where they can learn from their errors. This provides students with the chance to focus more on developing their networking, conversational, and interviewing skills as they engage with their peers seated at the dinner table. In addition, students can practice the art of toasting their peers, an activity that often occurs at formal business banquets. The skills they develop by participating in the Immersive Etiquette Dinner are skills that will help them when they embark on their professional careers.
Soft skills are just as important as “hard” or technical skills, especially in the tourism, events, and hospitality industry.
Students who participate in the Immersive Etiquette Dinner are likely to feel more comfortable in a real-life business setting compared to those who have not had that experience This can provide those students an advantage when seeking a competitive internship or job, especially in a field like the tourism, events, and hospitality industry where soft skills and presentation matter just as much as “hard” or technical skills. Students who know how to conduct themselves professionally will be more confident and more polished in how they present themselves. The Immersive Etiquette Dinner provides students with the practice they need to develop their soft skills in a setting that mirrors the culture of a professional environment.
For more information on degree offerings in the Tourism and Events Management Program at George Mason University, please visit the program website.