Ball State University Career Center representatives emphasized the importance of manners Tuesday at the professional etiquette dinner.
Participants were divided into two groups in the Alumni Center for a networking lecture before the meal.
James Mitchell, assistant director of the Career Center, said 90 percent of all people are afraid to mingle with people they do not know, but 99 percent of executives consider social skills important to business.
After the lecture, students and professionals mingled with each other and then proceeded to the dinner portion of the evening.
Seven professionals from Ball State were mixed in with the crowd.
Nicole Lengerich, from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, said she came to this dinner when she was a Ball State freshman.
"It helped me a lot," she said. "It taught me how to mingle and be cheerful and polite."
During the meal, Mitchell and Willow King, assistant director of the Career Center, coached students on how to use proper dinner etiquette.
Many employers hold interviews over a meal, and the interviewee's potential job might depend on the way he or she acts at the table, King said.
Senior finance and insurance major Tiffany Howell said the dinner was useful for her.
"I have an upcoming interview luncheon and thought this would be helpful," she said.
King and Mitchell discussed table manners, such as which utensil to use, where to put the napkin and how to eat politely.
They also discussed how to dress for an interview.
Interviewees should wear a dark, conservative suit, remove unusual piercings and cover all visible tattoos, King said.
"It is best to err on the conservative side, because you never want to offend anyone," she said. "It is also better to be overdressed than underdressed, because you won't feel as out of place."
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