Business basics end with etiquette for Chattanooga College students

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE BASICSGive a professional impression in email addresses and voicemail messages. "No one wants to have an email address that says 'sexymama207' on it. Be professional," said Richard Johnson, soft skills class teacher at Virginia College.Have a positive attitude, leaving yourself open to learning new skills on the job to grow with the company.Maintain a healthy online image. Be aware that anything posted on the Internet could be accessed by potential bosses.Source: Richard Johnson, adjunct business professor at Virginia College

The U.S. Army taught Jenny Stamey how to field strip an M-16, but Chattanooga College taught her how to use a salad fork.

In the military, she had about seven minutes -- 10 if she was lucky -- to grab a meal, find a seat and chow down in the mess hall before heading back out.

"You eat as fast as you can," she said. "You're hearing the yelling going on all around you."

So Tuesday's formal dinner etiquette training class, part of a new Chattanooga College initiative, was a welcome change for Stamey.

The medical assistant student, who expects to be faced with plenty of business lunches and dinners throughout her career, said she'll now be confident in such settings, hopefully helping her stand out among other job seekers in her field.

"You just need an edge," said William Faour, president and owner of the college. "All things being equal, this can give you that edge."

Faour said he is always looking for ways to help his students stand out as they enter the job market. The ultimate goal of a Chattanooga College education isn't just to succeed academically, he said, but to reel in a job and do well.

That philosophy is growing in for-profit schools. Virginia College, a private college like Chattanooga College, already has a program teaching students soft skills such as interview and business dinner etiquette.

Both programs aim to supplement the job skills training already provided by the colleges with instructions on important social aspects of business such as how to shake hands, behave in an interview and work on a team with colleagues.

If graduates want to find some elusive employment in today's highly competitive job market, they need to be prepared for whatever situations their potential employers throw at them, said Anne McGintis, etiquette program founder and dean of students.

"A lot of interviews are not just taking place in the office," she said after going over the proper use of a napkin, which breaks down to wipe your mouth as often as possible. "It's highly embarrassing if people don't know their manners."

Christina Lopez, a medical assistant student who hopes to become a doctor, expects the training to help her throughout her career. Beyond that, she said the etiquette instruction will be useful at home as she teaches her 2-month and 3-year-old daughters manners.

Adriana, her elder girl, is at the age where she's just starting to learn to eat at the table. By teaching her the correct placement of salad forks -- to the left of the dinner fork -- and the proper way to eat spaghetti -- twirl the fork, don't ever cut the noodles -- from the start, Lopez hopes her daughter will one day be the picture of politeness.

"It's so beneficial to us," she said. "It's something we're going to carry for the rest of our lives."

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