This document provides etiquette guidelines for dining interviews and business meals. It discusses interview dinner etiquette such as taking small bites to answer questions. Proper dining etiquette is also covered, including using various utensils for different courses, placing the napkin on the lap, and signaling to the waiter that a course is finished. Maintaining good posture and manners like not talking with your mouth full or leaving belongings on the table are also emphasized.

1. DINING ETIQUETTE
WORKSHOP

2. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Why an interview over dinner?
Employers want to see you in a more social setting to get a better feel
for you. It is a way to continue the interview without the constraints
of an office.
- How do I eat & answer questions at the same time?
You may not have a lot of time to eat if you are being asked many
questions. Take small bites so you have time to chew, swallow, and
respond. Never speak with your mouth full.

3. THE LITTLE BOOK OF ETIQUETTE
“Today business is the largest social
environment in the world. Our rapidly
expanding global economy forces us to
socialize and conduct business at the
table more than ever before. It is in this
setting that table manners play a major
role as relationships are developed and
strengthened. There is no better or
possibly worse place, to make an

4. THE HOST
- Hosts are the company representatives.
- They are responsible for making everyone feel comfortable and
make sure everyone’s meal is okay.
- Directs the table and waiter/waitress.
- As a guest you follow the host’s lead.

5. SEATING
- Always take and leave your seat from the right.
- The person sitting to the right of the host is person of highest
importance.
- The person sitting to the left of the host is the person of the second
highest importance.

6. TO DRINK OR NOT TO DRINK?
- Job applicants who are invited to have lunch with their interviewers
are strongly advised NOT to drink, even if offered.

7. NAPKIN USE
- Place your napkin completely unfolded on your lap if
it is a small napkin, or in ½ if it is a large dinner
napkin, with the crease towards your body.
- You may tuck your napkin in your belt, but NOT your
collar.
- The napkin remains on your lap throughout dinner
and should be used for gently blotting your mouth.

8. NAPKIN USE, CONTINUED
- YOUR napkin is the one on the left.
- The meal begins when the host unfolds his/her napkin. This is the
guest’s signal to do the same.
- If you must leave the room, place your napkin on the chair, not the
table.
- The host will signal the end of the meal by placing their napkin on
the table.
- After finishing the meal, place it to the left of your plate with a peak.

9. ORDERING THE MEAL
- Do not order the most or least expensive meal on the menu.
- Think about the food you order.
 Spinach in your teeth? Wing fingers?
- Do not feel obligated to order what the host suggest,
it is merely a suggestion.
- Ask the server any questions you may have.

10. THE TABLE SETTING
1. Napkin
2. Dinner Fork
3. Salad Fork
4. Service Place
5. Dinner Knife
6. Teaspoon
7. Soup Spoon
8. Butter
Spreader 9.
Butter Plate
10. Dessert
spoon
11. Dessert fork
12. Water
goblet
13. Wine goblet

11. PLACE SETTING
- A place setting can tell you a lot about the meal you are about to
consume.
 American style? Continental style? How many courses?
- Always use silverware starting from the outside, in.

12. AMERICAN VS. CONTINENTAL
American:
- The salad is served before he
meal.
- Exchanges silverware in hands.
Continental:
- The salad is served after the
meal.
- Silverware never changes
hands.

13. HOLDING YOUR SILVERWARE
- There is a right way and a wrong way to hold your
silverware!
Never grasp your knife or fork like you would hold onto handlebars or a joystick.

14. BEGINNING THE MEAL
- Wait for the host to begin eating before you start eating.
- If you are served your meal first you should wait for all your guests
to be served before you start (unless you are told otherwise).
- Read the place setting to learn what courses will be served and in
what order.

15. BREAD
- Everyone in the world has a
ritual for bread.
- Bread is broken, NOT cut.
- Bread is passed to the right.
- Do not butter the entire piece.
 Break in ½ then in ¼ . Butter only that
¼
- Use the butter knife to butter,
not the dinner knife.

16. SOUP
- Use the soup spoon, which is the
large spoon.
- Do not slurp your soup or pick up
the bowl.
- Spoon away from you to the center
of the bowl.
- Sip a clear soup from the side of
the spoon. Other soups should be
eaten directly from the spoon,
verses sipping. (ex. Broth vs.
vegetable soup)
- You may drink your soup if it is
served in a cup WITH handles.
- When finished, put your soup
spoon on the side of the soup plate.

17. SALAD
- Use the salad fork, which is the
first fork on the left side of the
plate.
- Do not use your dinner fork to
cut your salad.
- The seating may include a
salad fork, if so do not use the
dinner fork.
- When finished place your fork
at the 4 o’clock angle with the
fork tines up or down.

18. SORBET
- This course is served to cleanse
the palate.
- Eat as you would ice cream.
- It is usually served with a
spoon, if not, use the spoon
between the soup spoon and
knife.
- When finished, put the spoon
on the side of the plate.

19. MANAGING YOUR UTENSILS
- The proper way to cut your meat is to hold your knife and your fork
with your thumb and pointer finger.
 As you would hold a pencil.
- “American style” alternates the fork and the knife. Example: if you
cut your meat with your knife in your right hand, you would switch
your fork to your right hand to take the meat out of your mouth.
- “Continental style” is slightly different. You cut your meat with your
knife in your right hand, and bring it to your mouth with your fork in
your left hand.

20. THE MEAL
- Only cut what you will eat each bite, do not cute the entire piece.
- It is customary to leave a small portion to show you are filled.
- The host should pace his/herself and eat as long as the guests.
- If you bite into something and you need to take it out of your
mouth, the rule is to take out the way it went in and hide it under
garnish if possible.
- Vegetables served in side dishes can be eaten out of the dish or
places on your plate.
- Use your knife to cut fruit from the core and your fork to bring the
pieces to your mouth.
- Use you knife or fork with lamb chops or other tender meats.

21. GOOD DINING ROOM MANNERS
- Do not scan the room. Keep your eyes on your companions and
your food.
- Allow yourself to be heard but do not talk loud and do not listen to
another table’s conversation.
- Eat slowly, quietly and watch those table manners, because
everyone else will be watching them too!

22. GOOD MANNERS, CONTINUED
- Never light up a cigarette, even if everyone else at your table is
smoking.
You will show executives that you know enough not to smoke in a social situation,
and that even if they break the rules of politeness, you will not.
- Never Leave your handbag on the table.
- Never put make up on at the table
- Do not clutter the restaurant table with your resume files or
portfolio.
This upsets the peace of the diners around you, and makes it extremely difficult for waiters to serve you.

23. POSTURE
- SIT UP STRAIGHT.
- Your hands and wrists may rest on the table, but NOT your elbows.

24. HELPFUL HINTS
- Never leave your spoon in the cup after using it. Place it on the
saucer when drinking tea or coffee.
- Use a spoon to get jam from a jar, then put it on your butter plate.
Use your knife to get it to your bread.

25. RESTROOM USAGE
- Go in between courses, not during one.
- Excuse yourself from the table to those around you.
- Ladies, always take your purse.
- Put your napkin on the seat signifying you will be returning.

26. FINISHED?
- When you have paused, but have not “finished”, leave your knife
and fork in an open position. A trained waiter will recognize that you
are signaling him not to remove your plate.
- Placing your fork and knife together on the side of your plate
signals the waiter that you have finished eating and that the plate
may be removed.

27. QUESTIONS

28. CONNECT WITH CAREER SERVICES
Georgia Southern Career Services @gsucareers
GeorgiaSouthern.edu/career (912) 478-5197
Amy Rowell – Career Development Specialist
awilliams@georgiasouthern.edu