Good manners are very important and can often determine whether or not you get the job. The atmosphere in the corporate job world is so much different from that in typical college jobs; once you're hired after college, you're expected to know how to dress and act. According to company recruiters and hiring managers nationwide, proper etiquette among students they've interviewed is sorely lacking. Companies not only want strong academic credentials and solid leadership skills, they're also insisting on excellent interpersonal skills and etiquette is considered a component of those skills. Employers can afford to be very choosy in who they hire due to the challenging job market, so get a head start on the competition...

Scrutinize your writing - Proofread and edit your resume/cover letters; have someone review them.

Dress appropriately for each company and industry - Be aware of dress requirements for each company; dressing professionally will help you develop self-confidence as well as gain the confidence of others. The Boise State Career Center has an excellent handout on dressing for an interview and also a variety of books and a video regarding dress and etiquette.

Show genuine enthusiasm - Be natural; people respond well to this. Get excited about the job you're interviewing for - express interest.

Be patient - Not everything that is faster is necessarily better; learn to differentiate between being appropriately persistent and immaturely impatient.

Watch what you say and how long you take to say it - This ranges from how you address others to avoiding slang expressions such as, "you know" or "like"; an intelligent response to an interview question should be between 2 and 6 sentences, not 6 paragraphs or 6 words.

Learn to listen - Listening is an essential tool for several reasons: by listening to others, you flatter them by showing that what they're saying is important; also, by listening you're learning and increasing your chances of succeeding - how will you understand what your responsibilities are if you're not listening?

Always be ready to demonstrate what you can do to help - It is your job to know what you can do; emphasize what you can do for the company, not what the company can do for you.

Know how to eat properly - Proper table manners are expected; the Boise State Career Center has an excellent video and books on table manners and also offers an etiquette workshop during the semester.

Be on time - Timeliness is a must; plan to leave and extra 10 minutes earlier than normal; timeliness contributes to your chances of success.

Adopt a friendly attitude - Believe in yourself; smiling is never out of style! Be remembered as a nice person who appears happy, relaxed, and interested in others and easy with which to work.

Etiquette involves concentrating on being polite, warm, and friendly and being graceful with your body. Be yourself, not someone else. Good manners will get you where you're going faster than a speeding BMW!

"Without etiquette your chances to shine simply won't come your way."

Excerpted from Wall Street Journal's National Business Employment Weekly

Job Search Topics

        For additional help contact: