You’ve just landed an interview with your dream company and realize it will take place during dinner at a nice restaurant. Are you ready?
As an HPU student, you will be!
While some colleges provide an etiquette class during a student’s senior year, HPU provides students with four years of enhanced career preparation inside 1924 PRIME, Alo, and Kazoku, exposing students to business and social etiquette, global culture and international cuisine. Students learn to engage with others while using professional etiquette, and the experience puts them at ease in a formal setting.
In the New York Times article “How to Hire the Right Person,” employers say that taking a candidate to lunch or dinner is one of the most revealing and important components of the hiring process.
Tips for navigating a dining interview:
- If the restaurant is unfamiliar to you, consider mapping out how you will get there, as well as the parking situation, to ensure your promptness. If you’re unsure how formal or casual the dining is, research the restaurant online or even consider going in advance to check out the atmosphere and food options.
- Dressing in business professional clothing is the standard advice for interviewing. Plan to dress similarly to what the job you are applying for would require. You can assume the interviewer will likely be coming from work, so they will be in their typical dress for the work they do.
- Remember to be polite. The employer will likely be noting how well you treat the host and wait staff. Using “Please” and “Thank you” will be expected. Brush up on your common table manners by visiting one of HPU’s premier dining locations.
- Follow the interviewer’s lead. It’s normal to ask yourself what food you should order or whether you should drink if the interviewer does. For food choice, refrain from choosing the most expensive or elaborate course on the menu. Rather, aim for a meal that is easy to eat with a fork that will reduce the risk of mess. As for drinking alcohol, it is not advised to do so during an interview, as you want to be sure to stay sharp throughout. If the interviewer should order a bottle of wine for the whole table to share, having one glass would be appropriate or declining is also acceptable.