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NewsroomPress Releases For Release: May 1, 2000 Despite Rosy Economy, College Graduates Need Etiquette to Gain Employment Burlington, VT—Thousands of college graduates will be flooding the job market in the coming months, hunting for choice positions with dot com's and old economy companies alike. The class of 2000 enters the workforce during a time of unprecedented economic expansion, and opportunities appear to be limitless. However, according to The Emily Post Institute, many students may be lacking the basic etiquette skills needed to successfully obtain employment. “Whether it's a MIT graduate heading for a programming job in Silicon Valley or a Northwestern graduate entering the banking industry, students are finding they need more than their academic skills to successfully navigate the business world,” says Peter Post, co-author of “The Etiquette Advantage in Business: Personal Skills for Professional Success” (HarperCollins) and spokesperson for The Emily Post Institute. The book aims to prove that good manners can make the difference between getting ahead in the workplace or getting left behind. In many cases, colleges and universities are picking up the slack by offering etiquette training to students to provide them with an edge when seeking fast track jobs. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology runs a one day “charm school” that features such topics as “how to make small talk,” “how to tell somebody something they'd rather not hear” and “how to butter up big shots.” “Being brilliant is not enough,” says former dean of undergraduate academic affairs Travis Merritt who designed the program. He started it after hearing repeated complaints about technical students who did not know how to dress, what to say or how to speak up. Professor Ken Bartkus of Utah State University's business administration department teaches a four-hour workshop on business etiquette for graduate students. He began offering the workshop when area employers reported that USU graduates lacked everyday business and negotiation skills. Other schools that offer etiquette training include the California State University in Sacramento; University of California, Berkley; Northwestern College in Saint Paul, Minnesota; the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver; Salisbury State University in Salisbury, Maryland; Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles; the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York; and East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. “Colleges and universities are picking up where mom and dad may have left off,” says Peggy Post, co-author of “The Etiquette Advantage in Business.” The book covers interviewing and the job search as well as the intricacies of life at the office. According to the Posts, the need for etiquette training doesn't end once you get the job. On-the-job etiquette courses are becoming as common as cubicles and stock options. The Posts offer business etiquette seminars that work through a wide variety of real-life work scenarios by applying principles and skills for resolving difficult business and workplace situations. Studies have shown that incivility often complicates work life and negatively impacts productivity. The seminars are designed to reverse that disturbing trend. The Emily Post Institute was created by Emily Post in 1946 and continues her legacy through its work. It is based in Burlington, Vermont. |
