Etiquette class held for students

While most students don't worry about little details such as what cologne to wear or how white their teeth are before going into an interview, Michelle Martin Colman says it can make the difference between whether or not the interview goes well.\nColman, a certified protocol consultant who teaches personal and business etiquette to clients such as professors, people on trial and doctors at the Protocol Institute of Mid-America in Bloomington, gave a lecture Monday night at the Virgil T. Devault Alumni Center. \nAs the first of her business etiquette seminar series, Colman introduced "Business Interview Etiquette: What you need to know to put you in front of the next candidate" to a group of 26 students, faculty and staff.\n"I think when you practice good manners and good etiquette, it frees up your thought process, and you can concentrate on the business at hand," she said.\nRanging on topics from what type of scent to wear to how to give the correct handshake, Colman discussed various issues of preparation and interviews with the audience.\nColman began the seminar with some advice on being polite.\n"When you learn more about manners, you will be amazed at the amount of rude people you encounter," she said.\nFor those rude people, Colman suggested a simple "Well, bless your heart," would suffice.\nFocusing on everything one should do to prepare themselves for that interview or networking day, Colman had specific advice.\nSome of Colman's most important points were the most basic things that many students forget to do before an interview.\n"Intend to eat and breathe before you go," she said. "It's easier to be a nice person when you've eaten."\nTo prepare physically, Colman stressed that students should be well-groomed, meaning they should look manicured and have a nice scent. \n"When you're healthy, you smell good," she said\nColman also advised students not to drink or smoke before the interview because both will leave a lasting odor that many employers aren't looking for. \n"I've had clients where I could smell them in the waiting room," she said.\nAs for the sound of one's voice, she advised students to be authentic in their answering machine messages, so if employers call back, they get the real person. She also advised students to yawn beforehand as much as they could to find their voices. \n"The way you sound directly affects the way people want to listen to you," she said.\nAs for personal appearance, Colman suggested wearing well-fitted clothes that help a person look groomed. She also mentioned that white teeth are important.\n"We're big into teeth in this culture; everybody wants you to have white teeth," she said.\nFor those on a tight budget with no money to spend on expensive whitening kits, Colman suggested an inexpensive tube of whitening peroxide from the dentist and a football mouth guard from the drugstore would work just fine.\nShe also said men with no facial hair in interviews have a better tendency to get the job.\nAside from her advice, Colman had students actively participate in the seminar by practicing the correct handshake and asking questions whenever they felt necessary.\nSenior Jeff Pietryla, an economics major, said he was excited about the seminar.\n"I'm starting to interview with companies, and I'm going to be going out into the real world soon, so this is beneficial," he said. "The little things played a big role, like how to sit and what to say to people."\nThe next session, which will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., Oct. 21 in the Devault Alumni Center, will focus on "Telling the Truth, and Letting Go of the Outcome."\nStudents are encouraged to bring a thank you note that means something to them for the next seminar.\n-- Contact staff writer Rachel Ward at raward@indiana.edu.