Not the forks again!

Forks you may recognize:  Fork #2 is a Dinner Fork and Fork #3 is a Salad Fork.  In this map, the main course will come before the salad, so the salad fork is pictured closer to the plate.  That is a European tradition often used in very formal meals.  Most of the time you will see those two forks reversed, with the Dinner Fork closest to the plate.  Sometimes both Dinner and Salad Forks will be exactly the same size, so again, start with the fork on the outside.

Above the plate is the Dessert Fork. (Yay!)  Don't despair if you don't see a Dessert Fork when you are seated at the table.  Sometimes the Dessert Fork arrives on the plate with dessert.

What is that funky, curvy fork to the far left? Fork #1 is a Fish Fork. Its shape is instrumental in helping separate the fish on your plate from the bones.  (I know some find it disturbing when your third course is looking back at you, but that's the way of it.)

Our last fork, tiny little Fork #8 is the first fork in the meal.  It's a Seafood Fork, also known as a Cocktail Fork. You may see this resting in the bowl of your Soup Spoon when the First Course is a Seafood Course, such as shrimp cocktail or scallops.  Notice this fork has three prongs.  A similar fork with two prongs is an Escargot Fork.

For you fork snobs, there is also a Lobster Fork, Oyster Fork, Fruit Fork, Strawberry Fork, Pastry Fork and Ice Cream Fork (which we have mentioned before looks a lot like its hillbilly cousin, the "Spork.")  Now that you are in the know, keep it under wraps from anyone about to go crazy with a Bridal Registry.

This tip was provided by: the Culture and Manners Institute at http://www.cultureandmanners.com/

Oregon Tech's Etiquette Dinner

Business Etiquette Dinner

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

5:30-7:30pm, Mt. Mazama

If you’ve ever sat down to a formal meal and wondered “What are all of those forks for?” or “Is this topic appropriate to bring up?” The Career Services Business Etiquette Dinner will answer these questions and put you at ease.  The dinner is a fun, non-threatening way to learn business etiquette skills while enjoying a full-course meal!

Some of the topics that will be covered are: appropriate ordering, correct silverware usage, appropriate topics for mealtime discussion, and many other aspects to teach students how to successfully conduct oneself in one of the more delicate aspects of the employment process.

It’s not just dinner… this is business. Professional dining skills are an essential part of an executive’s basic “wardrobe.”

The Business Etiquette Dinner is for Oregon Tech students only. Tickets are $10 and will be sold online (credit only). Participants will enjoy a catered, five-course meal and receive tips on how to handle social networking events from table hosts.

Please reserve your seat by Friday, February 8

and come dressed in business attire! 

For reservations go to

www.myinterfase.com/oit/student

and click on Career Events

or call Career Services at 885-1020

career@oit.edu

For more information on this event, please contact Jan Goodyear at Jan.Goodyear@oit.edu or call 541.885.1023.

AHHHHHH-CHOOOOOOOO

There is a lot of that going around. The state of Oregon is at a record high for flu diagnoses!   Here are some rules of the fungal jungle:

Always carry tissues, because you may not sneeze into or blow your nose on your napkin at the table.  Can't remember to carry tissues?  Leave yourself a reminder on your cell phone.

If you are at a table with food and you have to sneeze or cough, try to get up and walk away (or dive) from the table.  Sometimes there is not time -- it just sneaks up on you and wham!  There it is. In that case, try to sneeze or cough down, away from the table, away from the food and into your tissue.  (Some will say, "Sneeze into your elbow," but if you are wedged in with people on either side, you might miss and hit your neighbor. And if you have ever been on the receiving end of that, it's hard not to scream.)

In any case, excuse yourself from the table and go wash your hands (in the restroom, not the kitchen or wet bar sink.) If the sneezing or coughing continues, you may have to excuse yourself from the meeting, party or event.

Not all who are sneezing, coughing or blowing their nose is viral.  Some people have food allergies or sensitivities to dusty or dry conditions.  The polite thing to do when someone sneezes, is to not recoil in horror.

Stay healthy. stay warm, the worst is almost behind us!






Tip provided by: Culture and Manners Institute at http://www.cultureandmanners.com/ 

Executive Management Manners

Are you faced with the challenges of being a younger manager with older employees reporting to you?

Recognizing that the older employees may feel resentment, hostility or have fears of being replaced, Ms. Baldrige advises that the younger manager set his/her style of management at the first staff meeting by doing the following:

Greet and shake hands with every employee present, asking each person their name and job title.

Read carefully beforehand the employee bios, so that he can profess admiration for the impressive background and job skills of the people he or she will now manage.  One should memorize interesting tidbits about them, to prove when he meets them how well he did his homework. 

Such as, "You're the one with nine children, aren't you?  Wonderful!  I'd like to see a picture of them some day."  "You must be the one who transferred from Indianapolis.  How do you like Denver in comparison?"  "You won the company sales championship last year, didn't you?  Great!"

Explain to workers that they really need one another in order to work as a team, to bring increased profits.

Demonstrate why they are qualified to be in the new lead position. You should talk about their background and expertise, and how they expect to utilize it.

End with a vigorous affirmation of how pleased they are to be in the new job, how much they admire the team already in place, and how successful they know they will all be.

This tip was provided by the Culture and Manners Institute at http://www.cultureandmanners.com/ 

What to do about the knife...

You are attending a business lunch in with your work colleges...

"Would you like to hold onto your knife?" asked the server.

It always seems like a strange question. There you are holding a knife dripping with salad dressing and you are not quite sure what to do with it.  At a high-end restaurant you usually get a knife with your salad and another knife with the main course.  But some restaurants, in order to cut costs, cut back on the number of eating utensils.

Here are your options:

1. Give up the knife and ask for a new one.

2. Place your knife, blade in, horizontally across the top of your bread plate, if you have one.  Or prop it up on a spoon that is already resting on the table. 

3. If there are no other options, you may have to set the knife on the table itself.  (If you are worried your knife might pick up bacteria from the table, you need to read The Wall Street Journal's article this morning about what kind of bacteria is already on your cell phone.  Sometimes you just need a good pre-Halloween scream.)

What happens if your knife falls on the floor?  Wait for the serving staff to pick it up and hopefully, bring you a new one.

Etiquette Tip of the Week thanks to Culture and Manners Institute at http://www.cultureandmanners.com/ 

What do you mean you can't get a job?

"Hello, can I help you?"
"Yes, I need a job."
"Ok, What kind of job?"
"Any job, but no one will hire me with out experience but I can't get experience with out a job."
"Wait, say that again..."
"I can't get a job without experience and I can't get experience with out a job."
"Do you have a resume?"
"No..."
"Do you have a career services online account?"
"No..."
"Do you have any leads to where you would like to work?"
"No..."
"Ok, well your in the right place, have a seat, we have a lot to talk about!"

You will not have this problem any more once you come to OIT Career Services!

In between the time of our last blog, (about a month ago) and now, employers posted over 160 jobs using our career services online system. Which would roughly come out to about five postings a day, give or take a few.

We provide endless amounts of information about jobs! We even get the employers to come on campus to host interviews! They are looking for you!

Career Services supports student and alumni efforts to develop and achieve career goals. Services include: individual career advising; workshops and classroom presentations on resume writing, job interviewing, job search and applying to graduate school; on-campus employer recruitment, whereby companies and government agencies interview students for career and internship opportunities; Career Fairs, which bring employers and students together on campus to discuss career opportunities informally; career resource materials and job listings; and a resume referral service, which supports student applications for employment and graduate school.

If you want a job, we got them! Come see us!

Your future starts today!

http://www.oit.edu/career
http://www.facebook.com/OITCareerServices

@OITCareerCenter

Can't leave the house? Skype us! OITCareerServices

Whooo Whooos that New Guy?

Hello to all!

My name is Michael Schreffler, Mike for short, Schreff if you get to know me! 

I am honored to announce that I am the new Career Services internet assistant!

Here is a little background info about myself!

I grew up in a suburb, 25 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio called Twinsburg. Interesting enough this small town holds a world record. But for what you might ask?

The Twins Day festival! This started in 1976 with only 36 sets of twins but has grown to be the world’s largest annual gathering of twins with approximately 3,000 sets attending each year. The weekend of events attracts twins, multiples and their families from all over the world, many returning year after year.

At a young age I was thrived for activities that would provide me with high levels of adrenalin such as Skateboarding, Snowboarding, Skim boarding, BMX, Motocross and much more! Only problem was I lived in a suburb division where there wasn’t much space for any of that to take place.

So I began spending my time on something that I found extremely interesting, Computers! I have been using a computer since I can remember; my first computer classes were in 1^st and 2^nd grade.

I went on to join the school band in 5^th grade and chose the drums as my new passion. I got my first drum kit summer before 7^th grade, which I still treasure to this day. During middle school I was a part of school band and the jazz band. Outside of school, I began trying to put together my own musical groups but there seemed to be a lack of musical talent where I came from.

 

I got my driving license when I was 16, so that meant I had to get a job to pay for gas and insurance. At that point reality set in! Life was not all fun and games any more. 

 

Junior year of high school I decided to attend Cuyahoga Valley Career Center to study Computer programming and software development. I wanted to really understand what the computer industry was all about. After one year of what seemed like programming boot camp, I came to the conclusion that I understood programming basics and developing concepts and decided to switch into a senior only program, which was Marketing Technology.

 

Before I knew it I was sending my transcripts to colleges throughout Ohio to see where I would fit in the best.

 

I chose to travel 4 hours south to the University of Cincinnati. Figuring it was the furthest I could get away in Ohio and still be considered in state.

For the next 7 quarters I studied computer support, day in and day out. My hard work had paid off, resulting in my first college diploma!

Associates degree of Applied Business in Computer Support Technology!

Right before graduation, there was a lot of commotion about a semester conversion, not only at the University of Cincinnati, but all throughout the state of Ohio. I began to ponder my education options due to the fact that all my credits hours were on a quarter schedule.

Not sure if anyone knows the conversion equation for this predicament, it goes as follows…

Semester Units = Quarter Units / 1.5

Quarter Units = Semester Units x 1.5

The math just didn’t make sense to me! Why would divide my 104 credit hours by 1.5?

Why would I got to a semester schedule college and be limited to taking 25 credit hours a year verses going to a quarter schedule college and being able to take 40 credit hours a year? Again the numbers were still not making sense.

Now what? I asked myself, after I moved back into my mother’s basement following graduation.

I googled and googled until I found a new degree program at a new school that was still on a quarter schedule!

HOOT!

Oregon Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology specifically the Business and Systems Analysis option! Owl that’s a mouth full!

So I told my mom I was gearing up to head to Oregon!

After an eye opening cross country road trip, I am thrilled to have landed at OIT’s Klamath Falls campus.

I am extremely excited to have the privilege to be providing students with information about career services!

So let’s get ready for a great 2012-2013 school year!

Check out our social media pages!

https://twitter.com/OITCareerCenter

https://www.facebook.com/OITCareerServices

http://oitcareerservices.blogspot.com/