When the interview involves eating

Job interviews can be stressful enough, but add food to the mix and it’s a different situation altogether. For help minding our manners during an interview that requires dining, I turned to Marisa D’Vari. D’Vari is president Deg.Com Communications, a presentation skills and media training company in Boston.

Job interviews can be stressful enough, but add food to the mix and it’s a different situation altogether.

For help minding our manners during an interview that requires dining, I turned to Marisa D’Vari.

D’Vari is president Deg.Com Communications, a presentation skills and media training company in Boston.

Some may worry about which fork to use at an upscale restaurant, but D’Vari says you’re not likely to be presented with this problem, particularly at lunchtime. “The key thing to remember is that the interview isn’t about eating, it’s presenting yourself effectively and positioning yourself for the job,” she says.

D’Vari offers these five quick business dining etiquette tips for success:

1. Eat before you get to the restaurant so you’re not ravenous. Think Scarlet O’Hara in “Gone with the Wind”

and just pick at your plate during the interview.

2. Order something easy and neat to eat. Picking apart a lobster or crab can be messy,

and if your pasta comes with mussels be certain to arrange the shells neatly.

3. Don’t order an alcoholic beverage, even if the host insists. This is not a social lunch.

4. Put your napkin on your lap as soon as you are seated. Fold it only halfway down.

5. Wait until everyone at the table is served before you pick up your fork.

For more information about D’Vari’s services, go to http://www.deg.com

You can also find more tips on how to mind your manners during a job interview conducted during a meal from these monster.com articles at https://content.monstertrak.monster.com/resources/archive/jobhunt/etiquette/ and https://interview.monster.com/articles/lunch/