Put your napkin in your lap. Do not use the salad fork to skewer your steak. Shake hands firmly, but for God’s sake, not too firmly. And whatever you do, do not discuss politics or religion.

The rules of proper etiquette at a formal dinner are far too numerous to list. When interviewing for a job while dining, knowing these rules backwards and forwards could mean the difference between landing a great job and going home unemployed. This is why Sacramento State’s career center hosted an instructional etiquette dinner at the University Union restaurant Thursday night.

The event was organized by Career Center Employer Relations manager Eva Gabbe, who has seen many students turned away from employment because they broke one of the myriad of guidelines for formal dining. She said one student licked salad dressing from his fingers and told her he lost a job opportunity because of it.

“So many students make mistakes with manners and etiquette, and they lose job opportunities because of that,” she said. “It is all these little tiny things that once you do them, it is over &- you cannot get it back.”

Students on Thursday were taught everything from how to eat a dinner roll to where to put their utensils upon completion of their meal. The first half of the event was dedicated to etiquette in the United States, while the latter part focused on how to dine formally in Greece. Gabbe said each semester they teach students about manners in one other culture. She explained that this is particularly important in an increasingly global economy.

Senior business major Ulises Martinez said he learned real-world techniques he expects to use during his career. He said those lessons can be applied everywhere, regardless of a student’s major.

“You do not want to be the one holding your knife like a Neanderthal, tearing at your steak,” he explained. “This should be at every school.”

The dinner was prepared by Michael Miller, head chef at the University Union restaurant. Along with a sauteed chicken breast over rice, students were treated to a Greek salad with olives and feta cheese as a nod to the theme of the evening. And for desert was baklava, a classic Greek pastry loaded with nuts and honey.

Keynote speaker Judy Bennet said she learned the rules of fine etiquette from Letitia Baldridge, social secretary for former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. In her presentation, one rule she stressed repeatedly is to send a “thank you’ note if a perspective employer treats an applicant to a meal. An e-mail is insufficient &- it must be hand-written. Not only is it a polite gesture, but she said it is so rare it could set the sender apart from the pack.

Bennet confessed there are far too many rules to remember them all. But she said to some extent, it is the effort that counts. And if you remember the basics, they can carry you through any tough situation.

“If you demonstrate good judgment,” she said, “you could spill your milk and it would not matter.”

Alex Grotewohl can be reached at agrotewohl@statehornet.com