How will I know which bread plate is mine? Which is the dessert fork? In which direction do I pass the bread basket?

Northeastern University Graduate School of Business Administration, however, has set out to make the dinner interview less daunting. Students can now attend a two-hour workshop on business etiquette and networking. The workshop – sponsored by IBM – is structured like a recruiting event and aims to help students interact with corporate executives, as well as teaching them the correct manners in a professional setting.

“This generation has grown up thinking ‘It's all about me', but when you get into the workplace it's not all about you, it's about who you work for,” says David Rand, executive director of catering and special events for Northeastern University in Boston and consultant on professional etiquette, who teaches the class. “It's about how well you represent that company.”