How to Dine Like a True Professional

Whether you are a young student or a seasoned professional, the importance of strong dining skills stands. How well you conduct yourself at the dining table with the pressure of a mouthful of food hanging over your head may either positively or negatively affect the business decision or interview. Thus, the key is to know how to carry yourself in business dining situations beforehand in order to be prepared for anything that may fly your way. The following tips below will pinpoint areas crucial in dining etiquette.

Pre- Dining Etiquette

Punctuality is important. No one wants to be kept waiting, so be on time. If the delay happens to be unavoidable, take action and contact the person to let them know. However, keep in mind that encountering heavy traffic, construction or wrecks will happen, thus it is important to always leave early in order to set aside enough time to arrive promptly. Just as “DECA time” is arriving fifteen minutes prior to an event, arrive early to your business dinner or lunch.

I’m at the table, what do I do now?

If you are already seated, rise to greet the other person or people. Apply your positive body language skills and give the newly arrived person a firm, solid handshake. If you have just arrived, wait until you are invited to be seated or seat yourself after the host sits down. All bags, purses, briefcases and glasses should be kept off the table at all times and cell phones should be on silent and put away as well.

Table Setting

With a variety of table settings, the surest way to choose the right utensils is the follow the general guideline, “start on the outside and work your way in.”  If there are two forks of the same or different sizes (one for the salad, the other for the main course), always start with the outermost fork. Your drink will always be on the right side above your knife and soup spoon as well. The bread plate will always be placed on the left side above your forks.  To recall the placement order, remember the acronym BMW, B for bread on the left, M for meal in the center and W for water (or beverage) on the right. Keep in mind the BMW as it will help you remember which water glass is yours and prevent you from harming your professional image by making the mistake of drinking from a client’s or interviewer’s water glass.

It’s time to order, what should I pick?

A good rule of thumb is to follow the lead of the host. Order simply and do not customize your order excessively as negative attention is then attracted to you. Select an item that is mid-price, easy to eat and enjoyable. It is highly recommended to stay away from messy or difficult meals such as barbecue ribs, spaghetti or lobster.

Eating

As the meals are getting served, wait for everyone to receive their order, and for the host to begin eating before starting in on your meal. While you are eating, take small bites and do not talk with your mouth full. Try a little of everything on your plate unless you have a food allergy. You will present yourself as unsophisticated and juvenile if you eat only your steak and potatoes, pushing your peas and carrots away. Pace yourself throughout the meal in order to finish in time with everyone else; however, this does not mean eating at the speed of light or as slow as a snail.

What do I do if I have to leave the table?

When leaving the table during the meal, excuse yourself politely, place your napkin next to your plate and push the chair back under the table. It is not important to announce where you are going, or what you will be doing when you get there.

Lets Talk Business!

Use the business meal as an opportunity to build a relationship. People do business with people they trust. Employers hire those they feel will represent their company in the best possible light. This meeting is a great opportunity to showcase your professional knowledge, strong communication skills and attention to detail. Taking the time and making the effort to hone your dining skills is an investment in your business success.

More General Etiquette Tips

• A cough or a sneeze should be directed into your left shoulder, shielded by your left hand. This will keep your right hand germ-free. Avoid using your napkin as a tissue.

• If an accident at the table occurs, handle it and move on. Ask for assistance from your server, but do not give the situation more attention than it deserves. It is best to simply deal with it as efficiently as possible. Remember, accidents do happen!

• If you drop a utensil, let it stay on the floor. Move it out of the way so other restaurant guests will not hurt themselves. Signal your server for another fork and encourage your guest to continue eating.

• When asked to pass the salt, always pass the pepper as well. Pepper and salt are married together and should stay that way.

• Cultural courtesy is a big aspect of business in today’s world. If you are in another country or going to dine with a businessman coming from a foreign country, make sure to research their country’s culture and customs.

As you go to business lunches, dinners or interviews, keep these etiquette tips in mind. They are highly importance and will come into great help during dining situations. Now that you are prepared, best of luck to you!

BY: SOPHIA DING

Three Common Wrong Handshakes

First impressions are lasting impressions. The manner in which you extend your hand, the firmness of your grip and even the timing of your handshake influence how someone feels about you throughout a professional relationship. For this reason, mastering a perfect handshake is an invaluable lesson.

Here are a few common types of wrong handshakes:

1. The Barbie

The Barbie handshake is one in which you shake with only your fingers. A proper handshake should include your whole hand. The Barbie handshake can give others the impression that you are uninterested or even worse, arrogant.

2. The Arnold (Schwarzenegger)

The Arnold handshake is one in which you squeeze the life out of others. The Arnold handshake is perceived as a sign of aggressive dominance. Your grip should not be stronger than would be your grip when you turn a doorknob.

3. The Oprah

The Oprah handshake is one in which both people shake hands and then you place your second hand on top of the handshake. This type of handshake can add a whole other layer of uncomfortability. Therefore, a proper handshake should only involve two hands and last a couple of seconds.

For the proper handshake, extend your arm and make web-to-web contact (the area between your thumb and index finger). Grip firmly enough to twist a doorknob, and shake only for a few seconds.

BY: SAHITHI TALASILA

DECArate Your Resume

Students in my high school are always coming up to and asking me, “Why join DECA?” or “What are the benefits?” As well as a great opportunity for networking and developing leadership skills, DECA is an amazing resume booster and makes your application stand out from the rest. Whether you are applying for a job, college, or scholarship, the mention of DECA speaks to the reviewer. Listed and explained below are four characteristics of a DECA member that employers notice.

Goal Oriented: Showing that you are involved in DECA shows that you are goal oriented and that you think one step ahead. In DECA, you are able to experience different aspects of business and determine which areas you are skilled in, which you enjoy, and don’t enjoy. Taking the opportunity to do so and ask yourself these questions suggests that you are driven and are seeking for something to bring you long term success.

Commitment: On your resume when you show you have dedicated a significant amount of time to a single activity, it shows that you strive for growth and quality. The amount of time you spend on an activity often reflects the quality. Quality and commitment are very important to employers, and being in DECA and competing shows that you have taken time to understand the concepts and to research and practice for your presentation. Your commitment shows them you are passionate and strive for excellence and success.

Emphasizes Real World Experience: Real world connections and professional experience is one of DECA’s greatest benefits. By competing in DECA’s competitive events program, you are familiarizing yourself with concepts related to the field you compete in or study. It allows you to apply what you have learned to other work related situations. Real world experience is the foundation for success and offers so much more than you can get from reading a book or studying in class. DECA not only offers the first hand experience you would miss out on in a normal classroom setting.

Getting a Head Start: Having real world experience not only gives you a strong foundation to start from, but it also give a head start in preparing for your future career. DECA provides limitless opportunities to explore different aspects of business. This allows you to feel around for which aspect or area best suits you.

BY: KAITLYN SMITH

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Networking at DECA Events

If you are like most new DECA members, then you may be extremely nervous for competition. You are likely trying to remember your performance indicators, marketing concepts, and vocabulary. After all, this is your first time competing against the best high school students in the nation. However, don’t get too caught up in the competition. No doubt: your goal should be to place or even win, but there are other things that are intriguing at DECA competitions and events. It’s important to go out of your comfort zone and explore what the event has to offer.

For one, talk to your fellow competitors and peers. I know it can be daunting speaking to new people (even I, myself, struggle with it at times). However, you never know. Some of these new people could end up being the new faces of DECA. A common phrase is “It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.” Branching out and meeting new people is always a good way of establishing long-term connections, connections that could end up helping you in the future. And who knows, you may even make a new friend.

Most of the time, even at smaller, local competitions, there are guest speakers who are highly qualified and have real-world experience. It doesn’t hurt to go up to him or her and ask a couple of questions. Once again, it is about who you know. Establishing connections at an early age, especially to highly qualified individuals, is something that not many teenagers can speak of. You could consider creating a LinkedIn account and “connecting” with the guest speakers. Establishing contacts with successful professionals can lead to better career prospects.

Overall, meeting new people, whether they are competitors or professionals, is incredibly important. No form of social media or technology can replace face-to-face interactions. These can lead to endless opportunities, especially later in life. Just stand up, walk up to the person, and introduce yourself. These skills, though difficult to master, will set you up for success in the future.

BY: ISHAAN KAPOOR

Creating a SMART Goal to Achieve Your Goalsl

Setting goals may seem easy, however, achieving them may not always be the easiest. This is why setting a SMART goal is the best way to help you achieve these goals! You are probably wondering, “What does a SMART goal even mean?” SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Let us break down each category of a SMART goal to help better understand what they mean. 

Setting a specific goal is the first step in planning out your SMART goal. What is the specific thing that you would like to achieve? Make your goal as specific as possible and express it positively. A specific goal should include who, what, when, where, why, and how. Who is involved? What will I be trying to accomplish? When will I be accomplishing this? Where will I be doing this at? Why am I doing this? How am I going to do this? 

Once you pick your specific goal, you’ll need to measure it. Measuring your success is crucial as it will give you a clear look as to how far you have come along with your goal. Measuring your goal is also important because you will need data to evaluate your progress to see if you are working towards your goal. 

Next, you need to make sure that your goal is achievable. Consider whether or not you have the resources to continue working towards your goal. If not, you need to think about if you can gather all materials needed for your goal in time. If your goal is achievable, then it is most likely a realistic goal. Take the time to evaluate whether or not your goal is realistic and achievable within a certain time period. 

Finally, make your goal timely by setting out specific dates. Always have a starting point and an ending point with checkpoint dates in between! This also includes listing out the steps it takes to achieve your goal within the allotted time. 

Always use your resources! Ask your teacher or advisor for help if you are having trouble putting your SMART goal to paper. I recommend using a table or online spreadsheet to organize your thoughts and keep your SMART goal in a place that is easily accessible.
Make sure the goal you choose is something you are passionate about! You will always have a much easier and enjoyable time if you are working towards something you are passionate about. Make sure that you try to accomplish at least one of your goals every few days and reward yourself along the way for your hard work! Creating a SMART goal has personally helped me in any of my ventures in and out of DECA and I recommend creating a SMART goal to anyone who wants to achieve a goal they are passionate about! 

BY: SHELBY KENNEDY

How to be the Best Chapter Officer You Can Be

Serving as an officer for your DECA chapter is an honor and a big responsibility. As an officer, you will be expected to be a representative, leader, and role model in your chapter, but are you #ReadyForIt? In order to be the best chapter officer you can be, here are a few key points to keep in mind.

1. Communicate with your officer team:

Communication is imperative for a functioning officer team. Scheduling regular officer meetings to discuss campaign progress and to plan for chapter meetings is important in ensuring success for your chapter.

2. Communicate with your chapter members:

An effective way of staying in touch with your chapter members is to be active on your chapter’s social media. Posting about meetings and chapter activities on social media platforms, such as Instagram and Twitter, is a great way to communicate with your members and have them engage with your chapter online. Creating a Remind101 to send out reminders about meeting dates and deadlines is another great way to communicate directly with your members.

3. Communicate with your district officers:

Communicating with your district officers allows you to know what is happening in Texas DECA and international DECA. If your district officers are holding monthly president’s council meetings, having a chapter representative present at the meetings is important in making sure your chapter is up to date with what is happening on the district, state, and international level.

4. Encourage your members:

Encourage your members to be active in your chapter by participating in community service and competition. If they have any questions, make sure they know that they can come to you for answers. Strive to provide your members with competition resources, found on the Texas DECA website, to increase your chapter’s competitive success.

5. Be passionate:

Odds are that if you are a DECA officer, it is because you love DECA! Share this passion you have for this amazing organization with your friends and peers so that they might join DECA and develop the same passion! This will boost the overall morale of your chapter because people will be excited to compete and participate in DECA events.

6. Serve as a role model:

As an officer, you are representing your chapter, district, Texas DECA, and DECA in general! Always put forth your best effort in everything you do. Be honest, committed, confident, and responsible.

These were just a few points to consider as a chapter officer, but remember to always go above and beyond to serve your chapter to the best of your abilities! Good luck this year, and may your successes be limitless!

BY: RUTH SIMPSON

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How DECA Can Help People Outside of Business

While DECA is predominantly a business organization, it helps prepare emerging leaders in all professions. Through DECA, students can learn important skills that they will need regardless of their future profession.

One way that DECA benefits all students is by providing countless opportunities for students to participate in community service, which is mandatory for most high schools and looks great on college applications. Every year, either at the district or state competition, DECA partners with a business or organization to donate time and resources towards an important cause. This provides a great opportunity for students to get involved and get those community service hours they need.

In addition to community service hours, DECA can also prepare students for their future careers by teaching them how to communicate professionally in person and through email. All students competing in any competition will learn how to speak professionally to their judges. They will learn how to correctly introduce themselves and greet their judges in a respectful way, which is an important skill they will utilize regardless of what their future profession is. In addition to this, students will also have the opportunity to interact with local businesses and organizations in their community. They will often have to reach out to these businesses to set up meetings, which in turn gives them experience communicating with professionals through email.

The majority of competitions require working with a partner, which results in the building of teamwork and collaboration skills. In the work field, there is bound to be times where teamwork is required, so DECA students will already be prepared to handle working with other people. They will know how to work with people they may not get along with, or even just people they may not know very well.
Lastly, DECA also teaches students how to dress professionally, which can be useful for job interviews and most careers. With Texas DECA’s regulations on proper attire, students learn what is appropriate for professional settings and what isn’t. Students learn the important tips they may not have considered, such as skirt length, amount of jewelry, makeup, shoes, facial hair, and even how to wear a tie correctly.

All in all, DECA prepares students to become leaders in any profession they are seeking. Competing in DECA is a great way to learn many important skills students will need in the future and network with other future professionals.

BY: KARA LEHNERT

How to Give an Elevator Pitch About DECA

We all dread that awkward question “What's DICA?” After correcting them to DECA, what should you say afterward? Whether you are talking to a classmate or a CEO of a company, the importance of a good elevator pitch stands. Thus it is very important to be able to execute a tremendous elevator pitch about DECA. This article will teach you how to do it!

Share some history about DECA!
Considering DECA has been around since 1946, there is a lot of history about DECA. Find your favorite bit of information and share it! Some interesting facts include:
DECA has almost a quarter of a million members.
DECA is a worldwide organization.
DECA has almost 15,000 members in Texas alone.
Texas DECA has the most members! So Texas DECA is the best ; )
Sharing a fact about DECA or Texas DECA will intrigue whoever you are talking to. It will also show then that DECA is a very successful and important organization. As we all know, a strong hook is the best way to get someone excited about what you are talking about.

Share what DECA can do for you!
DECA has so many outlets that all of our members can express themselves through. Some of these can be professional, such as competing in written or roleplay events, applying for scholarships, networking, or running for an officer position! However, we all know DECA is also fun. Consider sharing the fun side of DECA... like that friend you met at ICDC or how your competition team bonded very well. Or tell them about your DECA pin collection from different states!

Share what you have done, and plan to do in DECA!
Is public speaking your thing? Tell them about how DECA got you to that position being comfortable speaking in front of others. Are you more of a one-on-one speaker? Tell them about how you competed in a role play for your first time this year. This is a great way to get them interested in what DECA can do before you deliver the final phase that is explained next.

Ask if they would like to help DECA!
To wrap up, ask if they would like to become a member! If they are a student and already have a DECA chapter, tell them to talk to their advisor and get signed up. If their school does not have a DECA chapter, tell them all about how to create a chapter. (Direct them to this). And if they are an adult, ask if they would like to become a professional member (For more information about professional members, click this).

Additional Tips!
If you know the mission statement by heart, consider using a little bit of it. But do make sure not to make it sound like you are repeating a phrase you have said over and over because that can sound a little bit robotic. Take time to practice before you are in the situation where you need to deliver your fantastic elevator pitch about DECA.

BY: LOGAN LASHOMBE

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Social Media Is Good For More Than Just Rants

Most Americans - students, parents, DECA members, potential DECA members, and people in general - use their social media profiles for personal pictures and rants of some sort. In general, people don’t realize the true effect and power social media has on today’s generation. Literally “everyone” has some form of social media, so why not use that as an outlet to reach out to your chapter?

If your chapter doesn’t already have one, create a chapter Twitter and/or Facebook account to share current news. Tweet about your socials and meetings to gain membership and keep your returning members engaged. You could post something similar to this chapter’s tweet:

“Naaman Forest’s DECA chapter is going to Group Dynamix for a leadership and group bonding experience! If you join, you can join us!”

Share information to social media about DECA and what it truly means. It’s guaranteed that at least one person will become interested in the chapter and what DECA has to offer. Finally, share important meeting information more than that one time. Just because you tweeted last week about next week’s meeting doesn’t mean you can’t share the information again. Social media is an incredibly valuable outlet to promote membership and support from the school. Don’t underestimate the power of your favorite app.

BY: FELICE JOHNSON

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Tips and Tricks for Officer Meetings

With the new school year starting, so is DECA. This means your chapter officers will begin to plan so much for your chapter to have a Limitless year! So here are a few tips and tricks as chapter officers to get the most out of your officer meetings and your year.

1. Have an officer group chat

If you don’t already, get an officer group chat started. That way you can plan your meetings easily and efficiently while also keeping an open line of communication. A group chat is also a great way to bond with your fellow officers outside of a stressful environment. A good app to use for group chats that need to include both iPhone and Android users is GroupMe.

2. Make an agenda

Create an agenda for your meetings. This will keep your officer team organized and ensure your meetings are purposeful and have a goal to them. Whoever is responsible for creating these meeting agendas should send them out to the officer team a couple days in advance so all officers are aware of what will be discussed.

3. Plan a small social event after your officer meetings

If you are planning your meetings to be after school or during the weekend, then plan a small outing together afterwards. This can be as simple as going out to dinner. This way, all your officers have something to look forward to after the meeting and can feel rewarded and relaxed after their hard work at the meeting.

BY: SHARIKA MENON

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Creating an Effective Meeting Agenda

One of the most important aspects of hosting an effective meeting is being organized and prepared. The best way to do this is to create a meeting agenda. Whether you are hosting your meeting online or in-person, things will run much smoother if you have a plan of action to follow. Below are three tips on how to create and utilize the perfect meeting agenda.

First, you should brainstorm what you want to talk about and write down all of your ideas. Next, you will want to organize your ideas in the most coherent way to ensure that the meeting flows well and each topic leads into the next. When creating the agenda, try to limit each line to 2-3 words that convey the topic of the section for easy readability.

Another important reason to create an agenda is to get an estimate of how long the meeting will run. In order to be best prepared for the meeting, try to estimate the time it will take to complete each section and denote that next to each topic. A good way to do this is by thinking about what you might say as you plan the presentation.

Additionally, having an agenda can be beneficial for you as well as your audience members. If you send out the agenda beforehand, this gives participants the ability to prepare for any parts where they need to contribute. This will also provide audience members with an estimate of how long the meeting will run and the topics that will be discussed in case they have any questions.

Agendas are essential when hosting any type of meeting because they benefit not only the speaker, but the audience as well. For an example of a meeting agenda, click below.

BY: LUCIOUS MCDANIEL IV

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How to Manage a DECA Social Media Account

When it comes to marketing and branding, the importance of social media simply cannot be ignored. The possibilities of how to reach your target audience are endless, and in today’s era, media is the key to being effective and efficient in your marketing strategy. Now that we recognized the importance of social media, running a DECA social media page can be broken down in three simple steps!
 

1) IDENTIFY YOUR GOALS AND AUDIENCE

Identifying your goals on social media is extremely important when you are trying to develop a personal, chapter, district, or even association social media page. Establishing a goal allows for a reference to track your monthly progress, and it helps to give you a purpose when developing each month’s material.

Setting your target audience is also a crucial aspect in this process.  This allows you to personalize material each month to the trending interests of specific individuals; therefore increasing engagement numbers. The key to a successful social media page is keeping up with the latest tips and trends, so your page sparks an interest in whoever you are hoping to reach. By being relevant, you better your chances of a like, share or retweet.  Recognizing what material works also increases your page efficiency, therefore eliminating wasted time publishing unsuccessful material.

TIP: People like to stay updated and in the loop, but that can sometimes be very hard to do, while still being engaging, so to make it easier fill your social media page with things that are made to update and inform in a creative format such as infographics, images or even video!

2) MONITOR AND MEASURE WHAT MATTERS

Social media is competitive and saturated, so it is essential for you to test and track your results in order to identify the most effective strategies against your competition– which is why social media analytics are so important. By using analytical tools such as Hootsuite, Google analytics, DrumUp to name a few, it allows you to track engagement numbers and isolate what material works for your page so you can continue with it. 

Some key things to track on your social media page: Likes, shares, retweets, engagement levels, how often you post, and lastly follower responses (tags/comments) The purpose of your social media page is to promote your brand and share it with as many people as possible in hopes they find it engaging, so by tracking the success of each article or post, you are getting direct feedback from your target audience so you can make adjustments accordingly.

As a page, it should always be a priority to increase follower engagement. One way to increase the involvement and followers is to personalize the page a little bit. Establishing more of a family environment allows your followers to feel a little more comfortable and like they belong when you go that extra mile to personalize the account.

Reminder: Don’t forget each form of social media attracts a different audience! So be diligent and do your research on where the majority of your target market is located (The NewsCred infographic located below is a great resource for demographics on each application.) Because of this, do not  be disappointed if success on one account receives more or less traffic/engagement than any of the others. However, do not let this information stop you from expanding your network onto another account.  It is always beneficial to be present on all forms of social media.

3) HAVE FUN!

Your followers should always be a priority, but if you are not happy with the material you are posting, the truth is your audience probably is not satisfied either. Do not overwhelm your followers with repetitive and lengthy information. BE CREATIVE and remain consistent on all accounts! This is your opportunity to express what your business, organization, or your personal brand is all about! Relatable gifs, images, infographics, and pictures can be a great addition to your posts!

By implementing these three tips on your DECA social media page, one can almost guarantee your engagement and page awareness will increase!  Social media is an ongoing and strenuous task that requires a lot of research, documentation, and preparation but do not let that scare you out of pursuing a better media presence. The more effort you put forth, the larger the reward.

BY: MADELYNE ONSTOTT

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