"Don't salt and pepper your food before tasting -- it could indicate you make quick decisions without knowing all the facts."

"Don't ask for special requests at the dinner table -- it may be perceived that you are hard to please."

"If you have dietary restrictions and have dinner reservations, call the restaurant ahead to see if they can accommodate your needs."

These are a few of the tips Cornell hospitality expert Barbara Lang told the Cornell Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), March 6, in the Appel Commons. Your dining behavior, warned Lang, can reveal a lot of information about you to potential employers or clients.

Lang, who has served in the hospitality industry in a variety of capacities for more than 25 years and now advises undergraduate students at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, said her presentation was intended to help students feel comfortable at a dinner or banquet so that their manners would not bring unwanted attention to themselves. Topics addressed included how to know which utensil, plate or glass to use for which course, and how to introduce themselves at a conference in ways that they would be remembered adequately so that they could follow up with the person after the event.

Melissa Thomas-Hunt, assistant professor in Cornell's Johnson School and the faculty in residence for the Townhouse Community, co-sponsored and attended the event.