• According to one report, employers plan to hire 19.3% more recent graduates this year. Start preparing, grads. Be aware that prospective employers say that the first two things they notice about you are your hair and shoes. Style the first and polish the second.

• Are you naughty or nice? Remember, jerks at work damage team performance and may cause valued employees to leave.

Network

• People who are genuinely curious excel at making small talk. Work to develop a sense of curiosity about on-going events and the reactions people have to those events.

• When meeting new contacts, err on the side of formality. This is especially important when you are conversing with someone who is: significantly older; significantly more senior; an official; someone from a foreign country.

• Before you attend a networking event, do some research. Identify other invitees.  Research their backgrounds. Identify common interests. Formulate questions.

• Before attending a networking event, eat a small snack. A reception is not intended to serve as your primary source of nourishment. 

• At any networking event or recption, you will introduce yourself to potentially important new contacts. Your introduction must be memorable. Think of it as your own 30-second commercial. 

• When you’re in the middle of making introductions, if you forget one person’s name, don’t worry. You’ve just proven you’re human. Make a joke of your forgetfulness. Then move on. 

• At some networking events, the hosting organization will prepare name tags. Always wear your name tag on the right hand side of your jacket or dress and high enough so that others can easily see and read it.

• Once you’ve asked one person or a group of people to provide you professional advice, make sure you let them know when you achieve your goal. Everyone welcomes a “thank you,” especially when the "thank you" is related to a success.

• Developing a professional network doesn’t mean that you need to become a party animal. You can build effective networks one person at a time using the phone and e-mail. What’s important is that every member of your network understand your professional goals and is committed to working with you to achieve those goals.

• Personal and professional networks are critical to any professional’s success. As you add people to your network, look for people who can satisfy one of four objectives: Provide the latest or most useful information; assist in career development; offer consistent support; influence your future.

Dine

• Your bread & butter plate is found on the left side of your place setting. Break bread or rolls into individual pieces. Butter each piece separately before eating.  

• During call back interviews, successfully managing any accompanying business lunch or dinner is critical. You have a better chance of landing the job you want when you follow all rules of dining etiquette.

• At a business lunch or dinner, use the time between being seated and placing your order to connect socially. Allow your host or hostess to initiate any business discussion. 

• At a business lunch, when placing your beverage order, your safest bet is to select water, ice tea or soda. Save cocktails, beer and wine for after business hours entertaining.

• If you wish to entertain clients over lunch or dinner, you can help ensure consistent, good service by becoming "a regular" at a restaurant. Frequent the same restaurant often and establish a relationship with the maitre d' and wait staff. 

• If you are the hostess of a business lunch or dinner, and your guest is male, he may not automatically take the seat offered by the maitre d'.  In this situation, you may wish to say to your client, "Please, today you are a guest of XYZ."

• If you are a male guest and your personal code of conduct demands ladies be seated first, make friendly eye contact and say something along the lines of: "I’m sorry, but I was taught growing up that a lady is seated first."

• Once everyone has been seated, lift your napkin and place it in your lap.

• If you excuse yourself from the table, fold your napkin and place it in your chair.  Place your napkin on the table only when the meal is over and everyone stands to leave. 

• If you have brought your cell phone to a business lunch or dinner, either turn it off or turn it to vibrate.

• If you are expecting an emergency phone call during a business lunch or dinner, tell other diners in advance that you may need to be excused to take a call. 

Follow-up

• When writing business letters or e-mails, appropriate sign-offs include "Yours truly" or "Regards." 

• Whenever you participate in a videoconference call, keep the following in mind: Arrive early; Stay focused on the agenda; and Announce your name before speaking.

• The anonymity of the Internet and the time-lag between sending an e-mail message and receiving feedback may encourage "flaming." Successful employees avoid making hostile and offensive remarks in all of their business communications, including e-mail. 

• Be very cautious about posting information on social networking sites. Increasingly businesses and associations are reviewing those sites during the recruiting and hiring process. 

• Use executive stationery, 5" x 7" sheets or 4" x 6" notecards, to send thanks, condolences or personal notes. Paper or cards should be of high quality. Engrave them with your name in a simple, easy to read script. 

• Before you place a phone call, prepare a list of the discussion points you need to address. Whether you speak voice-to-voice with the phone call recipient or leave voice-mail, explain up front what you plan to cover.

• If you are leaving a voice-mail message, before you state your phone number, slow your rate of speech and articulate each number clearly. Then, repeat the phone number. 

• Return all phone calls the day they are received. If you are unable to leave a detailed response, leave a message indicating that you received the call and will respond with details by a time certain. 

• Use standard spelling, punctuation and grammar for all work e-mails. Remember, these are business communications. Avoid writing an e-mail in all lower case letters. A recipient may interpret the message as dashed off without much thought. And writing a message in all caps is like shouting at your recipient.

• Use a salutation whenever you initiate an e-mail exchange. For colleagues, that salutation may be informal, for example, "Hi" or "Hey there." You may wish to use more formal salutations when communicating with clients and customers, for example, "Dear Mr. Smith" or "Dear Mary."

• Be very careful about sending confidential information via e-mail. Too often information exchanged electronically is inadvertently disclosed.

• If you sent an e-mail to the wrong person, contact the recipient immediately. If the e-mail contained confidential information, ask the recipient to destroy it. If the e-mail contained offensive or inappropriate content, apologize immediately.

• Once you’ve asked one person or a group of people to provide you professional advice, make sure you let them know when you achieve your goal. Everyone welcomes a “thank you,” especially when the "thank you" is related to a success.

• In today’s workplace, sometimes you will have to say “No.” Learn how to say “No” politely and assertively. “No, I can’t meet with you right now. May we schedule some time tomorrow.”

• When you attend a meeting, turn off your cell phone and BlackBerry unless you are expecting an emergency phone call or message. Incoming phone calls or e-mails may interrupt an important meeting. And others may interpret your attention to those messages as disrespectful.

• Ever wonder whether it’s better for you to shoot an e-mail to a colleague or pick up the phone and call? We’ve found that e-mail is ideal when you need to confirm arrangements, provide detailed instructions or provide quick, relevant news. E-mail is less useful when you need to engage in an in-depth discussion.

• Be extremely careful about sending personal e-mails from a workplace computer. Anything written using a computer at work may be retained indefinitely by your company and firm. What may seem like insignificant gossip can easily come back to haunt you.

Present

• A recent study confirms that viewers of more provocatively dressed executive women view these professionals as less intelligent and capable than neutrally dressed women executives.

• Create a personal presentation emergency kit containg the following: small applicator of shoe polish; stain remover; lint brush; small sewing kit; comb/brush and hair spray; and a back-up umbrella. 

• Gentlemen working in more conservative work environments should plan to shave daily. Hold off on growing a beard until you're on vacation. Then, keep any beard you do grow neatly trimmed. 

• Both ladies and gentlemen should wear more conservative suits to an interview. Selecting a navy blue, dark gray or black suit positions the candidate as a serious professional. 

• Avoid using profanity in the workplace. Others may interpret the use of such language as a demonstration of rudeness, immaturity, or an inability to handle stress.  

• With 36% of those between 25 and 39 reporting that they have visted the local tattoo shop, it’s likely that some workers in your office sport a tattoo. If you are among them, plan on keeping your tattoo fully covered while at work.

• Real professionals dress for others’ comfort over their own. Before you dress for the office, consider whether your colleagues and clients will feel most comfortable if you appear in business or business casual attire. 

• Always be prepared for a last minute invitation to an important client meeting. Even if your office has a business casual dress policy, keep a more structured business suit (and tie, if appropriate) on hand.

• Social psychologists say that others develop their first impression within 30 seconds of meeting you. Make sure that everything, from the style of your haircut to the shine on your shoes, communicates that you are the consummate professional.

• When selecting a suit, remember the following: Navy blue and gray are viewed as more conservative, traditional business colors.  Earth tones, including olive, brown and tan, communicate a more relaxed business colors.

• In conservative business settings, men and women should select single color suits of quality fabric.

• In more informal offices, polo shirts, long- or short-sleeved, may be appropriate.  Even in an informal office setting, avoid wearing a tee-shirt as your primary shirt.

• Match the color of socks or hose and shoes with the color of your slacks. Never wear socks that are lighter than your slacks. 

• Especially if you are new to the workforce, it’s important to communicate that you have successfully transitioned from backpack to briefcase. You’ll accomplish this when you carry a nice leather portfoloio or briefcase. 

• Want to appear even more confident than normal during your next meeting? Before you speak, grab a prop, like a pen or pencil. Holding virtually anything in your hands will help expand the amount of space you occupy, and believe it or not, this will help you appear more powerful.

• Successful professionals stand up straight, look people in the eye, and speak calmly in an even and low tone of voice. If someone enters your office and begins speaking without first sitting down, make sure you stand up.