29 Apr
How Late Is Too Late To Call Someone?
At 12:15am this morning, while I was soundly sleeping, my phone rang. I immediately woke me up, glanced at the caller ID, and noticed that someone from Philadelphia was calling. I don’t know anyone in Philadelphia so I didn’t answer it. The phone rang again one minute later. This time the phone woke up my husband and my dogs too. I glanced at the caller ID again — same caller. I didn’t answer. By this time I was fully awake and frustrated that someone would call me at that hour.
When I got up today, I listened to the phone message from the “midnight caller” who happened to be a student calling to schedule an interview for a business etiquette story she was writing for a class project. Chances are, she wasn’t aware that she was calling my home when she dialed my office number (which she probably found on my website). Read more
Top Ways to Pass a Panel Interview
By: Jorie Scholnik, Guest Blogger
Iwas elated when my first choice for a graduate internship site notified me that I was selected for an interview. I did my research and felt extremely prepared. I assumed that I would be interviewed by just one person, however, I was quite wrong. When my potential boss greeted me, she brought me back to a room where three other people were sitting around the table. I realized that I was going to be interviewed by a panel of potential coworkers.
I introduced myself to everyone in the room and shook everyone’s hand. When prompted, I mostly focused on the panelist who asked the question, but made a point to make eye contact and acknowledge the other members in the group. I also took note of their different titles and responsibilities and made an effort to ask questions to some of the panelists at the end of the interview. After the interview, I wrote a thank you note to each member of the team. Read more
You’re Fired! How to Keep Your Cool When Losing Your Job
Question of the day: I have a meeting tomorrow and I think my boss is going to fire me. I knew it was coming so I plan to look as good as usual but since I’ve never been fired before, I don’t know what to say. What do you say when you’re being fired and still maintain your self respect?
First of all, I know exactly how you feel. I’ve been laid off three times in my career. The first time, I was completely taken by surprise but my other two layoffs were expected, much like yours.
Stay positive and turn your misfortune into a wonderful opportunity. I did. After my third lay-off, I decided to start my own etiquette business. In the meantime, you have to remain strong. Read more
My Room with a View
As a writer, I am always in search of that perfect spot in which to write. It’s got to be a special space that will provide creativity and inspiration. I was intrigued to learn that there are countless blogs and websites that feature photos of writers’ workspaces, and I love looking at them. There have even been entire books full of photos of writers’ desks.
But after looking at all these photos, I believe that I have the perfect office/writing studio. Best of all, I don’t have very far to commute to work as my office is just a few steps away from my back door.
Come on in and I’ll give you a tour.
This is my desk. This is where all the magic happens and where I solve all the world’s etiquette challenges. My desk is messier than usual right now because I am working on my second book. Notice the dual monitors. If you haven’t invested in one, I highly recommend that you purchase an extra monitor. I am so much more productive as I can literally do two things at once! Read more
How to Ask for Favors, Properly
Since I’ve been in the etiquette business, I’ve learned that it’s not unusual to receive emails from strangers who want some for free etiquette advice. Here is an actual email I received a few months ago. The only modification is that the sender’s name has been changed.
I have an etiquette question. I dated someone who did not treat me well at all. In the event that I run into him in the future, should I be polite and show good etiquette? In other words, should I say hello or is it okay if I ignore him since he mistreated me? Thank you in advance. ~ L. Ponnell
When I have the time, I try my best to respond to each and every email, especially those that come from my loyal Protocol Post e-newsletter subscribers. If you’re going to email someone and ask them for a favor, your message must contain the proper ingredients to warrant a response, or it might get sent to the trash file without a response.
Here are some tips to help make Ms. Ponnells’ email stronger and more effective. Read more