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Employers, Alumni and Sophomores Learn to Shake Hands

It's not the first time MIT sophomores have heard about the importance of networking, both to finding summer internships and to their future careers as engineers. However, a unique workshop hosted by the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program (UPOP) on April 13, 2004 gave them an unusual opportunity to learn and practice basic skills as a "learn by doing" exercise. Ms. Jodi Smith of Mannersmith, an etiquette consulting firm, engaged the 80 students, along with numerous employers and MIT alumni also in attendance, in an interactive Networking Workshop. A chance to practice their newly learned skills by participating in practice conversations at a 'Mock'tail Event followed.

Associate Dean of Engineering Dick K.P. Yue's comments on the rationale behind the relatively new UPOP program provided context for the workshop. "For many years, MIT has had a reputation of producing engineering students who are extremely strong technically. While that has never been challenged as yet, we also learned from talking with alumni and employers that there is an impression that our students are often not able to appreciate what the real world is like, such as how to make things happen in the work place or how to fit into an organization. Our students need to acquire additional skills that fully prepare them to go out in the real world, to be leaders in their fields."

Essential professional skills to prepare engineers for the world of work apparently include business etiquette, too. To teach the evening's workshop attendees how to confidently and gracefully handle a variety of situations, from conferences to parties, Ms. Smith led a variety of dynamic exercises from her "Painless Networking" seminar:

• What to Know Before You Go
• Nametags: Where They Go and Why
• Handshakes: Lessons from Goldilocks
• Introductions: What They Say About You
• Body Language: What You Are Really Saying
• Conversation: Business Versus Social
• Connecting With Clients and Customers
• Building Business Relationships.

"Jodi Smith was an extremely magnetic speaker who really energized our UPOP students," said Ms. Devon Biondi, UPOP Program Manager for Student Services and Alumni Relations. "Professional etiquette is often overlooked, but it is essential to day-to-day business. This workshop will no doubt be invaluable for our students at their internships this summer and beyond."

The UPOP networking event is part of the program's Spring Professional Development Seminar Series, in which employers and MIT alumni volunteer to coach students through the recruiting process and along their paths of professional development. Other seminars focus on topics such as interviewing, how to make the most of an internship, and how to manage one's manager.

The Spring Seminar Series follows UPOP's annual January Introduction to Engineering Practice Workshop. In the intensive, weeklong Workshop, 190 students engaged in interactive role-play and case study training modules led by faculty from the MIT School of Engineering and Sloan School of Management. The students worked in teams of eight to ten and were facilitated by industry professionals, many of whom were MIT alumni. The Workshop includes topics such as audience-specific communication, process design, system dynamics, product specifications, and leadership.

The Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program (UPOP) exposes sophomore engineering students to the multi-faceted nature of professional engineering practice and prepares them to make a smooth transition from academe to the workplace. Administered from the office of the Dean of the School of Engineering, UPOP is in its third year of a five-year pilot.

Ms. Jodi R. R. Smith, president and owner of Mannersmith, is an etiquette consultant who creates and leads seminars on social and professional conduct. She has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and on NBC's The Today Show, among dozens of other print, radio, and television publications. Ms. Smith is also the author of The Girl's Guide to Social Savvy and The Guy's Guide to Social Savvy, which will be published this spring by Barnes & Noble Books.