In a world dominated by online communication venues, it can be easy to forget how important a real-life personal impression can be.

Whether it’s in a job interview or a social situation, how young people present themselves can be a key element in getting a job, keeping a job or simply leaving a good impression with new friends and associates.

That’s why it’s smart not to leave things like dining etiquette and professional attire to chance. Two articles in Monday’s Journal-World detail how a group at Kansas University and another at Pinnacle Career Institute are trying to help young people put their best foot forward.

About 65 KU students recently attended a formal dinner at the Adams Alumni Center to get some tips on how not to embarrass themselves at the table. Among other things, their instructor shared the best, most gracious ways to take your seat, unfold your napkin, pass the sugar and signal to a server that you are finished with your plate.

The focus of the event was to help students make a good impression during a business dinner, but all the same skills will come in handy in a variety of social settings, especially when the students are meeting new people. As one business person who attended the dinner noted, it’s possible for etiquette to become too structured, but people being too polite or strict about manners doesn’t seem to be much of a problem in today’s society.

The same can be said for people knowing how to dress appropriately for a job interview or other professional situations. What started out as “casual Friday” at many American businesses now has spread to the rest of the week. Dress codes probably don’t need to be as strict as they once were, but employees who look neat and professional still are important to most bosses.

A story in Monday’s Go! section told of efforts to show Pinnacle students how they can put together professional outfits without breaking their limited budgets. Those teaching the class put together low-cost outfits by shopping at thrift stores, discount stores and consignment shops.

Dressing neatly doesn’t have to cost a lot, and acting politely costs nothing, and yet they have a big payoff both professionally and personally. Young people sometimes look at such things as old-fashioned values. Maybe they are, but as people go through life they understand more and more why it’s important to dress neatly, make eye contact during a conversation and simply be nice to the people they meet.

Such actions come more naturally to some people than to others, but the local programs deserve applause for reinforcing those life lessons for their students.