My first interview was at 15 years old. Since then, I’ve honed my skills so well that I’ve landed jobs for positions above and beyond where I should be. Here’s a few tricks that will open doors and give you a fresh perspective on what those employers are looking for!

1. Longevity: Employers want to know that you’re going to be there for a while. A bad hire (someone they bring on board, train, and quits) can cost the company thousands of dollars so they want to avoid that right off the bat. Make your interviewer understand you’re in it for the long haul. A few ways to express this is by saying “I’m looking for long term growth” or asking about growth opportunities. Convey the message that you want to be part of the future of the company–wherever that may be.

If you have a record of bouncing around from job to job, I recommend addressing it. Never bad-mouth a previous job but explain that the culture or opportunities did not fit with the growth opportunities for which you were looking. It’s ok to say you weren’t advancing like you wanted to and are now looking for a company that sees you as an asset to the longevity of the business.

2. Study them: I said before this is a test–so do your homework. Every company has a website so study it. Find keys to spout out at the interview and bring something to their attention that they probably didn’t know. For example, on the “about us” page, you’ll often find information on their company culture, what their values are, etc. Explain how those values match up with yours. I’m not recommending you lie, but point out things about them or their products that you find intriguing and can relate to. If they make products you use at home, let your interviewer know. The more familiar you are with what they do, who they are, and who their clients are, the less they will have to teach you when you get on board–and trust me, that matters.

I usually Google the company reviews and find out what their clients are saying about them and print it out to bring along. If the reviews are bad, I ask what’s being done to change it and might throw out a few ideas. If the reviews are good, I make sure the employer knows I would be excited to be apart of such a great company. Either way, the subject becomes a new topic of discussion during the interview and lets the interviewer know you’ve gone the extra step.

3. Feel free to elaborate: When you sit down for your interview, most employers ask you to go through your resume. Boring. You could easily walk them through it: In 1990 I graduated from University, I then got hired as a clerk for XXX where my duties were XXX and I was there for 3 years. VERY BORING.

When going through your resume, how you explain it is just as important as what you’re saying. For example, make them understand why you made the decisions to do certain things. Of course, shine a positive light on them that relates to the role for which you’re interviewing.

For example:
I went to this University because it had a great Communications program and I wanted a strong focus in that area. In addition, they had great networking opportunities and I knew I would make some great connections that I still have today. In fact those connections led me to my career at XYZ Company. Initially, I thought I wanted to be in XXX industry and was offered a role, but XYZ had a fantastic training program and I felt even though it had a lower salary, the training would benefit me in the long run…etc.

In this example, the message conveyed let’s the interviewer know that 1-you were focused even from a young age; 2- understood the value of being social; 3- have connections you could bring to the table for this company; 4- can see the big picture that there is more to a job than just a salary; 5- and that you had great–and probably expensive–training from a previous employer.

4. Confident Energy: People buy from people they like. Even if you’re not applying for a sales position, you’re sitting in an interview trying to sell yourself whether you like it or not. Yes this is a test to see if you can handle the job; but at the same time, you need to be an asset socially. Your new employer wants to make sure you’ll fit in with his or her current team and that there will be synergy. I’m not recommending bringing a beer to the interview and talk about going to the bar afterwards, but you want to express an energy that says you’re a “go with the flow” type of person that wouldn’t put a chink in the chain.

No matter how well you do your job, if no one in the office likes you, you’ll miss out on opportunities and could cause a riff in the office. If you’re liked, ideas you bring to the table will be implemented. Feel free to ask questions about the culture in the office or how everyone gets along. Regardless of the answer you get, comment on it in a positive way. Explain how you’ve been around that type of environment and what type of success you’ve seen in the past.

Whether you’re outgoing or introverted, you also need to be confident enough in the interview to ask questions about the specific role and throw out ideas on how to improve it. For example, if applying for a sales job, it’s ok to ask about the resources they have available to pull leads, like Sales Genie, and if they don’t have that available, would they be willing to implement it because you know that would be a benefit! Or maybe ask how often people in the office get together to attend specific seminars to improve their craft–for marketing, management, etc. Companies are always looking for ways to improve or motivate their staff so let the interviewer know you’re willing and able to help.

5. Close for the job: This is ‘Sales: 101′. If you can’t close for the job, how are you going to close business? You might think this doesn’t apply to you if you’re interviewing for a desk job but you’re wrong. The employer wants to see you’re willing to take the initiative. He or she will appreciate that you felt the interview went well enough to deserve a second. This is also an opportunity to find out how you did without waiting by the phone without a clue.

When closing for the job, confirm your confidence and tell the interviewer know that you feel the position is a fit. Tell him or her you feel you can bring a lot to the table and even convey that you’re excited to move forward. Make sure to specifically ask, “What are the next steps?” or “When should I expect to hear from you?”

Some of these techniques might need practicing but once you get them down, you’ll be a hit in any interview. Good luck!

Unfortunately, I’m a carnivore to my core so though I understand the benefits of veggies, I’m not prepared to cut out a good steak forever. Incorporating a good vegetarian diet a few days a week is a good way to meet in the middle. This week, I maintained a vegetarian diet Monday through Thursday. By the end of the week, I had a reinvigorated energy because my body wasn’t working so hard to digest through mounds of meat. I also cut back on the wine, avoiding it during my veggie days.

Each morning I started with my protein pudding (Click here) and for lunch continued with a Fresh salad (without meat), a fruit Smoothie, a cup of soup, or even more protein pudding. For dinner, I was more creative and came up with some great recipes. Have a look!

Vegetarian Korma

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, diced

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 potatoes, cubed

4 carrots, cubed

1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and sliced

3 tablespoons ground unsalted cashews

1 can (4 ounce) tomato sauce

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

2 cup brown rice


Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until tender. Mix in ginger and garlic, and continue cooking 1 minute. Mix potatoes, carrots, jalapeno, cashews, and tomato sauce. Season with salt and curry powder. Cook and stir 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. 
2. Stir peas, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and cream into the skillet. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

Leftover Korma: Chorizo Burritos

Here’s a recipe to throw into your menu for the weekend (because it includes meat). Put the left over Korma mixture in a frying pan and mix together with chorizo sausage, a few Tablespoons of Cumin powder, and a couple Tablespoons of Tapitio (or another spicy hot sauce). Add some eggs or egg whites and cook until the mixture becomes like an omelet. Add cheese and throw into a tortilla. Throw this into the menu for the weekend!

Vegetarian Quesadilla

1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers

1/2 cup chopped zucchini

1/2 cup yellow squash

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 whole wheat tortillas
1
1/4 shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese


Directions:


1. In a large nonstick pan, cook red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and mushrooms in olive oil over medium to medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, or until just tender. Remove vegetables from pan.

2. Coat the same pan with cooking spray, and place one tortilla in pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese evenly over tortilla, and layer 3/4 cup of the vegetable mixture over the cheese. Sprinkle another 1/8 cup of cheese on the vegetables, and top with a second tortilla. Cook until golden on both sides, for approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove quesadilla from pan, and repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut each quesadilla into 8 triangles with a pizza cutter. Serve hot.

Spicy Risotto

4 cloves garlic
1/2 bag sliced mushrooms
1 red bell pepper diced
1 green bell pepper diced
1 jalapeno sliced
2 cups vegetarian (or chicken) broth
1-cup brown rice
3/4 can tomato sauce (10oz can)
2 cups fresh spinach
Oil

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and sauté the garlic. Once slightly golden, add mushrooms, bell peppers, and jalapeno. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes.

2. Add broth, brown rice and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and then return to low heat. Cover and let simmer until rice is done–probably around 40 minutes. Continue to stir the rice and keep an eye on it. You might need to add water over the 40 minutes if the mixture gets too thick.

3. When rice is cooked, add fresh spinach and mix together for a few minutes until it wilts into the rice.

If you’ve ever used the notepad app on your iPhone or iPad, you’ll love Evernote. Evernote is an app that allows you to create different notebooks and then syncs them to all of your gadgets, like your laptop, iPhone, or iPad. Unlike the standard notepad, you can also drag and drop links and pictures into your notes as well.

This app really comes in handy at work. Last week, I took all my noted down for a meeting in my iPad. The next day, I needed to review the notes but had left my iPad at home. Fortunately, I had the app on my phone and was able to pull up all the notes from the office! Talk about a life-saver!

I totally recommend this one and best of all….it’s free.

You may already be familiar with eBay.com as a great place to buy appliances or the latest electronics at a good price; but most people don’t think about using ebay to buy shampoo. If you color your hair, or are sensitive to the harsh ingredients in the average grocery store beauty products, you know good shampoo can be quite costly. Quality hair care products make a huge difference in how I look and feel, and I tend to look for great products that compliment my hair type.

I use Enjoy products because they are sulfate free, making it safe for color-treated hair and highlights. While I love the products, I don’t love the price, about $60 each for shampoo and conditioner!

To my surprise, I found the combination set on eBay for $55, and pounced when I saw the free shipping option. On top of the stellar savings, the products ship straight to my door and I don’t have to worry about finding the right combination at the store. Make a list of your style splurges and then spend some time searching ebay for some unexpected savings.

Another frequent savings I find on eBay is shoes! I have learned over the years that certain brands are consistent in sizing—especially golf shoes. I have purchased some of my favorite shoes for work—nice heels and flats—as well as some beautiful golf spikes that you can’t find anymore!

And my favorite purchase in the bidding world is perfume. Not only can I find perfumes that are no longer available in the popular retail stores but I find them cheap! I do advise to pay attention to the seller’s reviews because you want to make sure the perfume is high quality!

NibNobs come in over 20 flavors and offer several different varieties. For Valentine’s Day, you can also order one of their Seasonal Sensations. This month, they include French Vanilla covered in Cupid’s Dust, Strawberries and Cream, Dark Chocolate Cherry, and special edition “I <3 U” Red Velvet.

The best part is, you can order with a simple click of a button and they’re delivered anywhere in the US.

With prices ranging from $19.95 and up, you can even splurge on your friends, family, and co-workers!