The title of this entry seems simple and yet, when you are job searching, you need to take it literally.  When you are interviewing, you know that you need to prepare for your interviews.  There are many factors that will be considered when it is time for a prospective company to make a decision on who they want to hire.

They will be looking at your past work experience, your tenure, your official title and position you held, your education, your skills, your overall level of professionalism, your ability to dress and present yourself appropriately, your confidence in your answers, your ability to handle difficult questions, your honesty, your body language, your consistency and your overall demeanor!

These are all areas you expect to be critiqued in during an interview.  One simple lesson you should not take for granted is your first impression.  You need to be nice right away.  Most professionals know that you must come across positive in every interview.

Sometimes, you may forget to be nice to others that may not appear to be as important.  This is a common mistake and it has extreme consequences.  I am referring to people in a company that see you before you get to your interview.   The Doorman, the Concierge, the Mailperson, a Clerk, an employee and probably the person most likely to “make or break” you is the Front Desk / Receptionist / Administrative Assistant / Executive Secretary.  Anyone you come in contact with prior to your appointment can quickly send a message to the person you are interviewing with.  If you are rude to someone, they will not hesitate to make a call.

Most of the time you will meet at least one person before you meet your interviewer.  The company’s Front Desk person will definitely make a quick judgment call and then will take their opinion of you back with them to the interviewer.  The individual upfront usually knows everyone in the company.  It is their job to know who is going where and when.  If they see you as a possible new hire, they want to see for themselves if you will fit in.  They will notice if you are nervous, quiet and unfriendly.  If on the other hand they see you as happy (because you are smiling at everyone they see), confident (because you are making good eye contact with others) and friendly (because you are talking with the Front Desk individual and even saying hello to others if it is appropriate to do so).  This positive observation will also be shared with your interviewer.

The bottom line is to be nice to everyone you see in a company when you are there for an interview.  Another thought, you may get a job with this company, and if you do, you want your first impression to be a good one!

Small portions are very big these days.

Many 2013 trend predictions determined that small plates and snacking are expected to be popular among chefs and restaurant operators this year. While diners are still eating during the traditional meal times—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—they are eating less at those times, opting instead to have five or more smaller meals a day.

“Quick service is naturally conducive to consumers who are saying to themselves, ‘This is how hungry I am now, and I want to eat something good right away,’” says Julia Gallo-Torres, foodservice category manager for global marketing firm Mintel. Many fast feeders are offering a growing variety of entrées and other menu items at different portion sizes and price points, she says.

Eating outside the three regular meals a day is often dubbed snacking, but that term can mean much more than potato chips, popcorn, and candy, Gallo-Torres says. “Snacking is really a variety of food options,” she says. “It can be smaller portions as a meal, or it can be small plates to share with friends.” Money is typically a huge driver of snacking, “and the food should be fast and not fill them up.”

According to a study by market research company The NPD Group, more American consumers are eating during the three normal meal times than five years earlier, but these dining occasions are increasingly composed of more mini meals. The “Snacking in America 2012” report found that the average diner consumes fewer food and beverage items at traditional meals than in the past, while more than half of Americans are snacking two or three times a day.

A quick serve with a diverse menu gives customers a better opportunity to plan their meals, says Kazia Jankowski, associate culinary director at Sterling-Rice Group, a Boulder, Colorado, branding agency.

“If you build a menu that has different flavors and portions, it gives the consumer the ability to not only shape a particular meal, but also to shape how they will be eating during their entire day,” she says.

Two Panera Bread items, including the Power Chicken Hummus Bowl, were certified by the Healthy 100 program.

Hospitals and national quick-serve chains may seem odd bedfellows, but a new program in Orlando is pairing the two in an effort to promote healthy meals.

The Healthy 100 program from Florida Hospital approves restaurant recipes that are low in fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar, and high in fiber and whole grains. Chains and independent restaurants submit their lighter, healthier recipes to the hospital’s team of dietitians, who review the dishes and the program guidelines. If the dish meets the eight-point criteria, the restaurant can promote it on the menuboard as a Healthy 100 item.

“If something doesn’t meet the criteria, we let them know what they can do to meet it,” says Sherri Flynt, manager of Florida Hospital’s Center for Nutritional Excellence. “For example, they can reduce the sodium and use a spice or herb to flavor the food. Overall, sodium is still one of the biggest challenges because, when you take fat content out, you lose some flavor.”

Menu items at Central Florida–based Chick-fil-A and Panera Bread restaurants were recently certified by Florida Hospital under the Healthy 100 program.

Chick-fil-A’s grilled chicken nuggets were one of the Healthy 100–approved items. The nuggets, which are 97 percent whole-breast-meat chicken and 3 percent spice, debuted nationwide early last year. They’re one of the reasons the brand’s kids’ meal contains nearly 60 percent fewer calories and 85 percent less fat than most other quick-serve kids’ meals, says Cindy Coffman, Chick-fil-A’s Central Florida area marketing director.

I would like to officially welcome our Newest Franchisees that have joined Patrice & Associates since January!  Check out their Bios on their Webpages!

     Pam Glynn, Dallas TX

      Mashall Madni, Columbus OH

     Kendall Ware, Dallas TX

     Javier Burdman, Miami FL

     Heather Haas, Rockford, IL

     Barbara Haug, Long Island NY

     Cecily Anthony, Manassas VA