I know it's been a minute, and please excuse the delay:) But I come bearing plenty of updates.

Right after interviewing for the job and turning in the edit test, the Christmas holidays came. Me and the boyfriend spent Christmas in New York and had a blast.

On Christmas Eve we finally saw the Xtreme Mammals exhibit at the Natural History Museum.

And two days after Christmas, we were on a train to Connecticut to celebrate his birthday at a Bed and Breakfast I found online (Im always on the prowl for a good deal and found a great one:). Then we were back in the city to celebrate New Year's Eve as one of his friends came to town.

I had an extra reason to smile as we brought in the next decade.  A few hours before heading out, as snow flakes fell to the ground I got a call I had advanced to the next phase for the job and would be speaking the next week with the client I would possibly be working with.

Refelctive as 2010 began, I headed to the potential job's office for the conference call with the client. And I was feeling I overprepared, as I walked out not sure what they thought of me and thinking, "Is that it?"

And it was. Two days later I got a call and was offered the job. It felt (feels) surreal that it all happened so fast, and replying to a posting on MediaBistro has lead to so much. I didnt have long to think it over as I reviewed the offer letter, while editing the tropical clothes I was taking to Mexico the next day. I prayed, then replied to the email, and accepted the job.

At 9am the next morning I was in a cab to the airport. Along with celebrating the 26th birthday of one of my favorite people, I got some R&R in before going back to a day job.

I came back excited for an awesome new opportunity as the Social Media Editor at a fashion and beauty PR firm.

I also vowed to myself to use the knowledge I had gained with my past work experience including these promises to myslef:

1) Use EVERY Vacation Day

2) Remember perception reality, look at yourself through other people's eyes

3) Have a full life outside of your job. It will help keep everything in perspective as you work hard

4) Write down what you want out of the experience and be sure to achieve those goals

5) Always remember your worth!

Thanks for all the support!

CJ

If you have to be laid off, let it be from a large company with great benefits!

Along with a decent severance to keep me afloat for a few months, I received outplacement services courtesy of my former employer.

I finally made it to the orientation program yesterday, and wish I had went earlier!

The company provides one month of one-on-one career coaching for a month, and six months of access to their career seminars, and offices you can use as needed, with printers, copiers and a 212 phone. oh my.

Working from home is great, but I do miss a fax, printer and copier at my disposal. I attended my orientation with one of my fav former coworkers, Bridgette, and two women who worked in HR at the company. There stories were especially touching . . . and shocking. Both had wind of layoffs as there department prepared, but werent aware of their own pending cuts. One even was stuffing the folders given to each laid off person, a folder she ended up getting herself. ouch. When she asked her boss, why she would be asked to do that knowing she would be cut, she was told to keep her from being suspicious of being left out . . .

After a great session, I hurried over to meet a friend of a friend's little cousin, who was a college student in town from Chicago with dreams of going in to magazines.

There is nothing like looking into the bright, hopeful eyes of someone you once were, to make you smile and realize how far you have come. She asked me about my time as a intern in the city and going from intern to editor. I told her stories of my time, and more importantly my strategy to getting hired, and being positive opportunities would come. I got up this morning looking for a picture for a blanket I want to make my mom, and stumbled on pictures from that summer (included some in this post). I smiled clicking through, knowing dreams really do come true. And it aint over yet!

Thanks for the support! The interview went great! I got down to the office right on time (I heart the D train:). Got off the elevator and the receptionist called and alerted my presence to the woman I was meeting with.

Then she looked around, picked up her flat iron and begin pressing her hair, with its blond ends and black roots. She heard footsteps from behind on the wooden floor, and quickly tucked her iron under the desk and straigtened up. The moment calmed my nerves, as another exec came to bring me back for the interview.

First up, they told me the job had shifted some from the posting I saw on Mediabistro. The added duties were even more in my lane, and I felt myself getting excited. Instead of a list of questions, after giving them copies of my resume, I was given the floor to tell them about me, and make it sound good. They shared more of the daily duties of the job, something I could definitely see myself doing with my days and thriving in.

Before I knew it, I was shaking hands and back on the streets of NY. Smiling. Not sure how they felt about me, but satisfied with my performance.

And then I felt the hunger pains from not eating breakfast (Staples became my friend that morning). I headed over to the BF's place for leftovers from the great Sunday dinner we whipped up. Cooking together is the ultimate win-win. Fun and frugal.

That night I got my socialite on, hitting an alumni party for former employees at my old job, and then the cocktail party for A Belle in Brooklyn. It was great to see old and new faces at both! That's me and Elaine at Belle's event, where she thanked me for inviting her to my bookclub meeting her first weekend in NY - where she met her best friend in New York till this day. Just a testament to being good to others and it comes right back.

And things just kept on getting interesting. Tuesday I saw another voicemail on my phone. Again I had missed a call from the company!! I know, i know.

I called back and was informed I was one of four finalists for the job, and needed to complete an edit test in 24 hours to possibly make it to the next round of two people, one to be picked for the job. I was ready for the test and she sent it over.

It was  . . .intense. I started my research and then it was time to head to a CNN networking reception with exes and journalists of color.

I got there and was excited to see a mentor/homie who had helped show me the ropes in NY. We caught up and she told me she had been on an interview the day before, and gave a description of the job . . .and I named the company. Yep, she had interviewed for the same position and also was a final four. We both felt good that if we didnt get it, we hoped the other did.

After meeting amazing folks at CNN, I headed home. It was time to get to work on the edit test. I overthunk some parts and made it a little harder for myself than i had to, but today, as the deadline neared, I hit send and felt good. We shall see . . .

So, Im going on my first post-laid interview tomorrow.

An interview that almost didnt happen.

In a dream in the wee morning hours of Thursday morning, a friend told me he would come by since I didnt check my voicemails. I humphed and rolled over. Woke up around 4 am and grabbed my phone.

Three messages.

There was a cousin of a friend asking if I had time to check over his resume. A sweet mom VM.

And then there was one from Tuesday, as a woman with a fun British accent invited me to come interview for a job I saw on mediabistro. I smiled, then cringed. It was two days later, the day she wanted to start interviewing folks and I was kicking myself for just hearing her message.

Later that morning, once a decent hour arrived, I called her office. It took 15 minutes to get to her extension as the company's automatic receptionist asked me to press in letters on the phone - letters totally different on a Blackberry. Finally I got her extension! . . . and the voicemail picked up. I left a message. And in the mean time dusted off the job description and email I sent to her weeks earlier, to see what exactly I was asking to do. I smiled and started researching the company and ideas for how I would execute, if offered the position.

I havent applied for many fulltime jobs, as I'm not in a rush to take on someone else's dream and only applying for jobs I want to spend my days doing. But I have been wanting to interview, just to stay sharp and see if I got "it."

She called back and invitied me in tomorrow. Bring resumes and clips.

So outside the mental prep with resumes and research, its the image plan.

What to wear? And for a hair hopper like me, how to style these tresses?

Im going for exciting earrings, and trading the wild wet and wavy for a slicked back ponytail. Black tights and black skirt and top.

Ill be back with full details!

Excuse the hiatus! I went on a 10 day trip home to Atlanta followed by a little soul searching. The feedback has been great for the blog as friends and strangers alike share their like of the concept. Thanks much!

But then I had my doubts.

A) I didnt want to seem ungrateful of the phenomenal opportunity I had at my first job. I got my dream job at 23! And I had a great run.  I am also never one to wallow, so when the pink slip came, I was already mentally on to the next phase of my life (my futuristic aquarius ways)

B) I didnt want to be branded as the laid off girl, or to wrap my identity in what could be a temporary thing. But after tweaking the header to reflect that fact we are making the most of a situatuion we didnt choose, I am ready to move full speed blogging, and boy do I have stories.

So "home" in Atlanta was many things. Great to see the family! Crazy hosting a princess slumber party for my ten year old sister and her 10 year old friends! Kicked myself for booking a trip sooo lonnng! By day five, i was ready to get back to Harlem. . .

It was the first time I visited Atlanta, and didn't have serious thoughts on moving back sooner than later.

It was the first time I felt like a visitor in a place that much of my mail still goes to.

It was the first time my mother had news on me she felt needed a press release for.

"So, what should I tell people?" she asked reluctantly when talking about me being laid off.

I laughed. "The truth mom, the truth." I was laid off.  A fact Im not embarrassed about. Im still me. Im doing fine financially and doing some consulting that brings in steady checks, alongside severance.

And finding a speech I shared at a youth program in the city the year before made me smile. The theme was Solid as a Rock, and I talked about my then job and though cool, I couldnt build my foundation on something that could be taken away. I couldnt wrap my identity in something not eternal. because if taken away, I still had to be me. Not any less cool. God has such a sense of humor.

So Im back for daily updates on the laid life (including my first job interview next week, the first in more than a year) and nudging the BF to share more of his stories . . . while I was eating hot wings and watching cable in Atlanta, he was hitting up the Fela premiere dapping Jay-Z and Questlove, Im not jealous . . .really.

 And speaking of Jay-Z, I blame his wifey Beyonce for the grown poses my lil sis and co had at the party!!!!