'Home Sweet Home' Where Are You!?

I finally tried the CitiBike last week as my way of transportation and exercise to my part time job on the upper west side.  It was a great way of exercising but I was late for work and it took longer than 30 minutes to get there. The thing with the Citibike that you need to be aware of is that they only allow 30minute increments while riding the bike. Not sure why but I bought a 24hour pass because I only used it for literally 20 minutes. After 30 minutes the deal is you have to get off the bike, lock it back into a machine, wait a few seconds and then you can take it out again if you are still not at your destination without any extra costs for the next 24 hours. Some people buy a month or year pass because they know streets and it can definitely be cheaper than paying $2.50 every time you have to go on the subway. I just wanted to try it out. I could have used it again for the rest of my ride to work but after 20 minutes of riding I realized I was going to be late no matter what based on the time and didn't want to risk showing up even later. I thought it would take me only 30 minutes to ride from 35th Street and 6th to 74th and Columbus Ave. Anyone from New York reading that would laugh at me. How was I suppose to remember which streets were one way streets? Lets just say I need to walk more to really know the streets better before I can start bike riding around the city. So I took the subway the rest of the way after dropping off the bike at Columbus Circle.

 

The next day, I went to check my bank account and found that there was/is a charge of $101 from CitiBike. I was so mad/confused because it only cost $10.95 or something. They did mention there would be a charge of $101 but I thought that was ONLY if the bike was stolen. What it really says is they put a hold on your account until they can verify the bike is fine and dandy. So I called the number on their home page and a woman answered. She told me that there is a hold for the next 36 hours just to make sure there is nothing wrong with the bike and the bike was returned. The money has not been taken out of my account and will stay there as long as the bike is fine. Today, four days later, I check my bank account and there is clearly a charge for $101 from CitiBike. I don't understand?!!?? I returned the bike almost four days ago!!! Why are they charging me?! I am at work so I can't just call them so I emailed them. I ended up with the money still in my account but word of advice for CitiBike usage:

• they are a great and cheap way to get around the city
• there are bike lanes in the streets but not on all streets so still be cautious
• they put a hold on everyone's account until three days (four) after your 24 hour pass is over as a precaution (they wait for how ever long you pay to have the pass for riding the bike is expired)
• they do not provide helmets
• the bike machines are literally everywhere around the city so it is easy to return and use one of these bikes
• I see them being used everywhere!
• if you are in a rush, do not attempt to use the bike unless you hate the subway, don't want to walk, have biked in the city before, or do not want to pay for a taxi

Not only have I finally tried riding a CitiBike, but I decided to finally just Google search "roommates in NYC" because I feel I have tried everything when it comes to looking for a place to live! I have used so many different sources to find a roommate or just an available/empty room in an apartment long term. Maybe I am having trouble because I know what I don't want in a living situation. I can't help that I am allergic to animals that shed and I would rather live with women (or a gay man) then a straight man! Here is a list of many places I have looked. My dad says I should just find a real-estate person to help me. The only issue is I can't afford to live alone and I don't want to pay a fee. At this rate, I will never find a place to live!

• Spareroom
• Roommates
• Hotpads
• Spareroom
• Streeteasy
• Gypsy Housing

I know that I will find a place to live eventually. It just isn't the right timing. The right apartment is out there waiting for me I know it!

 

Using many of those websites, I have seen apartments in Harlem, New Jersey, Brooklyn, and Queens. I personally want to live in Queens because it is right in between where I am working and where most of my family and family friends live. These websites have helped me see and understand what kinds of apartments look like in different areas of New York. It has also given me an idea of how pricing looks like for single studio apartments to 3 bedroom apartments/homes. Well, good luck to you and hopefully I will have a nice place to live in Queens by the subway in the near future.

Late my 15th day

I am tired. No more sleeping until midnight. Sleeping until midnight is like asking to be tired for the rest of the next day. Especially now that I have come to work for the first time late. I woke up at 9:30am. Yes, I said three hours after I am supposed to wake up and the time I am supposed to be sitting at my desk at work. Awesome. I woke up totally confused as to what day it was. I was so out of it. Luckily I am a temp so I went through my staffing company and right now the only consequences are that I am not getting paid the two hours I was late. I can handle that. But I blame my phone. It has been acting weird for the past month and the Apple store won't replace it even though it is only a three month old phone. Last month, it would restart on its own over and over again and wouldn't stop until I restored it to manufacturer settings. I had to plug it into my own computer to for the phone to stop freaking out. That was fun (not). A month later (this past weekend) it happened again. I called AT&T the first time it happened and this time I went to the Apple Store. They said there isn't enough proof to show that the phone needs be replaced. HELLO of course not now that I have restored it, AGAIN just so I can use it! They said only if it happens again will they do anything since I only called AT&T once and came to them once. I guess third times a charm.

I have to wake up at 6am every morning to prepare myself for the day to get ready, eat breakfast and catch the 8:03am train so that I can make it to daily mass at St. Francis of Assisi on the way to the office. I arrive late to mass every morning because the train arrives to Penn Station at 8:28. I just barely make the beginning of mass. Hopefully working two jobs won't kill me.

Now that this has happened, being late, I remember another time where I could have totally missed an interview over a purse. This is only because it broke. It broke on my way to an interview. I was walking and the clip attached to the straps decided to brake. I was running 30 minutes early like a good interviewee. So I decided I had enough time to maybe run into Macy's on 34th street right out of Penn Station. It's been along time since I have been in that store location and if you haven't been there before, I'll try to explain what that Macy's is like as best I can. First of all, it's "The World's Largest Store". It takes up an entire city block and has around 10 levels. Basically, if you're on a mission for a specific item with a specific budget and on a time crunch, it's probably not going to be the best choice in retail options. What did I know? I only knew that Macy's would probably provide me with a nicer and professional purse and it was the only retail store I knew was close to the train station. (By the way, there are plenty of retail options right around Macy's). When I entered the store, I realized what a terrible idea it was as I searched for the sales racks. With no success and wasting time I frantically searched for an exit. I luckily ran out the exit across the street from H&M and went straight for the purse section. I grab a purse professional enough and budget worthy and run to the register. She rang it up and the price came to over $100. That was NOT in my budget. I gave up and just used the purse the best I could. At least I can say I learned from this experience. Now I know how to pack my things and what kind of purse I need to have. When things go wrong, learning from the situation is the best way to deal with it and for it to not happen again.

But, it really is hitting me now that I have no control over my life. I am still living at my cousins and trying to find a place to live either in Brooklyn or Queens. I am not able to buy anything like clothes or decorations because there isn't space in my temporary room. I see my money diminish slowly and thank God how lucky I am to have acquired a job. I can tell I am starting to lose it because I can't remember the last time my nails were this short. I am literally obliterating my nails. I hate that I have the habit already of biting and picking at my nails but I can't seem to help it especially now that I am more stressed with finding somewhere to live and finding roommates. I guess I am on stress overload and didn't know it!

I just have to keep reminding myself of my past accomplishments and how I got to where I am today. I luckily have family I can stay with while. I will hopefully live by an affordable gym when I live on my own or near a nice park to run in. I have clothes and food. I have a car to take me to the train station. I have made friends from work and family. I am alive and living my dream!! I am New York City for heaven's sake!!

 

Pee-pee Dance During Your Interview?

I do not know how to dress for this weather. It is starting to grow grey outside which is exciting and depressing. Back to the seasons!!! Now I know why my cousin wanted to switch lives with me. He went to school in Albany and I went to school in Orlando. We both wanted each others lives because I love New York and he loves Florida.

Now that I am up here in New York, he loves to tell me how miserable he is unless it is hot outside because he is still in New York. The first day it was cold and starting to feel like fall, he text-ed me asking me if I already regretting coming back to the northeast. Nope!! I love it. There is no place like New York.

This morning, I woke up cold, like every other morning this week. It was 56 degrees in my room. I have already thrown a comforter I made (the ones you place two pieces of material together and tie the ends all the way around), 2 blankets and a sheet on my bed which is still not warm enough. My dad says I have to go to Bed Bath and Beyond to find a nicer and warmer comforter. All I kept thinking was that I would be that girl walking around NYC with a ginormous comforter under my arm. Then common sense smacked me in the face and I realized (as I'm writing this) that I can go to the store and buy one after work in New Jersey and stuff it in my car.

One thing I have learned from interviews in New York (and pretty much anywhere else where the employees take their job seriously) is that the employer does not like seeing the interviewee with a lot of makeup, jewelry, and skin. I've learned that the simpler the better. I luckily don't wear a lot of makeup and I don't have any tattoos. My sister used to say I dress like an old person because I am very conservative with what I wear and never show cleavage or even my thighs. So I was born to go on interviews I suppose. But some companies are really offended by tattoos if you don't cover them up.

Finding a full time job is like having a full time job in itself. Researching all day long and applying for jobs takes a long time and it is not as easy as it seems. There are so many jobs out there you just have to either be there at the right place and the right time or just be an expert at researching. I constantly had to be reminded that there is a job out there for me. Just because the economy is not at its prime for job hunting doesn't mean your job isn't out there. Some people have it easier. They either know they want to go straight to grad school or have something lined up with their previous internship or family member when they graduate. Most people, on the other hand, don't.

I actually had many phone interviews before going on interviews in New York. A great phone interview experience was when I spoke with someone at Bloomberg for a job. This only was accomplished because my father used to work for the now chairman of a division in Bloomberg and my father contacted him asking if it was possible to set up an interview with me. It was a very exciting time but I made a lot of mistakes.

1. I didn't know anything about Bloomberg (still not too sure about it because they are so huge and are part of many divisions)
2. I did not investigate the company online very well to be able to answer some of her questions
3. I didn't research about the people I would be speaking with whom had emailed me about the interview

 Some things I hope I did well

1. Took notes
2. Had my resume in front of me for reference
3. Spoke confidently

In the end, I didn't get that job. I am very glad I didn't. There were better plans for me. I wasn't ready to leave for New York that soon. I wasn't supposed to have a job the day after graduating college. I am so glad and blessed to have spent the time I had with my family and friends before heading up to New York and finding a job. Technically, it was only a month break. But I had a great time. Being out of a job and having nothing to do can actually be really boring and not healthy. I was adamant about finding a job within the year because I didn't want to get used to the free time. On the other hand, I also wanted to enjoy it while I could. So here are some tips I suggest doing while on an interview, whether it is on the phone or in person.

1. Take notes: always have paper and pen with you
2. Have your resume with you
3. Bring a portfolio (if you have one or a list of accomplishments you have achieved in the past)
4. Have a list of questions you want to ask the interviewer when they are finished asking you.
1. How would you describe a typical work day?
2. How would you describe responsibilities this position would be responsible for?
3. Is there potential for growth?
4. How many people are in the company or office?
5. What do you like most about working here?
6. What don't you like and what would you change?
5. Put your phone on SILENT (how embarrassing when it vibrates or rings while on the interview)
6. Keep your hair out of your face
7. Do not have cleavage or skin showing that can draw attention. (Even if you are on the phone, if you are dressed at least appropriately, you will feel confident and then you will sound confident.)
8.  Make sure you use the restroom before going on the call or meeting (this sounds ridiculous but you don't want to be on the phone or in the interview doing your "pee dance" because you happen to forgot you needed to go earlier and were so caught up on the interview you never went. It's not attractive)
   

I am not perfect. I still mess up on interviews and I am glad I do! I have learned that for me, on interviews where I really don't care as much and I just am going for the experience and practice, I seem to do better and receive better feedback because I assume I act more like myself. The job I have now I didn't take as seriously as others because I received it from one of my staffing companies who I hadn't heard from in a while. I was just going to see what the company was and see what it was like. Now I couldn't be more excited to say I got paid!!! So thank you staffing company for getting my foot out the door. Go out there, don't worry if you make a fool of yourself the first few times and get angry at yourself. It will happen more than once I can guarantee that. If you don't get mad at yourself then you aren't trying hard enough. Because now that I have a job, I am trying to find a place to live that is affordable!!!

Good luck out there and never give up!!
xoxo

Edgar Allan Poe and his grave

All that my brain wanted to process this morning when I was overhearing my cousin outside my room in the kitchen was him say "It definitely feels like fall out there." I was thinking, "IT DOES!? yay!!!" If you really knew me, you'd know that I love to layer my clothes. It's a sickness really because when I layer, I sometimes don't care if I matched the clothes to look nice. I just like layering and mixing all the colors together!! I was hoping moving to the fashion capitol of the work (New York City if you didn't know) would help give me better layering and styling tips. It's a little weird but people just have to get used to my weirdness if you want to be my friend. I put on my green lace dress, my normal bra and normal panties but also put on panty-hoes. That is right people: I didn't say tights, I said panty-hoes. Don't know what they are? Google it. I also add blue ankle socks and then my green knee-high socks from Target because I realized my legs were going to be cold. Then my gray jacket and another heavier black jacket. Do I want my hat? Naw I have a hood. And it's red so it probably doesn't match. I walk outside and think, my butt is cold. So I add shorts I usually wear to the gym which are almost the same color as my dress (score!). I am ready! I get to work and take off the high knee socks and my jacket. As I look down, I notice that my panty-hoes split/ripped. There is now a hole right on the inside of my right knee. Awesome. Should I take them off? To me it's obvious but hopefully I can get through the rest of the day without noticing it or anyone else noticing it. I decide, like any other women my age, to text my mom and see what she would do about it while hopefully ignoring the fact that I am even wearing panty-hoes. Of course she gives me the more logical advice of just buying a new pair at Duane Reade which is actually right across the street when I leave work today. Oh the joy of having a mother who used to work in the city and wore/wears panty-hoes.

Anyway, I am a firm believer in my religion and it is believed that praying can change your life. This is true. So I would and still always pray over finding a job and guidance in finding a place to live. I know that God has something planned for me. But it is my job to actually get the courage to look for it. If I just wanted to sit around and complain that God didn't help me find a job, that would be unfair. I had to find the nerve to fly to New York and find what God had and has in store for me. His plan will be done. I just have to do what is right and look for it. People from back home in Florida thought I was crazy for just leaving for New York and look for a job. I didn't have anything planned out really. I knew I just had to go. I had a lot of support from my parents and family. If it wasn't going to work out for me, I knew I could just come back. But God knows my wants and my needs. I went for it and took a chance. If I didn't take that chance, I never would have learned all the things that I've learned so far by coming here.

After staying at my cousin's house in New Jersey the first month with no success in acquiring a job, I knew that I wanted to keep looking for a job in the city so I decided that I needed my car. The only way I was going to get my car to New York was drive it up here. My sister is the only crazy one in the family who has driven long distances before because she goes to school in Pennsylvania and she needed her car. She drove all the way to school and drives back down for holidays. I thought I would never be able to do that. I sometimes couldn't drive the three hours it took to go from school to my parent's house on weekends! The issue was everything became unknown for me. My lease in Florida at school was ending the last day of July so I had to pack my things from school anyways. I have anxiety so the unknown is not my friend. It's actually not a friend to most people. Sometimes, it is so bad that I can't even go out with my girlfriends for a bite to eat! I hate it but I can't help it. Especially when it comes to driving at night.

When I flew back to Florida to pack my things, I decided to try and at least find a friend who would maybe drive up to New Jersey with me. I found no luck. I knew this was some kind of a test or maybe that I didn't try hard enough to find someone who would travel with me. In any case it ended up being one of the best experience of my life. I left on my own and stayed in a hotel over night in Raleigh, NC all by myself! The people I met in Raleigh were so nice. I was caught up talking to his couple who were from California but moved to Raleigh when they retired. I didn't enjoy the food that much but even for breakfast the people at Denny's were so kind. The people I met in that less than 24 hour visit to NC were pretty darn awesome.

From Raleigh I headed towards Baltimore, Maryland. I was planning on staying in Baltimore for a night because I really wanted to see Edgar Allan Poe's grave but it didn't work out. Instead I just visited his famous grave and kept on my way. I have a weird love for Edgar Allen Poe and graveyards so being able to visit both in one trip was pretty cool. He is buried with other people from his time and from before. It was very awesome. I didn't stay the night in Baltimore because the city was scary. Actually, the random person I asked about restaurants in the area scared me because she was maybe freaked out herself. She basically told me to watch my purse instead of suggesting a place for me to grab dinner. So I didn't want to stay after that encounter.

It should have only taken 3 hours but took 5 because cars were backed up from an 18 wheeler that caught on fire combined with everyone driving back from their vacation at the shore. Arriving at 10pm I was delusional and so excited to see my cousin I gave him a ginormous hug (which was probably unusual for him because I never receive hugs from him). I was going to hug any person I saw first because I literally missed being able to talk and be with another human being and I was actually hoping it was going to be him.

Anyway if I had to take that trip again, I definitely would (even with my anxiety). I luckily didn't have that much anxiety on this trip compared to other trips I have taken. I knew it was something I needed to do and that is probably why I wasn't suffering. Traveling is an experience you will never get back and an experience you will never forget. I will not let my anxiety take me from traveling to where I need to go and neither should you.

xoxo

Find the nearest coffee shop before your interview

It can be lonely trying to put your life together since I moved away from my college friends and family from Florida. Yes, I have family here in Jersey that I am staying with and family in Long Island. But who wants to make that kind of a trip out there? Me, of course thought it was an excellent idea to drive through the city into Long Island. First time driving in the city and now I know why my parents drive the way they do. Being from New York, driving aggressively with your hand almost always hovering over the horn is a must. I caught on quickly to this type of quick and tight driving and I give credit to my parents and brother. When I took my old college roommate to the Big City one spring break to show her why I loved it so much, I didn't realize how terrified she was in the taxi because it wasn't scary for me. Later did she tell me how scarred she was by the fact that taxi drivers drive so close to other cars and they are very, very fast. I was stunned by the fact that their driving didn't even effect me and that I didn't even notice that they were even that close to one another until she mentioned it. But it is true, there isn't much room on the road. So a tip for why people don't usually have cars when living in the city; there are plenty of ways to get to where you need to go with public transportation. The fact is, you will never find free parking or even a parking spot unless it's Sunday and in the summer time.

Thanks to a mobile application called "HopStop", I am able to find my way around the city with any public transportation available. It is really the best app to have while trying to get around Manhattan. When I downloaded it, it was free. Hopefully it still is. It has literally saved my life for every single interview I have been on in the city. If you're lost, you can still ask the random person next to you on the subway if the next stop is 72nd street. But if you really feel uncomfortable doing that (which is dumb because everyone will help direct you to where you need to go on the train) this app will become your best friend and will always be on your most recently used apps on your smartphone; unless there is no service which happens in the subway.

I want to first start off with my very first interview in the city. I was meeting with a staffing company the week after I had arrived into the city. I knew I needed to buy nice walking shoes for myself as I hit the streets of NYC. Keeping also in mind that the interview was on the 8th floor, I am not used to tall buildings with more than 10 floors anymore since I lived in Florida for 10 years. I don't know if you are aware of this but in Florida, there is a limit to the amount of floors a building can have because of the hurricanes. Also, the ground isn't as stable as it is when you travel farther north because as you start to dig, you are going to reach sand, not soil. That is also another reason why there are no basements.

This appointment was on the 8th floor on Lexington ave, right by Rockefeller Center. It's not a far commute. I take the NJ Transit into the city, use my HopStop app to locate me in the direction to the staffing company and travel by public transportation. Keep in mind, this is the second week of June. I am wearing nice work pants, a blouse and sneakers. I am carrying my nice shoes in a separate purse because literally every woman travels with one purse for your shoes and the other as your actual purse. It is so hot out. Luckily I am wearing comfortable shoes. I must be wearing the heaviest blouse in my closet and this morning I thought it was smart to wear a tank top underneath; but never again. I am literally afraid I have sweat marks on my back and my armpits. I find the building and there is a desk with a security man sitting behind the desk to greet me. I give him my identification and company destination. I'm thinking that I am a little early and I will find the bathroom on the company floor before walking in to change and wash up. I take the elevator up, desperate for a napkin to dab my face, the doors to the elevator open and right in front of me are two glass doors and the name of the staffing company written on them. Not only that, I can see the front desk and two women are sitting there looking at the elevator doors open. In a panic I quickly slide out of view as much as possible, push the "close doors" elevator button and as the doors finally shut, I quickly bend over to change my shoes. I start pushing elevator buttons to stall time. I went up and down and thought I was a complete fool!!! There are NO BATHROOMS for people like me to change into. I found out later that there are no public bathrooms in NYC unless you go to a Starbucks that has a bathroom. I had to quickly dig through my purse for napkins and change my shoes and arrived back on the 8th floor and walked in. That was probably the most embarrassing moment of my life and I had to play if off as though I knew what I was doing.  Now, and every interview after that one, I look for a coffee shop to sit down in to dab my face with a napkin before walking in and change my shoes.

Luckily, it was just an interview with a staffing company and not an actual company who wanted to hire me. Also, that staffing company never ended up helping me anyway probably because I was looking for an Entry Level position and the commission they receive on a $35k/year job is nothing compared to higher level positions or because I ended up looking like a mess (which I'll never really know if I did look like a mess). Remember the saying, "it's not what you know, it's who you know?" Well that staffing company was affiliated with a staffing company my family friend works for back home in Florida. I called them and emailed them many times and never heard a response back after the first or second meeting. Again, even though my family friend referred me through his CEO to them, they didn't help me one bit. That is where my search for other staffing companies began and independently searching through other job sites (like the ones mentioned in my previous blog).


So good luck on that first interview and remember, carry napkins/tissues with you and stop at a coffee shop before even entering the building of the company the interview will be in.

Finding that perfect Job

Starting my job search began when I was still in college, casually looking around the LinkedIn jobs tab. I started searching in the Orlando area, and then became a little more courageous in searching the New York area. For months I waited for responses. There weren't any. Well, that's not completely true. I found two part time jobs while I was still in school during the fall semester through LinkedIn. But as graduation came around no one would respond to my applications. There were so many great opportunities on LinkedIn that I couldn't believe no one was responding. Its not like there was/is nothing on my resume!!! I have lots of skills! So I would continue to refine my search from Entry Level positions to Associate and vice-verse (which can be found on the left tab after you have already begun a search).

It's not WHAT you know, it's WHO you know, right? WRONG. It's both. Yes, I said both. I am friendly with one of the Public Relations managers at Team Disney and she became my mentor. She still couldn't help me acquire a job at Disney. I had to go through the application process like everyone else. I was given a job opportunity with a travel agency in New York. They are affiliated with my uncles and I went on a trip with their company AND roomed with the pilgrimage director on that trip. Did I get that job? No. Why you ask? Because they found someone else with 20 years of experience. I gained the jobs I have now because of my hard work in searching the web, and constantly applying and asking around. I would apply to at least 3 jobs a day. I even started keeping track of where I was applying; with whom, with what company, when and where they are located. (I only started doing this because, of course, in one interview someone asked me where else I was applying. My response was bulls**t because I couldn't remember the hundreds of jobs I'd applied for. In my head I kept thinking "are you kidding me!!?!?? Why would she ask me that? I have been applying EVERYWHERE!!!). Once I was keeping record of my applications, by righting them down in a notebook, I started to feel a lot more confident and was receiving more and better responses. That is when I acquired the part time and now the full time. The part time I acquired on my own and the full time I received thanks to one of my staffing companies I have been working with since the beginning. They are actually the only staffing company at the beginning who would deal with a new graduate looking for an entry level job. I can explain how staffing companies work at another time.

A list of websites that have helped me along the way in finding jobs and internships are as follows:

• LinkedIn 
• NY Creative Interns 
• Indeed 
• Media Bistro 
• Career Builder 
• Intern Match 
• Disney  -WARNING: you need a log in account and at first, it literally takes forever to apply for your first application. Word of advice, Disney LIKES long resumes. They don't want to see a one page resume. What's that you say? Everyone tells you to write only a one page resume? I know. That is true, for EVERYONE ELSE. But for Disney, THEY DON'T. Lucky for me (not), I didn't know this until after I had applied for multiple positions there. They want to know everything you did in your past jobs and internships and volunteer work. Don't leave anything out! But only keep it between 2-3 pages. I applied to 16 different openings and received a call back for ONE and still didn't get it. After you apply to your first one, the rest are easy because Disney saves your responses from your previous application. That is why I was able to apply to 16 different jobs. You'll see if you apply.
  Also, they don't tell you this either, they usually only accept you if you have participated in the college program or was a previous Cast Member before applying for a job in their corporate office. I did neither. But taking those phone interviews and applying gave me a lot of experience and learning.
• Searching top staffing companies in the New York area who were associated with marketing positions
• New York Times Jobs

Others I heard about but didn't use as much were:

• Cyber Coders
• Manhattan Jobs
• Beyond
• Startwire
• Friends and Family

I am also into fashion and creativity. So I applied to positions by searching companies or websites I thought I would be interested in.

• Fashion Jobs
• Martha Stewart
• Target
• Job Score
• Friends and Family

Another piece of advice: I saved almost every email I received in a separate folder JUST IN CASE. You never know especially when you receive an email from a company and you don't remember who they are or when you applied for them, you'll have a copy in your email in a separate folder.

I know there are more out there and I have forgotten some but these have been awesome at helping me find what I was looking for. Which is, and was, a marketing position dealing with the marketing or social media department. I was even looking at jobs for advertising and public relations. They say it's this economy. But if you aren't willing too look hard and long for the job you want in life, you're not going to find it.

People are EVERYWHERE!

Traveling to the city is like a mini field trip. The hustle and bustle of the city is over whelming if you are not ready to embrace it. I'm not kidding when I tell you that while you are walking around the city, act like you belong.Walk as if you own the place! No one will bother you; well, they don't bother me, usually.

Walking up and out of one of Penn Station's bustling main entrances, you will hear the sound of the city life rush through your ears.Coming up the escalator I notice the morning sunlight, then hundreds of changing faces all around you that are constantly moving, billboards upon billboards, cars and finally, the large buildings that make up part of the New York skyline ahead. Cars, people, whistles, car horns, bikes, and construction consume the air. "Metro! Metro! Read all about it!". Cops are yelling at cars and people, "keep moving! Let's goooooooooo!" while directing traffic. Keep in mind the smell of sewers, cigarets, and car fumes.  If my cousin walked by, chances of me noticing him are slim to none; and I am pretty aware of my surroundings. I went to school with 50,000 other students and I wouldn't go 24 hours without bumping into a Theta Alpha sister. I am and was very aware of my surroundings. I never wanted to pass someone I knew and not greet them. Transitioning from that to trying to not notice the person next to me unless I felt a weird vibe coming from them is a big change.

You know you are traveling home during rush hour when you see people EVERYWHERE. Rush hour can last from 7am to 10am and at night 4pm to 8pm. The best way home is to take the train, and on that train, good luck finding a seat. Luckily, I am alone, young and move fast so I can usually find a seat. Everyone else of course, like so many other times when I have been almost late for my train, is standing in the aisle because there are no more empty seats (Actually, you will find many middle seats available but no one wants to feel squished or even touch one another). As I was sitting there that day, actually reading my book instead of looking at Twitter, crumbs were falling from the sky. No, they weren't falling from the sky. They were falling from the mouth of the person standing in the aisle above my head. Those crumbs were potato chips. Of course, the guy next to me who was standing in the aisle is eating them. It is so packed on this train that there is only room enough to face the windows of the train and not the doors. Now I get to go home not just sweaty but covered with tiny pieces of Lays chips. Awesome.

I feel lonely sometimes but luckily staying with my family in New Jersey has helped a lot. I also have family in Long Island so when I make trip out there, it is nice to see everyone including my uncles who are in Brooklyn and Yonkers. Being with people, especially people you know can help at times. Especially being new to a city and at first, I didn't have my car. In July, after I had flown back to Florida to pack my things and officially take all my stuff to New Jersey, I had my car. I drove all the way from Orlando to New Jersey all by myself. I would say it was a very big accomplishment for me. I had never driven a far distance like that before and I haven't by myself. Also, I have anxiety traveling so I felt like I really took charge of my anxiety those three days.

I am currently writing to you from my desk. Yes, I have acquired a job. A marketing assistant position actually! So I am reminiscing on the events that happened to me the past few months when I was looking for a full time job and combining it with my experiences today. As you can see, my experiences and efforts with trial and errors have been successful!!! I hope that when I blog about those interviews I went on and how I made certain connections, it will help those who are also dreaming of New York or some other city that they dream to live or work in! I will look back to my beginning emails just to describe some of the interviews I went on. I hope this helps and you will be successful finding a job as well (even in this economy).

xoxox
onesmartlady

People Watching

The day I heard the words, "We'd like to hire you" was music to my ears. It didn't feel like I had accomplished something and that I was hired for a part time job until that first day of orientation around the large circular/oval table with the other people who made it through the long interview process. Today, as I travel from new Jersey to the Upper West Side, or UWS, I think about all the other past interviews and the ones I should learn from as I continue to look for a full time marketing opportunity in the city.

So, here is a little information about me. I guess you can call it my bio. Every time someone asks me where I am from, this is what I say. I was born in Great Neck, Queens NY. My family moved to New Jersey when I was 2 years old. I grew up in Jersey until I was about 13 years old. Yest that was right smack in the middle of middle school. Not only that, we moved to Florida in January which is right in the middle of the school year. I graduated college in Orlando at the University of Central Florida (go knights!!) and decided to come back to the big apple! I have plenty of friends and family still here. It was only my family, of course, that left the Northeast (besides my dad's side of the family which are all on the west coast which is another story). Thanks to my family and family friends in the New York and New Jersey, I knew I wouldn't have too much of an issue finding a place to crash or hop from place to place while I was trying to settle.

Everyone at school in Florida thought I was crazy! People from New York or have family in New York said, "I'm right behind you! See you in a few years!" My parents on the other hand, made it a little difficult for me. I was determined to go back to the city. Not just any city though. I was determined to return to New York. My mom said, "But you love Orlando!" and my dad had a little more to say, "You're not going to find any jobs in Florida. You have to go to New York! I won't support you if you stay!" Clearly, what was really happening was my mom was tired of everyone moving away from home, one of my younger sisters left for school in Pittsburgh, and my dad wanted all his kids back in New York so he would have a better excuse to go back himself. I was pretty set on what I wanted. It was just the motivation I was trying to find in actually leaving.

While suffering anxiety and depression, which happen to be genetic, I kept putting off the whole 'planning a trip to New York'. When I graduated in May, I didn't actually pick up and go until June 4th.

Now, with my part time job, sitting in the subway on my way to the part time job (PT), I look around at everyone else sitting on the subway train. You know the saying, "people watching"? Well your life in New York City becomes a life full of "people watching". It is important to stay aware of your surroundings at ALL TIMES. This is an important part of being in NYC. ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings. I'm sure those of you who are not from the city have heard rumors. Even if you are from the city, you know there is a stigma. But I love New York City. There is no place like it. I have never been in a city quite like this one.