Intrepid Miami journalist

Introduction: Vacation can do wonders for a monthslong journey striving to reach the next career chapter.

Last week, I paused everything that goes with that, the daily networking with professional contacts, following up with hiring managers who have expressed interest in me and scanning attractive open positions in journalism and in the broad public relations and communications arena.

Happily, I immersed myself in spending quality time with my twin nearly 16-month-old granddaughters Daphne and Diana, their parents my daughter, Laney, son-in-law, Dave, and other extended family members in a sprawling house with a saltwater pool and boat dock along the water in Bath, the oldest town in North Carolina.

The joy of my granddaughters: Waking up in the morning to the sun's reflection off the Pamlico River and the distinctive sounds of high-energy Diana and Daphne talking to each other in a language only they could clearly understand was wonderful. My smiling, fun-loving and delightful baby granddaughters filled my week with memorable moments I'll never forget, even after they grow up to be teenagers.

It was an adventurous and relaxing vacation. Being with my granddaughters certainly provided a much-needed respite during my sometimes painstaking journey to the next stop of my fulfilling journalism career. My voyage started in November 2023, shortly after leaving the Miami Herald because owner McClatchy eliminated my business editor position.

Rewarding return to work: Came right back this week rejuvenated to refocus on being a solo entrepreneur managing my career. Post-vacation has been especially rewarding. I've had two interviews, one for a newsroom leadership position and one for a major U.S. company in communications and marketing. The company's interest in me escalated after our first conversation. Now I've got a second interview set to compete for the corporate communications position. And a hiring manager at another respected marketing-leading media outlet confirmed to me this week I'm still under consideration for a senior editor role there.

My overriding message is be good to yourself. Take a vacation after pushing and grinding for months during a career transition. Your networking ground game will yield positive results upon returning to helm your professional journey. And remember it's vital to your physical and mental health to take time away from work to travel and enjoy life. I'm a firm believer when mentally sharp, supremely confident and well rested that positions me -- and anyone reading this -- for attractive career opportunities to emerge.

Career management takeaways: Please allow me to ruminate about the circumstances around my two interviews this week, because they offer useful career management takeaways for anybody searching for a new position or entirely different career path.

The news organization that interviewed me was one I figured had zero interest in hiring me. Threw my hat in the ring to compete for this coveted editor position three months ago. Heard crickets from the hiring manager, until this week. Judging by the productive interview the opposite is true. The more than 100-year-old respected newspaper/digital news outlet is strongly considering the prospect of offering me the chance to join its team.

Slow to hire: Patience is a virtue that often runs in short supply when you're competing for weeks and months, trying to score interviews with hiring managers and competing with hundreds of others vying for the same jobs. However, don't stop following up to companies you most desire to work for, even if it's three or more months since you submitted your resume and haven't heard a peep from a hiring manager.

The second interview I landed this week for a corporate communications position, with a large global company recognized among the top firms in America in its industry sector, came after a strange twist. One day last week the company's human resources department sent me a rejection email. The company said it was moving ahead with other candidates. To my surprise, two days later the same company sent me an email from another individual in human resources wanting to interview me as soon as possible and expressing sincere interest in my talents and skills.

Rejection yields promising opportunity: This was a new experience for me in my three-decade career. Pretty sure nobody had dropped me like a rock and then uplifted me with an interview opportunity in a matter of days. If you encounter a similar situation, it's natural to think this obvious misfire sends a bad message about a firm. And it certainly says the left hand isn't communicating with the right hand in human resources and/or among the coterie of hiring managers within a company.

That said, rather than dwell on the negative and trying to figure out how the initial email was sent in error, it's best to go ahead and take the interview ... especially in a situation like my case when dealing with a highly respected U.S. company. It proves we all are infallible humans who make mistakes.

Finally, while driving home Sunday with my life partner Kathy to Palm Beach County, Florida, from our North Carolina vacation, President Joe Biden dropped the surprise announcement he was no longer running for a second term. Shortly after that, Biden endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee for president. Barring another bombshell, Harris will square off against Donald Trump, Biden's predecessor in the Oval Office, in November.

59 clearly the new 39: I'm thoroughly enjoying the enthusiasm building around Harris, as someone representing the next generation, a sharp, accomplished public servant with high energy and youthful vigor. Sharing her age of 59, I'm grateful to Harris for showing that at this station of life we still have much left to contribute and possess the wisdom to humbly work hard to make our country even better for our children and grandchildren.

Thank you for reading. Hope you'll continue this journey with me to my next career destination. Please feel free to connect on LinkedIn or on Substack, or at [email protected] to offer your thoughts, suggestions and job leads.