After several welcome interviews in the last few weeks, I was made an offer which I have accepted with great excitement. Santa came slightly early and gave me exactly what I wanted for the New Year - a full-time job.

I'm literally covered in bruises from pinching myself with excitement and, after six months of keeping afloat with free lancing, combined with many quieter weeks where I gloomily accepted the dole, this job couldn't have come at a better time for Christmas.

As this goes to print I will be in the middle of my first day. I expect for exhaustion to hit me in my first week like a steam train, as I adjust once more to alarm clocks and early nights - but I absolutely can't wait.

The past year has been a career rollercoaster, being let go from two jobs. The first was a long drawn-out process with many whispers and stress-inducing rumours which cast a dark cloud over last Christmas. The worst case scenario – that several of us were to be let go - came immediately after the holidays, coinciding with me moving into my new apartment.



Luckily, I wasn’t out of work for long, but no sooner had I settled into my next job then I was handed the much more shocking news that they were regretfully unable to renew my contract after the initial three months.

This one hit me harder in some ways as it was so unexpected, but I soldiered on and spent the last six months building on my CV, working from home on different projects.

Armed with several references but no job I built up my freelance portfolio and did what I could, making a firm promise to myself early on - I would make the most of this period in my life and not see it as a depressing slow down in my career. Instead I made sure I did all the things people complain they never have time to do and, apart from possibly five bad days over six months, I did pretty well.

The good news of my new job, however, is still marred by the fact that several family members and friends are still struggling with their own recession troubles. I’m just glad that I can now spoil everyone over the festive season, and hopefully far into the New Year as well.

Fingers crossed with this job – that it’s a case of third time lucky for me. I’ll keep you posted!