Pandemic pivots Career changes during COVID-19

Pandemic Pivots is a submission-based series highlighting the stories of people that have changed their day job or side hustle because of COVID-19. 

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/06/2021 (1754 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Pandemic Pivots is a submission-based series highlighting the stories of people that have changed their day job or side hustle because of COVID-19. 

The Free Press wants to tell the stories of any change at all — big or small; good or bad.

Drop a line to be part of the series: temur.durrani@freepress.mb.ca

 

Pandemic pivot: Nursing student lost restaurant job, became personal shopper

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Instacart personal shopper, Steve Kuzyk, loads groceries for a customer into his car. Kuzyk was a nursing school student and was working at a restaurant prior to the pandemic but needed to find another source of income after losing his job.

Posted:

Steven Kuzyk wasn’t really sure what to do when he first got laid off.

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Painting herself out of a corner

Kirsten Neil, a former social-media strategist, is now a watercolour artist who works on commission. (Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press)

Posted:

Kirsten Neil has a love-hate relationship with the internet.

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Playing it by ear

Andrew St. Hilaire pivoted from working as a professional musician to being a realtor due to the pandemic. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press)

Posted:

Andrew St. Hilaire travelled far and wide to perform at major musical-theatre productions for over two decades.

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From wordsmith to counter person at a deli

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Michelle Bailey feels lucky to have found a job that pays her bills and that she enjoys.

Posted:

Michelle Bailey has always called herself a writer, first and foremost.

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Striking the right (online) chord

ALEX LUPUL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Vicki Young, managing director of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, said the pivot to online performances was educational for staff, who had to learn how to edit video and market online presentations.

Posted:

In just over a year, Winnipeg arts groups have grown from technological babes in the woods to savvy veterans of the livestreaming game.

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The 'sweet spot' of a backup plan

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Call it good intuition or a perfect feeling in his gut, but Litviak

Posted:

Every now and then, Brad Litviak gets vivid flashbacks of spending time flying thousands of feet above the ground.

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When pandemic left pilot grounded, the food-truck life beckoned

Erin Popoff, with her children Kodiak, 5, Makeiff, 7, and Olive, 9, in Popoff’s new food truck trailer, Poacht. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press)

Posted:

When Erin Popoff took a leave of absence as a WestJet pilot last spring, little did she know she’d be laid off indefinitely within a matter of weeks.

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Unforeseen layoff allowed Winnipegger to fulfil dream of becoming a photographer

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Karina Walker got laid off from her job in the River East Transcona School Division.

Posted:

It took an unforeseen layoff, a whole lot of willpower and a particularly arduous pandemic to allow 30-year-old Karina Walker to finally fulfil her lifelong dream.

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