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Pivot. A word commonly used to describe the movement of a chair, but for many students and industry workers, pivoting in their careers has become a fiscal necessity. 

COVID-19 has slowed job growth, and according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has left 25% of United States workers without income; I wanted to check in on a few people to see how they pivoted for payment. 

I met with Oskar Theriault, a tour manager for Pack Records, who lost his job due to COVID-19. Theriault said, “I had three tours planned for the year 2020. It was going to be a make-or-break moment in my career, but when I received the phone call (from Pack Records), I was like, oh man, this is a break.” 

When I asked him how he pivoted, Theriault explained, “My passion lies in the music industry, but I feel very at home in the real estate industry; I feel like I am helping people.  

Although the music industry is a less common cause, I was drawn to the service industry because I also lost my bartending job due to coronavirus.

I met with Areej Cosas, a bartender at Milk and Hops, who lost her job due to the pandemic. Cosas explained that “Unlike most of my friends, I was fortunate enough to receive my unemployment benefits at the beginning of April 2020 up until September 2021”.

Cosas explained that she found herself turning a hobby into a business. When Cosas was a child, she and her mother bonded over crafting homemade necklaces. Cosas now looks to making necklaces as a small business; she never thought it would turn into a form of income and could cushion herself during these trying times. She has since returned to work.