With many people losing their jobs during the pandemic, most people had no other option but to find another job wherever it might be. In March 2020, over 1,000,000 people lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As people were losing jobs, what did they do next to keep food on their table and a roof over their head?
Rob DiGioia worked in the sound industry for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Not only did DiGioia work on sound, but he also was a stage hand for this union. When the pandemic first hit, DiGioia wasn’t sure what would happen to him and his career with sound for live performances.
“I wasn’t sure how long it would last. Everybody was thinking maybe a month or two and then we’ll be back to work. I was thinking maybe this would be a good break… I thought it would be a good time to relax and get caught up on some stuff,” DiGioia said in an interview with Spoke.
He said he has a home studio where he’s able to get lots done but it’s not as productive as it would be in person.
Once DiGioia realized that this pandemic would last a while, he thought he would get into more projects from home as a freelancer. With not being in his preferred industry, DiGioia had to pivot his career path to something he could do from home. He’s done a few mixing projects for musicians, but also saw some small opportunities with the union that he could do from home for the time being.
“I’ve looked into doing a few studio projects and music projects where I can do the final mixing from home… I dabbled at the idea of even writing a book… But I’m kind of cursed because I’m drawn to a lot of creative type of things but they don’t always make money.” DiGioia mentions that the money is still there for him to cover the bills but now he has the time to focus on the things he’s always wanted to do.
Many people are still losing their jobs or switching career paths because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As many people struggle with the fact that they might have to change job opportunities, it’s the only thing they can do to put food on the table.
In Canada, 213,000 jobs were lost in January 2021 and the jobless rate went up to 9.4 per cent.
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