A worker with a background in aerospace engineering who has converted to events still cannot find a job in her ropes a year after the start of the pandemic.
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“I can’t go back to the aviation industry and fashion events, it’s completely dead. Both are closed doors for me ”, confides in Journal Guljit Sandhu, 29, in the heart of Quartier DIX30, where she used to organize big events before the pandemic.
For Guljit Sandhu, the Brossard shopping center has a special character. It was here that she managed to prepare festive celebrations of all kinds for the South Asian community in Quebec.
“I loved it. I worked day and night with international clients. I was dealing with judges and actors from India. I was proud to do that, ”she says, smiling, then resuming a serious air.
After studying aerospace engineering at Concordia University and years in the industry, Guljit Sandhu branched out into fashion for Destination Wedsite, which hosts galas for Quebecers from India and Sri Lanka.
Source of anxiety
After working eight years in the aviation industry as a training manager and flight attendant, she had finally found the job, which made her happy in the event industry.
But when the pandemic paralyzed Quebec a year ago, his dream collapsed like a house of cards. A year later, she still has not managed to find the right fit.
“When Quebec took a break, it came with a lot of anxiety, especially for us, visible minority women, it’s never really easy,” she says.
In shock, Guljit Sandhu had the Canadian Emergency Benefit (CEP) for a while.
She tried to find contracts here and there.
She did a few interviews for administration or corporate reception positions, but was unable to re-enter the workforce.
Over the days and months, the debts started to pile up. Unable to obtain loans from the banks, she began to worry when she saw her car loan and her mortgage stretch out visibly.
Out of breath, she turned to the Place à emploi organization in Longueuil, which helped her regain self-confidence and gave her tips to polish her well-rounded CV.
Today, at the dawn of her 30 years, the young woman aspires to a managerial position. She now has in hand an Attestation of Collegial Studies (AEC) in human resources, which she obtained during the pandemic.
“It was a big strain on my ego. Getting down to the bottom of the ladder is not easy for anyone, ”she concludes.
– With the collaboration of Jean-Michel Genois Gagnon
Last month in Quebec, the unemployment rate fell 2.4% to 6.4%, the lowest level since February 2020, just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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