These Bay Area residents found new careers during the pandemic - by choice or necessity Samantha Nobles-Block FacebookTwitterEmail Among the many many Bay Area residents who have decided to shift careers during the the COVID-19 pandemic are, from left, Bryan Garza, Isabella Hill and Jeff Hester.From left: Bryan Garza; Paul Chinn / The Chronicle; Claire Hester As the shifting quicksand of the COVID-19 pandemic has upended our lives, many Bay Area residents, by choice or necessity, have undergone a professional metamorphosis. For some, jobs disappeared with the shutdowns. Others saw a chance to make their side hustle full time. And some have seized the opportunity to pursue a dream that might otherwise have never seen the light of day. The Chronicle spoke with people who made a pandemic-induced professional pivot about why they made the leap, what they miss about their former lives and what they think their future holds.