Hi there, I'm Victoria Fenn Alvarado. With such a mouthful of a name, you can just call me Vic. Welcome to The V Spot!
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Let me tell you about myself: I graduated from the Journalism program at Seneca College at York University, in 2018. From there, I have navigated through the Journalism industry by saying "Yes". Yes, to learning new skills, Yes, to new opportunities and of course, yes to working overnights, weekends and holidays.
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With a passion for storytelling, I gained the skills to produce, film, write and edit video reports & features. Being capable of creating content from start to scratch comes with major responsibility:
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Most recently, I have been using my talents as a Video Journalist for Canada's national weather channel, The Weather Network. This hasn't been my only job title, though.
I started at TWN in January 2020 as a Content Creator & Presenter. Essentially, I was the new weather girl. For a lady with a lifelong dream of being on television, having my first gig on national tv was surreal to me. Not having any previous meteorology training, I knew this would be a challenge. But a challenge I gratefully accepted. I had successfully completed my training and was ready to present the weather forecast across Canada. Little did I know, the unthinkable would happen just one shift away from my tv debut.
How could you forget? Covid-19. A global pandemic that changed lives across the world. And changed mine, too. Amidst dramatic changes in everyones daily lives, the Journalism industry also needed to adjust. I was laid-off.
The devastation stung for a few months. But, the dedication was not lost. With ample time at home, unable to socialize, I created content on my own and shared this on Youtube. My channel was mostly for fun, but ended up opening a whole new door to my career:
As I mass applied to every opportunity I could find on LinkedIn, I was not forgotten at The Weather Network. After sharing my Youtube videos with TWN, just a few months later, they discovered I had more than just on-air presence. I could edit. I was hired as an on-call Video Editor and working from home became the new "normal." Like many, this was my first WFH position and needed to continue my career path by virtually interacting with others. A challenge for myself and many extroverts who value human interaction.
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After a short while I added another job title to my resume. Media Producer. Little did I know I was well suited for this job all thanks to skills I already began learning three years earlier at one of Canada's largest broadcast companies, CTV. Being a former Technical Director, I was not afraid of the fast-paced control room setting. Using new technology, cameras and switch boards gave me an added excitement and a love for the thrill of live television.
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Okay, so 2 on-call jobs at once and working as a bartender as a side hustle already seemed like enough to drain me. But, my dreams of being on television were still alive and well. I made my goals well known and soon enough was offered my on-call Content Creator & Presenter position back.
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I was finally able to be heard and seen on national television.
For over two years now, I have told Canadians their weather forecast on tv and online, through social media platforms. I have had the privilege of sharing forecast on CBC News. I have reported live, during active weather and tornado warnings.
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I have taken it one step up a notch and now, report live in the field. For someone who is not a fan of the snow and rain, volunteering to report live in the elements is an adrenaline rush I'd never experienced before. Yet, I continue to enjoy the thrill of it every time. Recently, I have had the honour of interviewing Olympic Sprinter, Andre De Grasse, Iconic Astronaut, Chris Hadfield and the CEO of The Running Room, John Stanton. As I combine all my on-call skill positions into one job, being a Video Journalist has been the highlight of my career.
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Pitching new ideas and seeing my own production come to life from start to finish has been the most rewarding experience. I have produced over 50 reports & features and continue to tell the forecast nationally across Canada.
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Of course, there has been challenges along my career journey, but, hey, every good story need a little plot twist, right?
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-V
