Conversations with Liciaa J

Today we’d like to introduce you to Liciaa J.

Hi Liciaa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hi, I’m Liciaa J and I am a recent Class of 2020 graduate. I graduated with my B.A. in Communication last May of 2020. Having graduated in the beginning of the pandemic, I have struggled to find a full-time job and to really get my career started. Prior to the pandemic, I pictured myself walking across the stage on my graduation day and later starting my career as a Digital Media Strategist at a large company. I had plans to move to Houston, Texas as soon as I graduated. However, with the pandemic putting things on a pause for everyone, those plans were unfortunately paused too and I did not get a chance to walk across the stage either.

In the meantime, I began using my skills that I learned from college to create a side job of creating websites and managing other people’s social media accounts. It was a way for me to still have that creative outlet and to also keep my skills sharp while I waited to hear back from employers.

Fast forward to 2021, still no full-time job… yet (sigh), however, I recently got the opportunity to revisit another dream career of mine, which was working in the Entertainment Industry. Aside from working towards my degree in Communication while I was in college, I also work on Television and Film sets part time. My hometown, Charleston, South Carolina, is now a growing location for many movies and television shows, such as Halloween, The Righteous Gemstones and Outer Banks, etc. I’ve been blessed to be able to work on many of those productions and really get my foot in the door.

In the past, I’ve done a lot of background work and actually got a good bit of screen time in Marlon Wayan’s Netflix movie, Naked, which was also filmed in Charleston, SC. I had a featured role as a “Friend of the Bride” and was a stand in for Regina Hall. Most recently, I had the pleasure of being a stand in for Carmen Ejogo. I have been an extra and a stand in for about 7 years and I definitely plan on pursuing acting more seriously in the near future. It started off as a side job for me as a way to bring in some extra money while I was in college, but now I can definitely see myself doing more in front of the camera and landing some speaking roles. I would love to eventually be a part of a Marvel movie; that would be really fun and exciting and has always been a dream of mine.

One thing that I would like other people who are like me, waiting to get their careers started post-college, to know is that you always should have a few side jobs in place. It gives you a creative outlet, keeps your skills sharp and you may discover that you have hidden talents that could be explored, especially during the pandemic. I have discovered that, despite my sometimes camera shyness, I really love being in front of the camera. Along with my many newfound talents, I also currently love doing product promotion on my social media accounts. Hair and makeup companies reach out to me and send me items to promote and I really enjoy the product photography part of promotion the most. I always try to find creative ways to keep myself busy. I’m glad that I could share my story and hopefully, others will be inspired to keep going after reading this article.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely been a challenge that’s for sure. Having to adjust to online learning during a pandemic was new for me, it was new for all of us, but it could be done. I think the hardest part was accepting the fact that I wouldn’t get to walk across the Graduation stage after all those years of hard work that I put into during college. The job search has been pretty tough too, with employers trying to figure things out as well. I’ve had a few potential jobs fall through but I still try to remain encouraged.

As far as working on set, that’s been pretty smooth, we get COVID tests pretty often before returning to set, we’re isolated as much as possible during downtime and the food is now packaged individually, so a lot has changed but it’s moving in the right direction.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a Creative, I like to think of myself as a Digital Media Strategist because that is the track that I’m on and I specialize in many things.

Things such as: Product Photography, Creative Directing and Website Designing. I like to create detailed social media strategies, mood boards and find creative ways to make content. I specialize in Social Media Management and I’m known for the way that I can really make Social Media posts stand out. Anyone can post, but posting should be an experience and not just feel like something you have to do and that’s what sets me apart from others. My drive and creativity really make me stand out because when I do something I like to go big. I am most proud of my determination because when I set goals, I always exceed them.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters the most to me is being able to say that I’ve achieved every goal that I set for myself, Whether that’s graduating college or staffing my dream career of becoming an actress. My dreams mean a lot to me because it takes hard work, long hours, and dedication, and knowing that I can do anything that I set my mind on says a lot and keeps me pushing myself to do even more. As long as I keep myself motivated, I’m happy and feel very accomplished.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/_missnaejolie
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCVH1zKxnT8INEr5IVgroPew