This content was submitted by Leah McNicholas
My name is Leah McNicholas and I am from County Mayo in the West of Ireland. I currently live and work in Belfast in Northern Ireland. I am an experienced production assistant looking to step up in my next job to production secretary. I have worked on three productions since 2019: The Deceived (Channel 5), Line of Duty Season 6 (BBC) and The School for Good and Evil (Netflix). I also have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and Television from Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.
Have you benefited from any ScreenSkills support so far?
I first applied to be on the ScreenSkills Trainee finder for the 2017/18 year and was successful. Unfortunately I did not end up getting a job on a production but thanks to the wonderful team I was kept on for the 2018/19 year. I had a lot of interviews, but because my lack of driving skills I was unsuccessful in getting my first job. Throughout my time on Trainee Finder I had the most amazing support and they helped in every way they could. They played a huge part in getting my first job as a trainee on a drama filmed in Northern Ireland in 2019. I have continued to use ScreenSkills t even when I finished on the Trainee finder. I found them very helpful during the Covid pandemic because of all the online courses they offered.
What effect has this support had on your career so far?
I struggled to get my first job in the industry and without ScreenSkills I wouldn't be where I am today. Being a trainee gave me a chance to learn on the job. They were always there if I had any questions and if I had any problems on my job I always knew I could contact them and they would always support me.
What is the proudest moment or achievement of your career so far?
My proudest moment so far has to be getting the opportunity to work on the first Netflix production to be filmed in Northern Ireland. Before this job my previous credits were on TV, shows so this was a huge step in my career to work on a huge film. Throughout all my roles my confidence grew, but after this job I knew I would be ready to step up to secretary.
If you could give advice to someone interested in pursuing your job role or a career in the screen industries more generally, what would you say?
The best piece of advice I can give is just to never give up. I know it can be so disheartening when you apply for so many jobs and are unsuccessful, but if you are passionate about this industry then you just need to keep trying. Network! Network! Network! Get a driving licence!!