Carla Jara on Work Ethic, Representation and Building a Career in Music

Known as your "Music Industry Big Sis," the Social Media Content Producer for the Recording Academy is here to share key tips for success.

Coining herself as the “Music Industry Big Sis,” Carla Jara is a music industry professional with almost 11 years of digital, radio, and live events experience. Currently, she is the Social Media Content Producer for the Recording Academy, the non-profit behind the GRAMMYS. Carla loves the backstage chaos of huge concerts, while capturing those special moments on stage with the artists. Throughout her industry journey, she’s been able to work with notable musicians such as the Jonas Brothers, Billie Eilish, BTS, and Selena Gomez.

Carla has also experienced “full circle” fangirl moments, an ode to her younger self who dreamed of being in the same room as some of her favorite artists. As someone who has touched different ends of the music industry, some of Carla’s career highlights don’t always involve high-level talent or the glitz and glamor of tentpole events. From advocating for music creators, to producing documentary-style content that resonates with marginalized groups, the moments that truly ignite Carla are the ones that activate the community.

Below, she talks about the lessons she learned coming up in this world, the soft skills people overlook, her proudest campaign and the realities fans don’t see behind the scenes.

You’ve spent over a decade working across different corners of the music industry, from radio and live events to digital media. How did you first find your way into this world, and what drew you to working behind the scenes in music?

I always like to say that my career is a happy accident, and that is because I never intended to work in the music industry. When I went to school, I was studying film and TV, because I wanted to be a producer and write scripts for TV and film. But when I graduated, I was looking for a job, so I applied for every entry level position out there in entertainment, and that also included a part-time promotions assistant for my local radio station.

Radio was the first place that hired me, and I kind of stuck with it because I truly fell in love with it from the very beginning. I was making $11 an hour, but it really got my hands dirty with live events and set the foundation for the type of work ethic that I have today. I’ve made lifelong friends, friends that I met ten years ago at that first job are still my friends today. I still talk to my old bosses who hired me back in the day, and they still reach out for opportunities for me. From there, I just moved upwards in the radio world before ultimately finding myself here at the Recording Academy today.

I’ve met a lot of people in social media who come from marketing or communications backgrounds, but I noticed you also have roots in photography and video editing as well. You can see that background in your content because it’s very creative and complex compared to typical brand posts. Can you talk about coming into the industry from that angle, and what skills you think are important to build for someone taking a similar path?

I think something that I don’t think a lot of people talk about is working on your soft skills. Yes, your hard skills are important. Working for the Academy, and even when I was still working in radio, I was doing a lot of videography, photography and video editing. A lot of those hard skills can be honed and built through physical practice, learning on YouTube or taking a couple of online classes here and there.

But what a lot of people neglect are their soft skills — being able to communicate efficiently, and being able to work among so many different types of people. Working in this music industry, you are bound to meet so many different types of people. Some people are really easy to work with. Some people have a workflow that might be a little bit difficult to work around, but it’s all about being able to work with so many different personalities, being organized, and having that attention to detail.

These soft skills are so integral to the music industry space, no matter what part or what level of the industry — whether it’s an internship or an entry level role, or if you are in a more senior executive role.

You’ve worked across radio, live events, and now digital media at the Recording Academy. Each of those spaces has such a different culture and energy. How has moving through those different “rooms” shaped your perspective on the industry and the way you tell stories now?

I spent almost nine years working in the radio space before working for the Recording Academy now. There’s a lot of similarities, because it is still corporate, but also there’s a lot of differences as well. For example, the Recording Academy is a nonprofit, and we do a lot of mission driven work. It’s all about the music community, helping music creators, and it all goes back to music people, rather than us. In radio, yes, it is for the listeners and for the community, but also, there’s so many parts about radio that can sway on the corporate side, like meeting those quotas and landing sales deals.

So moving across different corners of the music industry, from live events and radio and production and all of that stuff, it’s really different. But I think at the end of the day, you have to be able to adapt really well and be able to work hard. It really doesn’t matter what part of the industry you’re working in, your work ethic does have to be top notch, and you have to be able to be flexible and be able to adapt in different situations, especially because the music industry does move really quick and things can change at the drop of a hat.

There’s so many skills out there that are needed working in entertainment that can be honed in other areas, outside of music or outside of entertainment. When I first started working in music, I was also volunteering at food festivals. Food festivals don’t have much crossover when it comes to music, but what I was doing at these food festivals has also helped me working live events and concerts. So that’s something that I would want to highlight for incoming industry professionals. You can find other areas and other industries to work in and volunteer at, and those skills that you’re practicing and honing can transfer into music or into entertainment.

What’s a campaign or project you’ve worked on that you’re especially proud of, either because it challenged you or because it felt meaningful?

Earlier this year for the Academy, I was the lead for our AAPI Month campaign for the marketing team, and this was a project that I put my whole heart and soul into to lead. I created the marketing plan, came up with the key messaging, and worked alongside other departments to do talent outreach. I worked on the production for an in-person shoot and also just production on the side, for any talent who couldn’t make it to our shoot but still wanted to participate and submit self tapes.

I basically touched every part of this campaign, and I am so proud of it, because as a Filipino American, growing up, I didn’t see a lot of representation or people that looked like me. To be able to create a campaign that spoke from my heart — for the community, by the community — is something that I am so incredibly proud of.

And of course, during this harrowing time in this current political climate, I think it’s extra special that we were able to highlight AAPI groups who are making moves in music, inspiring the next generation, and leading leaning into DEI instead of swaying away from it.

This campaign was the first time I’ve ever worked on something that was so massive. I put all of my years of experience, from radio and live events and production and coordinating, into this one campaign, and I am so incredibly proud of it. We also did great numbers on social as well, so not only did I create something that really resonated with the community, but we also hit our KPIs and did great numbers on our socials.

You’ve spoken about being a Filipino American woman in a male-dominated industry. How has that shaped how you approach your career and creative choices?

It really started when I was in school and I was studying film and TV, there really wasn’t a lot of Filipino Americans in my classes. On top of that, there weren’t a lot of Filipino American women in my classes. There was a small handful of us in the program. Then, when I started working in radio and working in music, there just really wasn’t a lot of us. And there had been a few micro aggressions here and there, whether it wasn’t the intent, but the impact was negative, so I’ve always felt like I needed to work 100 times harder than any of my male or white counterparts just to be seen in the same spaces. I felt belittled by women that I thought I could trust but couldn’t, and it sometimes is really hard to navigate the space, especially when I started ten years ago.

I feel like there weren’t too many of us on social media who were sharing their stories. It was really sparse, and I think that’s also why I love doing interviews like this or sharing my story online, because I want other women of color out there to look at me and say, hey, if Carla can do it, then I absolutely can do it. There is a space and a need for me to be in the music industry and to make big, bold moves and to find success in a career that I love so much.

So being Filipino American and trying to navigate this whole world is new, especially because I don’t have any family that works in entertainment, so I had to do everything on my own, and kind of wing it, figure it out, and find mentors on the way throughout my journey. It’s been definitely hard, but it’s also been rewarding, especially because I know I’ve put in so much work, time, and energy into my career. It’s just extra special knowing that I’ve been able to find pockets of success here and there, after putting in so much work.

What do you think is one big misconception fans might have about working in the entertainment industry, especially from the outside looking in?

I think a misconception about working in this industry is that there’s going to be instant gratification and that you don’t realize how hard it is to find success in entertainment until you’re actually knee deep in it, working and going through the trenches alongside the people that you’re working with. All that people are seeing is our social media highlights. If someone is going through my TikTok or my Instagram, and they’re seeing all the cool things that I’m doing, they’re seeing a culmination of ten years of hard work, but they’re not seeing that hard work.

They’re just seeing me on the red carpet, or having a photo with Selena Gomez, or getting free concert tickets. But they don’t see all of the hard work, all the early mornings, the late nights, the free weekend work I’ve done. They don’t see all of the super intense dedication I’ve put in over the last ten years.

I think it’s important for any young professional who wants to work in entertainment — whether that’s music, TV, film, whatever it may be — that you are going to have to work extremely hard, and there are sacrifices that are going to be made. I had a colleague who had an internship, and she didn’t have a car, but this internship was going to help put her career on the map, so she would take two buses. She would take Uber. She would do whatever she could to make it to this internship. She didn’t have a social life. She made all these sacrifices, and now she’s doing pretty big things in the music industry. So when you’re first starting out, you have to realize that there are sacrifices that you’re going to have to make. You might have to work a little bit harder than what you anticipated, but it all works out in the end.

For someone hoping to work in entertainment, what’s one practical skill they should start building now, and one mindset that’s helped you the most?

I want to say that working in this career field, it’s all about mindset and how you view something. When I was working in radio, I was working an Olivia Rodrigo concert, and I was working alongside some new hires. These were entry level production assistants. One of them found out that they weren’t going to be able to go inside of the Olivia Rodrigo show, and that when they were working this concert, they were really working outside of the venue doors, interacting with fans.

When they found out that they weren’t going to be able to go inside and actually enjoy the show, their entire mindset completely shifted from excitement to I don’t want to do anything. This was the perfect time for them to also learn the ropes from some of the best who have already been in this role for at least a year, and were some of the best on the crew, but their attitude completely shifted. There’s going to be a lot of moments just like this working in entertainment.

A lot of aspiring industry professionals need to realize that you are here to work. Just because you’re working a concert or the GRAMMYs or anything that’s artist focused doesn’t mean you’re directly going to be in the same room as these big people, but it’s also important to shift your mindset and see that there’s always going to be good that comes out of it. So with that aspiring professional who showed bad attitude, it’s okay to feel disappointed, but they could have said, you know what, that’s totally okay, I’m working alongside some of the best on this crew. I’m going to learn. I’m going to put in my 200% working this shift, and then maybe next time, there’ll be an opportunity for me to be inside the concert.

So I think a really big piece of advice that I could give to incoming industry professionals is to always shift your mindset because there might be moments where you’ll feel disappointed, or you might not be in the same room as an artist or celebrity, but if you’re in it for the right reasons and you work hard and have longevity in this career, you being in those same spaces as artists and celebrities, it’s just going to happen. It will happen, and it’ll happen in the most organic, most genuine way, if you do things the right way and just keep pushing forward and working hard.

What are you a fan of right now? Any pop culture or music recs you’re loving?

So first of all, I am a huge 5 Seconds of Summer fan. I’ve been a fan of theirs for well over a decade, since they first opened up for One Direction during their Take Me Home tour, and they are releasing an album very soon. My best friend and I already purchased tickets for their tour next summer, and I am loving their their new sound, and everything that is happening in this current promo for their next album.

I’m also obsessed with Olivia Dean right now. She is so incredibly talented. She is beautiful. I love her voice. I read a lot of books, especially romance books, so sometimes I’ll listen to her music while I’m reading these books, and it just puts me in a really good mood. Also, K-Pop Demon Hunters. I’m obsessed with the movie. I’m obsessed with the soundtrack. We bought their vinyl, and I think it’s just amazing songwriting, and it’s great.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.