Jennifer Migan works in Content Operations for ByteDance in France. Below are some of her reflections on the journey she took before joining ByteDance and how her background in professional tennis helped her succeed in her current role.
My name is Jennifer Migan, and I've worked for two years at ByteDance as an Editorial and Content Operations Manager for News Republic France. Before entering the tech industry, I had a career in another global field as a professional tennis player. For some, jumping from professional sports to an Internet company might have been a stretch, but it made total sense to me; in fact, many of the values I learned on the tennis court are similar to ByteDance's core values -- also known as ByteStyle.
Here are the most important values I've learned, both on the tennis court and in the office:
My name is Jennifer Migan, and I've worked for two years at ByteDance as an Editorial and Content Operations Manager for News Republic France. Before entering the tech industry, I had a career in another global field as a professional tennis player. For some, jumping from professional sports to an Internet company might have been a stretch, but it made total sense to me; in fact, many of the values I learned on the tennis court are similar to ByteDance's core values -- also known as ByteStyle.
Here are the most important values I've learned, both on the tennis court and in the office:
Press "reset" every day
Nobody could have predicted that the COVID-19 crisis would impact us the way it has. It was a shock to go from working at the office every day and spending time with colleagues to suddenly being on my own and working from home. Still, one main lesson I took from tennis is that you have to be able to press the "reset" button at any time and adapt to the situation you're facing. In this regard, I'm proud of how quickly we've banded together as a team during this unusual time and supported each other with our different tasks. Still, we don't just check in with each other about work; we really make sure to ask about each other's mental and emotional well-being. The company has also gone above and beyond in its support, sending us care packages with useful items to make WFH easier, as well as fun items for us to enjoy ourselves outside of work.
Be open to opportunities
Being open to opportunities and having the humility to "take a few steps back in order to move forward" is a lesson I believe we've all experienced in our personal journeys. When I retired from professional sports, I went back to school and completed my Master's degree in International Relations at the University of Durham. A few months later, I was offered to coach a promising young tennis player in Istanbul, Turkey. Although I didn't know anyone there, I took the leap and decided to do it. I ended up having a wonderful time, and even found a way to build on my background in journalism by working for local publications. It was a similar approach that drew me to my job at ByteDance -- when the opportunity arose to work somewhere completely new and different, I told myself, "why not?". I'm very glad I did.
Surround yourself with "out of the box" people
Although tennis is an individual sport, having the right team to support you is crucial if you want to be successful. Surrounding yourself with people who have different skill sets and perspectives helps you become a better player. One of the first things I noticed when I started the interview process at ByteDance was that everyone shared this approach, and my unusual background was seen as an asset. Up to that point, many companies I had spoken with had been hesitant to hire a former professional athlete.
Throughout my time at ByteDance, I've been fortunate to work and interact with people of wildly diverse backgrounds from China, Kyrgyzstan, Italy, Russia, and Germany (to name a few). It's been amazing to learn something new from each and every one of them, which has really made me a more well-rounded professional.
Throughout my time at ByteDance, I've been fortunate to work and interact with people of wildly diverse backgrounds from China, Kyrgyzstan, Italy, Russia, and Germany (to name a few). It's been amazing to learn something new from each and every one of them, which has really made me a more well-rounded professional.
Stay humble and listen to others
Tennis also has a culture of constant feedback, where you evaluate yourself after each shot, each practice, each match. The moment you lose humility and think "you know it all" is the moment you start losing in sports, because you stop learning from your mistakes. This also applies to my work at ByteDance with News Republic, a news aggregator that shows users content according to their interests (while also covering breaking news). Given the nature of our product, we must listen to our users' needs in order to remain relevant in such a competitive market. One way to do this is through analytics, which allows us to evaluate user activity and form a strategy in real-time to pivot if needed.
In an environment that emphasizes honest feedback and listening to others, open and clear communication is key. In our daily work, everyone on my team tries to be as clear as possible and to offer feedback that prioritizes team goals and objectives over personal considerations. This approach allows us to be efficient while handling projects that move at an incredibly fast pace.
In an environment that emphasizes honest feedback and listening to others, open and clear communication is key. In our daily work, everyone on my team tries to be as clear as possible and to offer feedback that prioritizes team goals and objectives over personal considerations. This approach allows us to be efficient while handling projects that move at an incredibly fast pace.
Give your best, learn, do better
This mentality is at the core of professional sports. Every day, you wake up with the desire to improve and reach your full potential, and this pushed me to reach the pinnacle of women's tennis. Even in my new career, the drive to do my best is something I bring to work and contribute to my team so we can achieve our goals.
