Jordan and I met during freshman year since we lived in the same dorm building at Chapman. He’s from Oregon and would always wear Oregon Ducks gear. Me being from Washington, of course, I had to keep my enemies close, so now he’s my roommate lol. Jordan grew up playing tennis and now works at Tennis Channel. He gets to travel to some of the biggest tournaments (Roland Garros, Indian Wells) and interview the biggest names in tennis. If you have any questions, reach out to him directly with the contact info at the bottom of the post!
Name: Jordan Gorman
Age: 26
City: Los Angeles, CA
Company: Tennis Channel
Title: Associate Producer, Digital
Time at Company: 3 years
How did you hear about the position and what was the interview process like?
How I found the position that started me at Tennis Channel was through the job site EntertainmentCareers.net. The interview process was thorough, with several rounds of interviews, but through it I was able to connect with people from various parts of Tennis Channel, which would later help me gain the current job title that I have.
What tasks does your job entail?
My job is essentially to produce fun, informative, and engaging tennis social media content. Each day, I follow tennis news and pop culture trends to ideate and create content for our various social
media platforms. I work with our social coordinators, multiple video editors, and graphic designers to execute this. Sometimes I even get to travel to tennis tournaments, where I’ll work from site, film tennis players, and occasionally interview them, as well.
What are the skills needed to be successful at your job?
The ability to wear many hats is important with my job and also the ability to think on your feet creatively and critically. In addition, having strong editorial judgment is vital since a large part of my job is deciding what to cover and how best to cover tennis, which is a 24/7 year-round news cycle. Lastly, having strong communication skills is crucial since I constantly have to give feedback and notes. Plus, social media is pretty much just figuring out how to best communicate to a global audience.
Who do you directly report to and does anyone report to you?
I directly report to the Senior Producer of Digital. Then I help manage the video editors, by assigning them tasks and giving them feedback/notes. I also help with the social media coordinators, by providing them with ideas, posting instructions, and social copy.
Do you work from home, office, or hybrid?
I work from home the majority of the time. As far as the hours, it really fluctuates depending on how busy the week is, what’s happening in the news, and which tournament is going on. The bigger the tournament is, the more hours I work.
How many vacation days do you get per year?
I get 10 paid vacation days a year, but I have accrued a lot over the past 3 years.
What do you do to help your work/life balance?
As far as figuring out work-life balance, I feel like I’ve grown in knowing when to expend extra energy/effort and when not to and this I think just comes from experience, confidence, and having a firm grasp on my job. But still, it can be hard for me to to shut my work brain off sometimes, as I’m a huge perfectionist, but I’ve learned to accept that things can wait and that my work isn’t life or death. What’s most important is putting my health and wellbeing first, always.
Have you been promoted at your current company and what do you think factored into your promotion?
I’ve been promoted twice at my company and I attribute that to my work ethic, going above and beyond what’s required of me, and the confidence that I have within myself, not being afraid to voice my opinion or give my thoughts.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is definitely being able to travel to different tennis tournaments and interact with the best tennis players in the world, while also having fun and getting to be creative in the process.
What has been your proudest moment at your job?
Not sure I have one that comes to mind, but will answer with how I’m just proud of myself for always going above and beyond with my job. I feel like I’ve really put my stamp on our socials and have made a difference in improving the quality of our pages. I’ve brought humor and fun to them and, recently, led an initiative to refresh our graphics and the entire look of our pages.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ll take away?
I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned from this job is to not be afraid to speak up and give your opinions and ideas –– basically, to trust in yourself more and your instincts. Also, while it’s important to take the initiative and give it your all, you need to remember to maintain a healthy work-life balance, choosing the right moments to give your extra energy/effort to.
Any advice for people who want to work at your company or in your general field?
For people who want to work in social media, make sure to widen your internet knowledge and overall skill set. With social media constantly changing and advancing, the more of a Swiss army knife you are the better. So learn video editing, learn Photoshop, practice writing social copy, and observe how some of your favorite pages post their content and engage with their audiences.
Have you worked anywhere else in the past?
Before landing at Tennis Channel, I was an intern at a video production company, an assistant to a film director, an assistant to a film producer, then was an Editorial Production Assistant for a documentary production company. Then, I was finally hired at Tennis Channel where I’ve been a Junior Producer/Editor, a Social Media Manager, then a Producer/Editor before landing my current position of Associate Producer, Digital.
If people want to connect with you and learn more, how can they reach you?
If people want to connect with me, they can reach out to me on LinkedIn or on my website.
Last Fast 5 with Jordan Gorman
- Last tv show/movie: The Great / The Little Mermaid
- Last book: Shoe Dog
- Last concert: Beyoncé
- Last restaurant: Laurel Hardware
- Last vacation: Las Vegas
Thank you for sharing, Jordan!
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