“It’s okay to fail or make mistakes... It’s this approach that really makes our company a hotbed for innovation and fresh thinking…We are always charting our own path and learning on the job in the process.”
Michael Peng UX Engineer II
I started my career in journalism, but after a few years I became interested in being part of something fresh and new. I decided to take a coding bootcamp and began freelancing on various coding assignments. This helped me gain the skills I needed to make the transition from journalism to programming.
At first, I had applied to BetMGM as a front-end developer, but my interviewer thought I would be a better fit as a content management specialist. And since I was open to new opportunities and looking for a change, I jumped in with an open mind.
I’ve been with BetMGM for four years now, since the early days, and I’ve grown and developed with the company. When I had just started my content management role and was still in training, our team was requested to develop a few landing pages. I raised my hand to take a crack at it, and luckily, my work paid off. I was able to transition into a role as front-end developer later on and haven’t looked back since. A few years later, when I was in need of another change and wanted to take on more responsibilities, I landed an opportunity on the product design side of our business, which is where I am today.
In my role as a UX Engineer, every day is different. We are always brainstorming with the product and design teams, floating out ideas for new features and product enhancements, and then figuring out how to get there. It’s amazing to watch the UX and UI designers take our ideas and create a mock-up, ultimately bringing our ideas to life!
As you can imagine, in our team we’re constantly innovating. There are lots of iterations as we work to bring the best products and features to market. Those who do well in this area have a natural curiosity and are interested in thinking out-of-the-box and trying new things. At BetMGM I’ve learned that it’s okay to fail or make mistakes. We talk about what went well and where we need to improve and then we move on. It’s this approach that really makes our company a hotbed for innovation and fresh thinking because we are encouraged to take a novel approach. We are always charting our own path and learning on the job in the process.
When you’re working in a team and building something new, there’s lots of collaboration and communication. Sometimes, in the process of ideation, opinions clash. What I love about BetMGM is that you always have a safe space to go back-and-forth, discuss, challenge, and agree to disagree.
Even when we end up on different sides of the fence, I know that the people here care more about me as a human being than just what I bring to the table for work. That connection and respect for each other is what makes our culture unique.
