TikTok is a place where you can forge your own path. Lisa Skeppner, a TikTok Music Partnerships Manager, has always been a music fan. When she joined the company in 2019, she embraced TikTok's culture of limitless possibilities to explore her passions, grow her skillset, and land her dream job; helping create TikTok's vibrant and influential music scene.
"I studied business for my undergrad degree, but I always knew I wanted to go into the music business," says Skeppner, who is based in London. "And if I was lucky, specifically going into a career in the tech area of the music industry. I was reading a lot of music news, and I just kept seeing the name TikTok. Because, of course, TikTok is all about music discovery."
Skeppner downloaded the app and began to make her own videos with her parents and siblings – which quickly went viral. "I thought, 'this is new, this is fun. I want to be a part of this.'" (She is still actively creating TikToks today, with the help of her current team.)
She applied for an internship on the Public Relations team, and quickly started to work on music-related communications and press releases TikTok was sharing with the world. "Very early on, TikTok applied for a Music Week award, so I was involved in that." After nine months, another internship opened up on the Music Partnerships team, and she applied. "My manager was really supportive and made sure to speak to the teammates hiring in Music, vouching for me and my abilities. I was able to do a lot of networking with people on the Music team as well, getting coffee and talking about what skills I could develop to become a good fit. I had the support internally from my team. It's a very unique position to be in, being able to move to another team with the same company, to an opportunity that fit best."
Skeppner eventually became a coordinator, helping artists from labels around Europe launch their TikTok accounts and grow their audiences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, musicians sharing their work on TikTok soared, and the team worked with countless artists to create livestreams and engaging campaigns on the app. "It's a platform that equalizes the playing field, and allows those at the beginning of their careers the kinds of global exposure that wasn't possible in generations past."
For example, the TikTok Music Partnerships team celebrates moments like South Asian Heritage Month by highlighting underrepresented South Asian artists. The team also creates playlists and spotlights to celebrate Black History Month, Pride, and International Women's Day, among others. While much of her work involves emerging musicians, Skeppner also enjoyed working to create an online presence and guest playlists for established – even legendary – bands, including Wham!, Billie Ocean, Cat Burns, and Queen.
"People talk a lot about TikTok generating new viral hits and being a place to discover new artists, but I also think when audiences get exposed to catalog music, older tracks connect with new users and new generations. I think that's super fun."
Skeppner has been with the company for nearly four years, throughout TikTok's advances in SoundOn and TikTok Music. She still embraces the value of 'Always Day 1'. "I believe in always finding new projects or meeting new people, taking initiative," she says. "When I had my first big call with the record label I worked on, I called my coworker right after and we spoke for 45 minutes. He really broke everything down to me, and I learned to be proactive and ask questions. There's no such thing as asking too many questions. I know as an intern, or when you're in a new environment, it can be scary. You don't know the answer, but you don't wanna overstep or annoy. But at TikTok, people are generous with their time and will help you if you ask."
Today, Skeppner still works to grow as an individual and a member of TikTok. She recently joined the managing committee for WOMEN ERG, the employee resource group (ERG) for women working at TikTok, in order to continue learning about the company and improve her skills.
"TikTok is growing so fast – our office has several thousand people," she says. "The ERG is such a fun way of meeting new people in completely different departments. I thought I knew more than most because I've been here for so long. But then you realize there's always something new you can learn. You just have to stay curious."
Hear more from Lisa on the @lifeattiktok handle! And if you're interested in building your career likes he has, check out available positions at TikTok here.
