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Pepe Rodriguez, a network facilities technician at Cox Communications in Bentonville, Arkansas, believes in hard work. With hope for a brighter future, he came to the United States from Mexico when he was 18 years old. Despite speaking very little English, having no family close by and spending two years in homeless shelters, Pepe found his way to Cox, where his future began to unfold.
Here, Pepe shares his passion for his work, the power of mentorship and his gratitude for Cox.
SHAPE THE FUTURE CHAMPION INCLUSION UNLEASH POTENTIAL
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BROADENING MY PERSPECTIVE
I’ve always believed that if I put my head down and work hard, good things will happen. But along the way I realized hard work isn’t always enough; you also need a goal and a plan.
Hard work did get me out of the homeless shelter. I did odd jobs, got married, became a resident and started a family. After my divorce, I moved to Arkansas to be closer to my two sons. That’s when I got a job as a Cox field technician; I worked for 15 years on both the residential and commercial sides.
I’ve always loved troubleshooting, being out in the truck and helping customers, but I also wanted to do more. One day I asked a peer who had been promoted several times how he did it. He explained that there are two types of applicants — one who sees a job opening and applies for it, and another who says, “This is my goal, how can I achieve it?” He became my mentor and broadened my perspective tremendously.
PREPARING FOR WHAT’S NEXT
Together my mentor and I made a development plan. I started taking courses at my local community college using Cox’s tuition assistance. Then through Cox’s engineering development courses I was able to get certifications in Cisco, Nokia and AWS Cloud. Now I’m taking online college courses at the University of Phoenix. I’m doing as much as I can to always be prepared for the next opportunity, and Cox is supporting me every step of the way.
Cox offers several other programs that I’ve taken advantage of, like Grow with Us for career growth, EDGE for aspiring leaders and ¡Hola!, an employee resource group that has been great for networking. I also became involved in LatinXNA, a local organization that engages and elevates Latino talent. All of this, along with my hard work, has led to new opportunities and promotions.
MENTEE BECOMES MENTOR
Mentorship has been such a huge part of my success, and it inspired me to start volunteering at Partners in Change, where I’m now a mentor to a young man. He calls me his life coach because I guide him by asking questions to help him see a path forward.
Having had mentors and becoming a mentor myself gives me new perspectives. I’ve grown to be a better worker, a better person — just better in general. I enjoy paying it forward.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
A while back, my son, Sebastian Rodriguez, was looking for a job and asked me about Cox. I told him it’s a great company that will give him all the tools he needs to succeed. He’s now a core technology technician. And, like me, he’s enrolled in online courses at the University of Phoenix and taking advantage of Cox’s tuition assistance.
Sebastian wants to build his career here. He understands where I started, where I am today and how Cox has supported me. That’s a huge testament to the company.
DEEP APPRECIATION
I’m so thankful for Cox. No matter how old you are, no matter what position you’re in or whether or not you speak English, it’s never too late to take that next step.
I’m extremely happy and feel successful because I have done so many things to prepare myself for new opportunities. Success is not a title; it’s how you feel about where you are in life.
I HOPE WHOEVER READS THIS UNDERSTANDS THAT IT’ S NEVER TOO LATE TO GROW, TO LEARN AND TO ADVANCE YOUR CAREER.
Powered by Purpose is a regular feature about employees making an impact as living examples of our Empowered People Principles. If you’d like to share your story, email us at InsideCox@coxinc.com.