CAREERS
The Truth About Life in Sales
We interviewed Sales Engineer Michelle Lee, who describes her role as a solution engineer helping to solve problems, dissolve technical pains, and meet the needs of customers. If this sounds like an exciting gig for you, read more of her story below to find out what it takes to be a Sales Engineer at Cox.
Hi, I’m Michelle Lee and I began my career with Cox 10 years ago when my former company was going through a layoff. I was searching for jobs as a network administrator at the time and a recruiter at Cox reached out to me for a job with Cox Business on the Technical Support team. From there, I moved over to the Order Management side where I learned about post-sale processes and eventually moved to a similar role based in San Diego, where I am today.
I always knew I wanted to get back to my technical roots and when the opportunity presented itself for the Sales Engineer role, I jumped at the opportunity.
My mornings always start with my coffee, followed by celery juice and cruising through my emails and calendar. Generally, I check my calendar the night before so I have an idea of what my day will look like. From there, it can be anything from responding to emails, completing tasks, creating diagrams, calling customers, and booking customer appointments. I also help my peers and other coworkers with assistance in the pre-sale and post-sale process.
The culture at Cox is what keeps me here. I have little experience working for other companies, but from the places I have worked, Cox isn’t just a business, we are a family too. People care for each other, especially with our ERG’s (employee resource groups) and Diversity and Inclusion council. I believe I have been heavily supported by peers, leaders, and the company in general. Being a part of the ERG’s and working with different people in other groups, gives me opportunities to network, meet, and learn what others do.
In the Women’s ERG, we have an annual mentorship circle where members are randomly selected for a group and assigned a leader. It’s also a great opportunity to receive guidance, support, and additional resources. We have amazing leaders, peers, and mentors that help us and push us to be our best.
If I could advise any job seeker, it would be to know your net worth and let it shine. Always highlight your strengths and remember to be vulnerable in your areas of opportunity. At Cox, we are encouraged to network and learn about open opportunities on our internal careers site.
In my career, I have learned that you will survive rejection. I have had that happen to me, when I was devastated to learn that I didn’t get a job that I really wanted. What I learned was sometimes what you think is RIGHT for you, probably wasn’t the BEST for you. Because of that, another opportunity came along that not only was better, but turned out to be something I am passionate about and enjoy doing.
Outside of work you’ll find me near anything with water. My happy place is at the pool, on the lake, or by an ocean. I am also a yoga enthusiast and instead of fur babies, I have plant babies. When we’re not in the middle of a pandemic, I enjoy traveling and experiencing the art, food, and culture of the places where I visit.
Want to read more stories like this or discover a day in the life of our other teams at Cox? Check out our employee blog or search for open roles to learn more.