In the world of business, sales and marketing often go hand in hand — but the same can be true when starting your career. Take Ariana Zuniga, for example.
As a marketing major, she gained real-world experience as a sales intern at Cox Media (part of the Cox family of businesses) and landed an entry-level position right after graduating from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Although sales wasn’t her end goal, this experience opened up the door to discover new opportunities within Cox. While providing customers with TV and digital media solutions, Ariana kept an eye out for job openings in marketing across the company. Soon she saw a position for a marketing strategist for Dealer.com, a Cox Automotive company.
Ariana had a good feeling about this role: she had all the qualifications and knew in her heart she was the right candidate for the position. The interview process was a thrilling experience for her because she could advocate for herself so early in her career.
Needless to say, she got the job! In her new role, Ariana works 100% remotely from her home in Las Vegas, while other team members are based in either Vermont or Texas. In her day-to-day life, she meets with clients and consults with them on all their digital marketing goals and requirements.
Ariana says she is grateful to have gotten to experience working on different teams and industries within Cox so early in her career. She has enjoyed the fruits of learning from a great team at Cox Media and now gets to make her mark within another great team at Dealer.com. She says that at Cox, she has landed in a garden of people who help her find everyday success while continuing to grow toward the future.
Ariana’s biggest piece of advice to other folks who are just starting out in their career is to be a self-starter and advocate for yourself. At the same time, Ariana says to see the big picture beyond the position and salary: “Stay patient and draw out the future of where you want to be.”
“I didn’t know when I was chosen to be an intern that, only three short years later, I would be in my dream job,” she says. Ariana’s story is a prime example of how it pays off to look for opportunities within Cox.
