Angel Rojas never imagined she’d build a lifelong career as a field technician in the broadband and telecommunications industry. But when a friend suggested she give it a try, she decided to take the leap.
“I didn’t know anything about cable, but my friend told me, ‘They’ll train you, and if you like it, you can stay,’” Angel recalled. “So, I filled out the application and two weeks later, I was hired — and I loved it.”
For Sam Silvey, the path into the cable industry also started with encouragement from a relative.
“I was trying to find something better than what I was doing at the time,” she said. “I thought, ‘You know what? I’ll give it a shot.’ And I’m so glad I did. I love what I do — especially taking care of customers every day.”
Field work in the broadband industry hasn’t always been a welcoming space for women, but people like Angel and Sam are changing that. From Angel’s years of experience to Sam’s enthusiasm as a newcomer, their journeys show what’s possible when women take a chance — and when a workplace creates opportunities for them to thrive.
Angel’s career journey at Cox
It’s been more than 20 years since Angel first became a technician, and she’s still just as passionate about her work in the field.
“I’m not stuck behind a desk: I get to travel the city and get to know the people,” she said. “I love helping people and it’s driven me to work harder and climb up that ladder.”
More recently, she transitioned from another cable company to join Cox Communications in Las Vegas, NV. While she hadn’t been actively looking for a change, the move proved to be one of the best decisions of her career.
“I’ve had more development opportunities during my time at Cox than I ever did with my previous employer,” Angel said. “Here, your hard work is genuinely appreciated, and leaders see you for who you are. They recognize your interests and encourage you to pursue them.”
Case in point: Angel was quickly promoted to be a core escalation technician — a nod to her experience and expertise in the field. In this role, Angel still gets to “do everyday technician work,” but she’s primarily responsible for responding to more urgent service calls or stepping to solve complex connectivity issues other technicians couldn’t resolve.
“I get the time to actually work and help these customers and get everything smoothed over,” she said. “And I really find peace and joy doing what I'm doing.”
Here, your hard work is genuinely appreciated, and leaders see you for who you are. They recognize your interests and encourage you to pursue them.
Sam’s career journey at Cox
Sam joined Cox Communications in Las Vegas in 2021 and graduated as the top technician in her training class.
“I was excited and eager to learn,” said Sam, who is now a core technology tech at Cox. “Cox does a really good job at supporting its technicians, especially when getting started. If I felt unsure at any moment or I didn't know something, I knew I had support around me. I always had somebody I could fall back on.”
Since then, Sam gained experience working on complex projects and stepped up to mentor newer techs. She has also been dispatched to support other markets, including Arizona and Arkansas.
But hands down, Sam’s proudest achievement was helping rescue a 103-year-old woman during a service call. She drove out to the customer’s home to fix her landline and arrived just in time to hear the woman crying out for help from inside the house.
“She had slipped and hit her head when she fell,” Sam said. “I was there to fix her telephone, so she had no way of calling 911, and she lived alone.”
Sam called 911 and stayed with the customer to make sure she was okay. That situation gave Sam more clarity on what makes her job special — and what her next career step could be.
“My job is more than just cable; it’s about human connection,” she said. “It inspired me to get EMT certified, and my leaders know that my end goal is to eventually become a paramedic.”
Overcoming stereotypes
As women in a traditionally male-dominated industry, both Angel and Sam have learned to navigate challenges in their everyday work. The biggest hurdle they’ve each had to overcome is earning the trust of customers who are accustomed to male technicians on service calls.
“You kind of have to work a little harder to show that you can do your job, but I feel like it impresses people a little bit more,” Sam said. “This is typically a male-dominated industry, but we’re all equal here. I can pick up a 100-pound ladder the same way as a man can.”
Over the years, Angel has seen how the industry is becoming more inclusive. She also noticed a big difference in the team culture when she joined Cox.
“Here at Cox, I’ve always felt included and welcomed,” Angel said. “Not once have I ever felt like, ‘Oh man, we got another woman on our team.’ It’s never been like that. Coming from my previous company to Cox has really changed the way I view the industry.”
How to succeed as a new field technician
Both Sam and Angel agree that one of the keys to their success as field techs is their ability to keep an open mind.
“The point isn't to know everything; it’s to continue to keep learning and developing,” Sam said. “Keeping an open mind will allow someone else to share their experiences and their knowledge with you.”
Angel added: “It will be your best asset, because everything changes, and you have to be open to learning new things. That’s what’s helped me in being in the field.”
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