I Never Thought I’d Work in Tech — Until I Joined Cox’s LEAD Program

If you had asked me three years ago if I thought I would be working in product with a Scrum team, the answer would have been an emphatic “no” — mostly because I did not even know that field existed or what it entailed. At the time, I was graduating with a degree in marketing and fully intended to build my entire career around it in corporate sales.

But here I am, a product owner in the technology group at Cox Automotive. 

My path to this position has been anything but conventional, and I am grateful for the journey. Here’s how I made it happen at Cox.

Deciding to make a change 

When I graduated from the University of Georgia, I landed my first job in the sales and digital marketing department for a TV station. 

It was a great first job doing what I’d always imagined for myself. I was learning from some of the brightest minds and selling digital products to better support clients and their businesses. But after a year and a half, a voice in the back of my mind was telling me it was time to try something different. 

You might be wondering the same thing my friends and family did: why make the change if I was seemingly happy and thriving?  

While it didn’t make sense to those around me at the time, I couldn’t ignore that voice in my head saying, “When will there ever be a better time in my career to make a complete 180-degree turn?”   

Before going too far down one path, I wanted to take advantage of the fact that I was still early in my career to try something new, something I had never even considered. Because why not?  Sales would always be there if I wanted to return. So, why not take a leap?  

That’s when I heard about LEAD, a full-time, rotational leadership development program at Cox designed to help recent grads fast-track their career growth at the company. The program offers opportunities to explore different parts of the business, try new career paths or deepen existing expertise. Knowing what this program could offer, I jumped at the chance to be a part of it.  

Joining the LEAD program 

I joined the LEAD program in the summer of 2023.  When I joined LEAD, I was met with a cohort of 10 individuals eager to join Cox alongside me. We began a month-long immersive training using both classroom style and hands-on experiences to learn about Cox’s operations, ways to navigate early career transitions and professional development. Once the training was over, it was time to decide where my first rotation would be. 

I had extensive conversations with my manager in the LEAD program about the best fit for me. Many of the rotations would have put me on a path similar to my previous experience, so I decided to take a chance and try something completely new: product.

Becoming a product owner 

I joined Cox Automotive as a product owner, supporting Manheim’s operations by working with the systems and software that our auction sites use daily.  

When I first started this role supporting Manheim, I didn’t understand the world of car auctions, let alone my new role within a tech team. But I always had people who were ready to help me succeed. I walked into a team full of technical people who were quick to teach me everything that they knew. I’ve learned a lot of things: how systems and software interact with one another and how my role as a product owner contributes to the delivery of high-end features and systems for our clients. 

As a product owner, I’m the voice of the customer and relay feedback and pain points to our tech teams; I’m also our customers’ strategic guide to learning and understanding how to best use our products. I serve as the bridge between the business and my development team to ensure the products we’re deploying deliver the most value. 

Now, after almost a year and a half in this role, I’m still learning and growing every day.  Since starting here, I have had the pleasure of working with and learning from two amazing teams that deliver such valuable products. Through this experience, I’ve received mentorship, development opportunities, a promotion, certifications and a wealth of knowledge. I took a chance in my career, and embracing this unfamiliar territory has been incredibly rewarding. 

I never anticipated enjoying a career in a field I hadn’t previously considered. Sometimes, all it takes is engaging in unique conversations, making bold decisions and being open to new opportunities to end up somewhere you didn’t know you were going but are thrilled to be on the journey.