Career transitions can be challenging, yes, but also very rewarding. No one knows this better than Peter Mahmood, who retired after 24 years of active duty in the U.S. Army.
“I used to think that military retirees were just playing golf,” he said. “But instead of retirement, it was more of a transition to finding a civilian career.”
Peter had a knack for spotting people’s potential, a skill that served him well as a recruiter in the Army and later in his work as a civilian. And then one day in 2022, Peter got an offer that felt like it was tailor-made for him: to develop a long-term strategy for hiring military and veteran talent across Cox.
“Honestly, when I read through the job description, I jumped up and I said, ‘There’s nobody else for this job but me,’” said Peter, Senior Recruiter and Military Relations Manager at Cox. “I was sold from the minute I read it.”
Cox is a natural fit for many veterans and military spouses, and we’ve continually stepped up in our commitment to make sure we’re one of the best workplaces for those who wore the uniform. We are now part of Military.com’s Veteran Hiring Commitment Program, strengthening our pledge to not only hire, but also empower and assist those who have served our country.
“Veterans and military spouses bring an incredible range of technical and transferable skills — including leadership, teamwork and commitment — that we at Cox value immensely,” Peter said.
Here’s a deeper dive into what Cox has to offer veterans, service members and military spouses.
Connecting with military bases and veterans’ organizations
Having served in the military himself, Peter understands that one of the best times to connect with people about jobs at Cox is when they are still on active duty and undergoing Transition Assistance Program (TAP) workshops on base.
“Over my first year at Cox, I connected with every military base that has a transition assistance program,” he said.
Thanks to Peter and his team, Cox has made incredible progress in veteran and military hiring since then:
- We work with more than 25 military bases and a dozen veterans and military spouse groups, such as Army Community Service, Navy Fleet and Family and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- We take part in hiring events on military bases nationwide to offer timely opportunities to military members. In 2023, Cox reached out to more than 5,000 military members and spouses at more than 20 hiring events across the country.
- We regularly send Cox job openings to Transition Assistance Program (TAP) offices nationwide.
Another major opportunity for active-duty members and military spouses at Cox is through the Hiring Our Heroes corporate fellowship program. These 12-week internships give service members insight into what a corporate job at Cox would be like while they contemplate their transition out of the military.
“These programs have brought incredible talent to Cox, including several hires in the past year,” Peter said.
In the case of military spouses, the corporate fellowship could turn into a full-time job.
“We’re using that military spouse fellowship as a pathway — an opportunity for them to come in and see what full-time roles we have,” Peter said.
Giving military spouses flexible options
In 2023, Cox was inducted as an employer partner with the U.S. Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP). This underscores Cox’s commitment to recruit, hire and retain military spouses, offer quality careers and recognize the dedication and talent of this community.
Military spouses often look for flexible work opportunities that can fit their lifestyle, and Cox offers just that: a career that can grow and change with them.
“Military spouses are not job hoppers — they are sometimes forced by necessity to move,” Peter said. “That’s the that’s the key: providing a career they can take with them to another state or have that seamless move within the company as well.”
Matching military experience with new career paths
Cox seeks out military talent across all our businesses for careers in technology, sales, engineering, automotive and more.
“Due to the versatility and the different career fields in the military, we do have a lot of opportunities, from entry-level to mid-level and up to senior manager and above,” Peter said.
Cox helps transitioning service members find their ideal fit by letting them search for jobs based on their military occupational specialty (MOS) code.
“They can plug into those numbers into our Cox careers site, and it will come up with careers that they will be familiar with,” Peter said. “We also are assisting Cox recruiters and hiring managers on how to interpret military qualifications and where they would fit in the company.”
What makes Cox great for a post-military career?
One of the reasons why Cox is an employer of choice for those who’ve served in the military is what we stand for as a company – plus a 125-year track record of making a difference in our communities.
“Cox’s core values and culture embrace the values we live by in the military: integrity, loyalty, teamwork and service over self,” Peter said.
Cox also cares about individual growth and development. In addition to the learning and development resources that the company provides, our employee resource group for veterans, SALUTE, offers mentorship opportunities and other local resources for our employees with military backgrounds.
Peter, who is also an active SALUTE member, knows that making connections and building community at work is a huge part of what makes life at Cox special. Oftentimes, he invites local SALUTE members to join him at job fairs to introduce themselves and start making connections with people before their first day at the company.
“As a military guy, I don’t just go work for an organization for a salary,” Peter said. “Everybody wants to come in and find a home in corporate America where they feel happy.”
