Tech leader Lynn Cox shares her career path to inspire others to move the world forward.
Lynn Cox, SVP of Network Systems on our Global Network & Technology (GN&T) team, is one of our many inspiring #VerizonWomenInTech who has shown what it means to move the world forward through her work. Learn about Lynn’s career path and advice for those considering a career change within the tech space.
Stay true to yourself, but be flexible.
Lynn originally had plans to pursue a career in marketing and advertising while thriving at the top of her class in business school. But plans change, and soon enough, Lynn found herself curious to learn more about a field that she had never imagined entering — technology.
Although she was nervous about making the change in her career path from business to tech, that didn’t stop her. Despite the differences in her educational background, she knew tech would be a great move forward, both personally and professionally.
“I was blown away by the description of the position and all the cool stuff they were working on,” Lynn said. “So I took a leap of faith and dove right into it - learning from my colleagues, breaking and building circuits, and working relentlessly to understand it all.”
Surround yourself with good people, and lift each other up.
When Lynn joined the V Team, she was surrounded by teammates who helped her understand the network, business processes, and how to effectively lead a team. She was also encouraged by mentors and leaders who pushed her to grow and do big things - all to help her reach her full potential.
Lynn is a strong believer in paying it forward to the next generation of future leaders. This is why she decided to become the GN&T sponsor for Women of the World (WOW), a career development program designed to provide participants with the tools to achieve their personal and professional goals.
“The whole program is really well organized and teaches you to own your career,” she shares. “WOW helps women work on themselves, build their strengths, improve their weaknesses, and own their career journey.”
Have a game plan.
When Lynn decided to make the change and pursue a career in tech, she didn’t know what awaited her, but she did know that she was in the right place. As a best practice, she highly recommends creating a 5-10-15 year plan for your career.
“It’s important for people to look ahead and then look back, and think: What do you want your 30-year career to be? What do you want to achieve? Look back on the legacy that you want to leave and think about how you want to be remembered,” she said. “Zero in on that, and then you’ll have a clear path of the things you want to achieve in the next 5-10-15 years. It’ll guide your actions.”
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