Cocks then took a job as a mail courier for the Federal Department of Health, and worked his way up through the Department, which sparked his interest in pursuing a degree in management at the University of Canberra as a mature-aged student.

[2] Ed became interested in politics at university and joined the Liberal Party in 2013.

Cocks ran unsuccessfully for the Legislative Assembly at the 2016 election and for the federal seat of Bean in 2019.

[4] On 4 July 2022, Cocks was appointed by opposition leader Elizabeth Lee as Shadow Minister of Mental Health, Jobs and Workplace Affairs and Regulatory Services.

[6][7] He also gave a speech about men's mental health in the ACT Legislative Assembly, receiving some local attention in 2022.