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Mission Accomplished: A Career Transition

May 1, 2024  |   Lifeatcdw

Welcome to Military Appreciation Month, a time dedicated to honoring the selfless dedication and sacrifices of our brave service members. Join us as we highlight the diverse paths and inspiring stories of Joey Rodriguez and Dan Stober, who have served our country and continue to make a difference in the workforce.

Joey Rodriguez

Associate Consulting Engineer (ACE) Instructor & ACE Internship Program Team Lead at CDW 

What was your path to CDW?

Early on, during my career in the United States Air Force, I discovered a deep passion for helping others learn and apply various aspects on the job. A majority of my military career was serving in various instructional capacities and as I transitioned out of Active Duty, I sought an organization where I could be inspired and inspire others, embrace a culture of continuous learning, and make a meaningful impact. CDW checked all the boxes and more!

How has Mililtary & Allies Resource Council (MARC) and CDW supported your career development?

MARC has supported the growth of my network and professional relationships, within CDW’s military community and beyond, through partnering with external military foundations as well as hosting crossover events with other Business Resource Groups.

As a lifelong learner, MARC and CDW’s focus on engagement through signature events and monthly Live with MARC events, has supported my professional growth, ability to adapt and be resilient.  

How do your skills and experiences honed from your military service translate to success in your role today?

In the military, you’re often faced with rapidly changing environments and the ability to adapt has been essential to my current role. We must continually evolve to best serve our customers, and being able to adjust on a dime is important.

While serving, I trained and worked closely with diverse teams to achieve common objectives and while those objectives have changed, how I collaborate has been a constant.

Bringing solutions to the table is another important aspect. Identifying the problem is half the battle, it’s taking that information and developing effective solutions. The ability to problem solve in complex or changing environments has been key.

What advice can you give to others to effectively communicate their service skills and experiences?

My best advice is to not just think about the job you did but ultimately, how you accomplished that work. Focus on those themes and speak to how you’ve demonstrated those skills in different situations. Not only do you have technical expertise and training, but you’ve also gained military attributes like discipline, teamwork, leadership, and prioritizing the mission. Embrace the breadth of knowledge, skills, and capabilities you've honed during your military service with confidence!

One word to describe #LifeAtCDW.

Rewarding

Dan Stober

Manager, Product Development at CDW Education 

What was your path to CDW?

I retired from the Army in 2014 and did about a year of Project Management and Business Analysis consulting and then went to a company to be a Global Product Director. I worked there for about 7 years, and then needed a change. I had worked in the Education space before, and knew CDW to be a top-notch company in the education sector, so when a job opened for a manager of education product development, I jumped at the opportunity. I should also mention that my wife also works at CDW, so we are a CDW family!

How has Mililtary & Allies Resource Council (MARC) and CDW supported your career development?

MARC is definitely a community that cares about the well-being and development of our military community. There have been so many training opportunities since I have come to CDW, from pragmatic product management training to our engagement with a product management consulting company, CDW continues to find ways to advance as a services-led company. My director absolutely supports my engagement with MARC and my engagement with my local VA center.

How do your skills and experiences honed from your military service translate to success in your role today?

As a retired military officer, I did a lot of leadership training in the Army. The skills that I learned about leadership and taking care of people definitely translate into taking care of coworkers here at CDW. The highest responsibility we have, in my opinion, is taking care of coworkers so that they are ready to do their best work. If they can trust that their leader has their back, we will always see the good results we are looking for.

What advice can you give to others to effectively communicate their service skills and experiences?

I would recommend that people do not discount the work ethic and skills that they have acquired as part of their military service. I think there are a lot of veterans who look at a job description and think that they could never do those things or that they don’t have the requisite skills. I call baloney on that. Being on time, ready to work and learn, and giving 100% is half the battle. So, to translate your skills to a civilian job, remember to think about all the hard things that you have done in the military. Think about the lessons in leadership and service that you have learned. If you don’t think you know how to translate that to a resume, there are free services for veterans that can help you with that. Ask for help. Be curious. But, most of all, don’t be afraid to try.

One word to describe #LifeAtCDW.

#Family

 

– CDW Coworkers

Together, let's continue to show our gratitude and support for those served our country. Thank you for standing with us in appreciation and recognition of our military community.

Learn more about our military & veteran career opportunities.

Welcome to Military Appreciation Month, a time dedicated to honoring the selfless dedication and sacrifices of our brave service members. Join us as we highlight the diverse paths and inspiring stories of Joey Rodriguez and Dan Stober, who have served our country and continue to make a difference in the workforce.

Joey Rodriguez

Associate Consulting Engineer (ACE) Instructor & ACE Internship Program Team Lead at CDW 

What was your path to CDW?

Early on, during my career in the United States Air Force, I discovered a deep passion for helping others learn and apply various aspects on the job. A majority of my military career was serving in various instructional capacities and as I transitioned out of Active Duty, I sought an organization where I could be inspired and inspire others, embrace a culture of continuous learning, and make a meaningful impact. CDW checked all the boxes and more!

How has Mililtary & Allies Resource Council (MARC) and CDW supported your career development?

MARC has supported the growth of my network and professional relationships, within CDW’s military community and beyond, through partnering with external military foundations as well as hosting crossover events with other Business Resource Groups.

As a lifelong learner, MARC and CDW’s focus on engagement through signature events and monthly Live with MARC events, has supported my professional growth, ability to adapt and be resilient.  

How do your skills and experiences honed from your military service translate to success in your role today?

In the military, you’re often faced with rapidly changing environments and the ability to adapt has been essential to my current role. We must continually evolve to best serve our customers, and being able to adjust on a dime is important.

While serving, I trained and worked closely with diverse teams to achieve common objectives and while those objectives have changed, how I collaborate has been a constant.

Bringing solutions to the table is another important aspect. Identifying the problem is half the battle, it’s taking that information and developing effective solutions. The ability to problem solve in complex or changing environments has been key.

What advice can you give to others to effectively communicate their service skills and experiences?

My best advice is to not just think about the job you did but ultimately, how you accomplished that work. Focus on those themes and speak to how you’ve demonstrated those skills in different situations. Not only do you have technical expertise and training, but you’ve also gained military attributes like discipline, teamwork, leadership, and prioritizing the mission. Embrace the breadth of knowledge, skills, and capabilities you've honed during your military service with confidence!

One word to describe #LifeAtCDW.

Rewarding

Dan Stober

Manager, Product Development at CDW Education 

What was your path to CDW?

I retired from the Army in 2014 and did about a year of Project Management and Business Analysis consulting and then went to a company to be a Global Product Director. I worked there for about 7 years, and then needed a change. I had worked in the Education space before, and knew CDW to be a top-notch company in the education sector, so when a job opened for a manager of education product development, I jumped at the opportunity. I should also mention that my wife also works at CDW, so we are a CDW family!

How has Mililtary & Allies Resource Council (MARC) and CDW supported your career development?

MARC is definitely a community that cares about the well-being and development of our military community. There have been so many training opportunities since I have come to CDW, from pragmatic product management training to our engagement with a product management consulting company, CDW continues to find ways to advance as a services-led company. My director absolutely supports my engagement with MARC and my engagement with my local VA center.

How do your skills and experiences honed from your military service translate to success in your role today?

As a retired military officer, I did a lot of leadership training in the Army. The skills that I learned about leadership and taking care of people definitely translate into taking care of coworkers here at CDW. The highest responsibility we have, in my opinion, is taking care of coworkers so that they are ready to do their best work. If they can trust that their leader has their back, we will always see the good results we are looking for.

What advice can you give to others to effectively communicate their service skills and experiences?

I would recommend that people do not discount the work ethic and skills that they have acquired as part of their military service. I think there are a lot of veterans who look at a job description and think that they could never do those things or that they don’t have the requisite skills. I call baloney on that. Being on time, ready to work and learn, and giving 100% is half the battle. So, to translate your skills to a civilian job, remember to think about all the hard things that you have done in the military. Think about the lessons in leadership and service that you have learned. If you don’t think you know how to translate that to a resume, there are free services for veterans that can help you with that. Ask for help. Be curious. But, most of all, don’t be afraid to try.

One word to describe #LifeAtCDW.

#Family

 

– CDW Coworkers

Together, let's continue to show our gratitude and support for those served our country. Thank you for standing with us in appreciation and recognition of our military community.

Learn more about our military & veteran career opportunities.

Ready to join an Employees’ Choice Best Places to Work team?

Learn more about our culture.