Shane Bartelt describes his transition from the Marine Corps to the office technology industry.
In our current Veterans Way article, we recognize Impact Networking Project Manager Shane Bartelt. This one is truly special for me as he is a Marine. We thank everyone who has served, no matter what branch of the service. Every veteran is admired and respected. However, when you wear that Marine uniform, you become part of its history, which is how we all feel.
Shane Bartelt is typical of all veterans. They start out by telling you that they did nothing special and do not deserve any attention for doing something that they believed every American should do, if able. This veteran is no different as he told me three times, he did not do anything special.
Frank: Tell us about your service. When did you join? How long did you serve? What was your MOS (military occupation specialty)?
Shane Bartelt: I served in the Corps from 2007 to 2012. My MOS was 0302, which translates to infantry officer. I added a second, 0303, which is a reconnaissance officer. I went from active to reserve duty from 2012 to 2016. It was not my intention to join the services. I was approached by the Corps to sign up, and if I did it, it would be as a company commander. I loved my time in the reserves. We were deployed in 2010 in the Battle of Marjah, Afghanistan. At the time, it was the largest ground offensive since Fallujah. I was deployed once again in 2010 and 2011.
Frank’s Note: When you perform the duties of a 0302, whether you are in the Marines or Army infantry, you are the first to fight, and the mission is always for them to take the objective and suffer the highest rate of casualties. Special Forces are a whole other thing with even more challenging circumstances, and they exist in all military branches.
Frank: What was your motivation for joining the Corps, and what do you believe you garnered from your service?
Shane Bartelt: When I was young, I was interested in the military. I had a friend who felt the same way. When we came of age, he joined the Army, and I joined the Marine Corps. I really do not know why, but I was glad that I did.
Frank: When did you start working with Impact Networking, and what was your job description? Was your military training valuable in preparing you for a civilian career?
Shane Bartelt: When I left the reserve in 2016, I was hired at Impact Networking as an MPS specialist—working with sales reps, but it was old-school print-centric time. I was promoted to manager of the Rockford branch for a couple of years. In 2021, I joined the project management group. We have developed a very accomplished project management team. Rick Ray and Alex Custers were two of the people who helped me a great deal.
When you address project management, the biggest thing about the job is seeing the bigger picture and the entire chain of events that must follow. You must be able to help someone who does not have the necessary experience. I learned from my time in the Corps about the repercussions of failure. That can be difficult. From the technical side of things, you learn from your training as an officer to execute a plan. You then nail it down in rehearsals and make the overall performance as best as possible. I continue to utilize this capability today.
Frank: What values do you believe all veterans can bring to our industry?
Shane Bartelt: I run into vets all the time, and they all have a lot of humility. They come from different services and perform different tasks. I am talking about a helicopter pilot to a submariner. No matter where or how you served, you tend to do very impressive things in the military. These are things that no civilian can know or understand. It is where military experience excels. It all comes together when you are being trained. That experience brings it all home. Our biggest asset is that we are taught the difference between leadership and management.
Frank: How did you come to join Impact Networking?
Shane Bartelt: I completed a graduate program at the University of Wisconsin and earned a degree in project management. To complete the cycle of preparation, I got certified. I then applied to about 100 companies. Even when I completed my Master’s, nobody would give me a chance. I ran into Impact Networking at a recruiting event. I went to a website and found a program that included program management and applied. They gave me a chance. They gave me a shot, and that is what I was looking for.
Frank: What advice would you give to veterans who were having a tough time finding a job?
Shane Bartelt: People will respect your service, and you must be ready to compete. You will meet many people who are particularly good at their jobs, and competing against them is not easy. The military provides medical care and gives you tough love, but there are always people there who can help you. In the civilian world, nobody is going to do that. You must take care of yourself. For younger service members, it is hard to learn. There is no support system like the military in the civilian world. Finding a job is all with you, and you must learn to deal with a little failure. Take what you can get and work your way up.
Frank: Tell us about your personal life.
Shane Bartelt: I live in Wisconsin, close to my parents. Dad came over recently, and we watched the movie The Dirty Dozen. I have a sister in Ohio and a niece. We are not a big family, but we spend time together, and that is what we like to do.
Frank: Any final comments?
Shane Bartelt: I went on two deployments. I do not want to misrepresent what that was, and friends of mine went through some tough times. It is best to leave it at that.
Frank’s Note: We are pleased to inform you that Shane has joined Ron Rupright (March issue) and Julie Anderson (May issue) as nominees to receive the Outstanding Veteran Award at our 39th Annual Awards & Charities Gala on Thursday, November 7, 2024. At this juncture, we have interviewed three confirmed nominees. The next one, scheduled for our July/August issue, is Luke Oldenberg, Shane’s colleague at Impact Networking.
Thanks to David Ramos of Visual Edge IT, we have a Gala table reserved for veterans. The nominees, plus two wives and two veteran guests, will have a fun night thanks to David and Visual Edge. The best part is that all the travel and hotel expenses of the nominees have been paid for by their employers. To this point, that includes Pacific Office Automation, Impact Networking, and Visual Edge IT. We look forward to interviewing our final nominee.
