Assent in Depth: Mahdi Ismail, Strategic Account Executive
How can you tell that a company is a great place to work? When employees enthusiastically encourage their friends and former coworkers to apply, that’s a good sign. Satisfied, engaged employees believe strongly in their mission and want others to have the same experience.
Mahdi Ismail, Account Executive, shares his thoughts on what it’s like to work at Assent and why he has referred over a dozen people to work here in the last four years.
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Q&A With Mahdi Ismail
Q: Which Assent value resonates with you the most?
A: The core value that stands out most for me is optimism. I’ve had the benefit of seeing the company grow in the last four years. More than that, though, I’m very optimistic to see where this company goes over the next few years.
Q: What brought you to Assent?
A: Prior to working at Assent, I started a business with a colleague of mine. We tried a few things. I realized I wanted to change industries. A friend of mine mentioned an open sales role at Assent. I didn’t know much about sales. I just knew that I possibly had the capabilities to succeed in the role.
Q: What was it like to shift gears into a new field at a young company?
A: Starting off at Assent was great. I had a lot of old friends and a lot of old coworkers here. There was a lot of trust in the position, but there was also a lot of competitiveness. I think that’s what helped me grow in my sales career and helped me progress my career.
Q: If a friend or family member were going to start at Assent, what would you want them to know?
A: Over the years, I’ve referred just over a dozen people to Assent because I trust where this company is going. hey understood the work that’s required to grow within the company, and they understood that if they put in the work, there would be a progression plan for them.
One of the things I like about Assent, especially about the sales role, is that you will get back as much as you put in. What allows me to progress in my career is the amount of work I put in early on and what I continue to put in every day, which translates into positive results.That’s something that I appreciate, and I believe anyone interested in a sales role would appreciate it as well.
Q: How does having a diverse sales team increase success?
A: It’s important for our sales team to be diverse because we’re selling to people from all over the world, from different ethnicities, from different religions, from different regions. Diversity allows us to approach individuals in the best way possible.
Q: How do other teams at Assent support your success?
A: One of the unique things about Assent is that everyone, especially on the sales team, is rooting for your success, whether it’s your manager, your colleagues … everyone wants you to progress. Everyone wants you to learn and improve. Everyone wants you to win. That’s been the case since I started in 2018. We’ve had the ability to leverage our managers, colleagues from other teams, other account executives, and even our leadership team.
Q: What tools and resources help you achieve success?
A: There are many tools we utilize here to help us in our role and to make us more efficient. One of my favorite tools is LinkedIn Navigator. It allows me to not only find the correct prospects to contact, but also allows me to start building a relationship with those contacts prior to engaging with them.
Q: How does it feel knowing that your work contributes to solving some of the biggest problems facing the supply chain, such as forced labor and environmental damage?
A: Working for an organization that has a real impact around the world, whether that be on forced labor, human trafficking, or conflict minerals, makes you feel proud to be at a company that’s making a difference.
Q: How does Assent’s flexible work options help you work the way you want?
A: One big thing I appreciate about working at Assent is the flexibility it gives all its employees. Whether you want to work in the office, or whether you want to work at home, or whether you want to split your time between the two, Assent accommodates you so that you can work the best way you can.
