Mahshid Alinejad graduated in 2018 with a minor in Marketing. She has many years of experience in the supply chain and logistics industry. Mahshid currently works for Verizon.
Why International Business?
I’m from Iran, and whenever I traveled between Iran and New York, I always dreamed of doing import-export work and becoming a businesswoman. I especially wanted to work with my home country and focus on trade between Iran and the U.S.
Takeaways from the IB Program
What I learned in school, especially the terminology, really helped me. The program gave me a solid foundation in business concepts and language. It definitely improved my academic writing and helped me better understand business concepts. I also think having “International Business” on my résumé played a role in helping me land roles at multinational companies — I got to work with Mitsubishi, Ralph Lauren, and others.
Post-Grad Career
After graduation, I worked in the import-export sector for a couple of years — both with big multinational companies and a smaller firm. When the pandemic hit, I continued in that field for a bit before moving into a logistics and inventory role at 7-Eleven. Currently, I work at Verizon in reverse logistics.
In between roles and during this time, I also launched an Airbnb business, but I eventually stepped away because it was a lot to manage. I also spent time learning how to trade and dabbled in trading for a while.
After the pandemic, I decided to take a bootcamp course in AI and machine learning. Even now, at Verizon, I try to help out by doing some free work — like helping fix issues with robotic systems. Eventually, I’m looking to transition into a supply chain role that incorporates AI.
Role Transitioning – How did you know it was time to change?
For me, knowing it was the right time to transition often came down to a combination of factors. One such factor is when the scope of responsibility is limited and often confined to administrative tasks rather than the more strategic work I was capable of and interested in. Another factor would be the cultural/interpersonal challenges. When a workplace becomes a source of significant stress rather than growth, even if the work itself is interesting, it’s a strong signal for change. I believe a healthy environment is crucial for sustained learning and productivity.
Learning about Artificial Intelligence
I chose to go down the AI path because I believe that’s the direction the world is heading — toward more automation and robotics. We’ll eventually need to understand how to interact with these technologies, and I wanted to get ahead of that curve.
Insights for anyone looking to break into the logistics industry
Definitely brush up on Excel! Also, attention to detail is very important — logistics involves a lot of paperwork and tracking. Maintaining a good relationship with managers also goes a long way, not just in logistics, but in any industry.
Any new projects that you’d like to share with students/alum?
I started my own reselling business during the pandemic. I sold clothes online for a few months. It wasn’t easy, but I learned a lot about SEO, supply chain processes, and the fundamentals of running a business. So I’d tell students to not only focus on the money. Try new things. You learn so much from the process itself.