Illuminating the human experience through words on a page
Wasim Cassim is a content production specialist on Nintex’s customer enablement team – a team that develops technical content to help global customers have the best experience possible working with Nintex and its products. Wasim’s content ranges from technical how-to articles on Nintex Community, to courses on Nintex University, to thoughtful process management pieces.
Wasim’s experience growing up in an Indian, Muslim family in a post-apartheid South African city shaped them beyond their years with tremendous structure, expectation, and direction. A feeling of growing up a bit too quickly left Wasim with a need to fill a void – an opportunity to re-live their youth enough to figure out who they really were underneath the achievement and seeming sense of direction.
While Wasim didn’t know it at the time, finding a love of literature, a passion for writing, and a penchant for poetry at the age of nine set them on a path to self-discovery and acceptance.
“Writing hasn’t just been an outlet for me – it’s been the way through which I’ve come to understand myself and how I’ve developed a career I couldn’t love more.”
Wasim lives life with intention and appreciation, shaped by their experiences and a sense that they are forever on a journey. As Wasim maintains, “There are always parts of ourselves we haven’t met yet.”
Coming out
One thing you’d be quick to notice meeting Wasim is that their body is a canvas of two dozen tattoos – symbols of their journey. A feather that demonstrates “the world sees me now” upon coming out. A portrait of an influential musician who is inspiringly fearless in her poetry. An anime character who feels undeserving of existing in the universe who saves herself through accepting her defeats. And a semi-colon to represent Wasim’s own mental health journey, during which they almost called it quits.
“I spent so much life not enjoying the hours, days, months – just doing and achieving. The semi-colon means something to me.”
The tattoos are a visual representation of opening-up enough for others to see Wasim, as they explain, “When I saw myself as a canvas, I was reminded of the experiences I’ve been through. I used to cover up who I was, but I’m no longer afraid to show that to the world.”
Wasim had spent most of their life ignorant to sexual identity. In a conservative household where that was taboo, a conversation was out of the question.
A first foray into self-discovery happened in a way Wasim would sooner forget. Struggling with deteriorating mental health, and hyperconscious about everything around them. Every step forward precipitated ten steps back. Every answer sought furthered a fear Wasim may “end it all.”
But through a combination of extreme internal grit and incredible love and support from old friends and family to new acquaintances, Wasim finally found comfort in being, expressing, and accepting who they really are.
“Everything was a ripple effect from coming out. It was an incredible thing I did for myself.”
“When I saw myself as a canvas, I was reminded of the experiences I’ve been through. I used to cover up who I was, but I’m no longer afraid to show that to the world.”
A few years later, Wasim began exploring their true gender identity, reflecting on a childhood realization that they didn’t really feel masculine or feminine enough to be put in a ‘bucket’. “It was quite the epiphany realizing that I’m non-binary. It’s such a privilege to finally understand this part of me.”
Wasim experienced real trauma through the process of coming out. But their varied and enriching experiences have had a profound impact on Wasim’s journey and finding a voice in content. This journey brought to realization a new-found sense of comfort, understanding and security that inspired the confidence to flip a knack for writing into a purposeful career.
“It was quite the epiphany realizing that I’m non-binary. It’s such a privilege to finally understand this part of me.”
A way with words
“Every person that loves you brings you light. I hope my storytelling does that for people too.”
Writing, to Wasim, is a performance. One that’s meant to impact the hearts and minds of an audience. “I look at it as the human experience – and that applies whether I’m writing technical content or content from the depths of my personal journey.”
Through Wasim’s year-long tenure as a Nintex technical content producer, preceded by over seven years in legal tech content development, they’ve realized a passion for a content-customer experience-tech trifecta. Constantly seeking how they can do things better; Wasim’s fuel is the effect they have on others.
“My job really impacts people’s lives – every single day. Sometimes it’s positive. Sometimes it makes them question things. I don’t want to be the answer. I want to provoke the discomfort that leads them there.”
Wasim believes that even in technical writing, their purpose is to improve the human experience, saying cheekily, “Robots aren’t using our tools, people are.” Wasim’s driven to make customer experience the best it can be and has grown immensely in understanding how to adapt and evolve their writing – and the “heart” part of that writing – for the technical customer journey.
“I don’t think of my readers as customers. They are humans. Humans are physically and emotionally in touch with the content they consume. As a writer, I hone in on how they’re living their lives and seek to impact those experiences through my perspective.”
Wasim is a storyteller for the customer journey of more than 10,000 organizations, globally, with an influential voice in process automation and intelligence, intent on delivering the best experiences possible to the people using our products. Along with the support of peers and leaders, this privileged position has helped Wasim progress their journey of building impact and confidence in who they are – personally and professionally.
Belonging and evolving
Wasim continues to be encouraged, motivated, and challenged by peers, leaders, and customers alike, saying “The management and leadership here at Nintex is so present that it’s scary.” A sense of ever-present expectation and growth for Wasim has been immense, but that’s not the leading reason they love working at Nintex.
“No matter what happens, I am valued at Nintex, I am seen. When you’re in a place you know you’re valued as an employee and a person, you thrive, growth happens, and opportunities arise.”
From Nintex’s targeted programs and information aimed at engaging global colleagues in different cultures and identities, to a sense of belonging across the workforce as a member of underrepresented communities themself, Wasim believes they’re in an organization where they have a “safe space to talk.”
“I’m living in a space in which I can progress because both personally and professionally, I am supported. And I have a platform – through writing – to help others grow with me.”
And Wasim’s not just helping others grow with them professionally. Nearly twenty years into their journey as a writer, Wasim’s personal poetry compilation is on the brink of getting published. Now five years in the making, the book is rooted in Wasim’s life experience and has been instrumental in their own personal discovery. But it’s also fueled by a desire to help people broach difficult conversations they may be too fearful to have. “I want to give people courage and confidence to speak out and know they’re okay – who they are is okay.”
Wasim’s journey of self-exploration isn’t over. Whoever they are is constantly evolving. And they’re keeping an open mind as they try their best to understand themself—through words on a page.
“I want to give people courage and confidence to speak out and know they’re okay – who they are is okay.”
Find a place you can find a sense of belonging, while developing the skills you need, behind your passions and talents, to excel in your career. Explore now!
