Careers guide – a guide to being a freelance writer in MedComms

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freelancers_cover_369x523Making it my own business: a guide to being a freelance writer in MedComms

By Dr Kathryn White, 2nd edition published April 2021 [Download your copy]

Freelancing in MedComms offers a great way of making a living for medical writers. Reasons for becoming a freelancer are many and varied: redundancy, a long daily commute to the office or changing family commitments. Some people leave employment because of bad experiences with their employers. Others feel they’re moving further away from the work they love as their careers progress and line management responsibilities take precedence. Within organisations, a medical writer’s role may be quite narrow, focusing on one specific type of writing or document or
a particular therapeutic area. Continue reading →

FirstMedCommsJob: In conversation with the medical writers

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In this webinar, we’re joined by Cassidy Fiford (Medical Writer, Oxford PharmaGenesis) and Danny Hawker (Senior Medical Writer, Ashfield MedComms) to talk about their own journeys into MedComms and their current roles, the day-to-day working life of medical writers, training opportunities and career prospects. Both panellists have been profiled in the new issue of our annual FirstMedCommsJob careers guide, From academic to medical writer: a guide to getting started in medical communications, published in March 2021. And we answer questions from the audience.

It should be of interest to anyone who is looking for insights in to MedComms as a career and how to maximise their chances of gaining an entry level job.

Recorded 31 March 2021 as a MedComms Networking webinar. Produced by NetworkPharma.tv

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Careers guide – medical writing

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careersguidecover_369x525From academic to medical writer: a guide to getting started in medical communications

By Dr Annick Moon, 13th edition published March 2021 [Download your copy]

This guide focuses on medical writing careers in medical communications, in particular in MedComms agencies. The MedComms industry provides consultancy services to pharmaceutical companies, and the role of the medical writer is to use science and language to deliver these services successfully, while working to the highest ethical standards and adhering to industry regulations and guidelines.

The aim of this guide is to give you the information you need to decide if you are suited to the role of medical writer, and to provide the insider knowledge you need to excel at interview.

This issue includes ten personal profiles written by current medical writing specialists in leading MedComms agencies, describing their personal journeys in to MedComms and the day-to-day work they now do as well as an updated directory of agency contacts. Continue reading →

Achieving your best results in an video interview

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So, hopefully after reading our CV guide you have now secured yourself an interview. The majority of companies during the pandemic have had to pivot to virtual interviewing. Despite this shift the most important advice doesn’t actually change (read our article on general interview tips for medcomms). However, to help your next video interview go as smoothly as possible we’ve collated some specific tips from speaking with clients and candidates sitting on both sides of the interviewing process.

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Getting the most out of your recruiter – specialist advice

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When you find a recruiter you gel with it can be the beginning of a life-long relationship, a trusted partner you can turn to for professional advice at any stage of your career. It’s worth remembering that a lot of jobs don’t get advertised and a professional, specialist recruiter can give you inside information on the medcomms market that is hard to find anywhere else. Your recruiter may hold the ticket to your dream job, so here are some tips on getting the most out of that relationship.

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Top CV Tips – specialist advice

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Your CV is one of the most important documents you will ever write. It is a sales tool to get you an interview, so it is important to get it right.

Think: you are the brand and your CV is the sales document.

The right choice of words genuinely makes a difference as to whether you get the job or not. Read our tips below to ensure you show any potential employer just why they should hire you!

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A Guide to Interviews

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Whether you’ve been in the MedComms industry for years or are looking for your first job, interviews can be daunting. Getting the right job boils down to the potential employer being convinced that you’re passionate about them and their work, that you would be an asset and to you being sure this is the right company and job for you. The interview process has to make these things happen and, in each of the steps below, you should have that end in sight. During lockdown, of course, everything is online and Zoom interviews have become the norm, but all the principles of interviewing remain the same.

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The dos and don’ts of social media during a job hunt

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Most hiring managers will check out your social media profiles before they even invite you for an interview, so it’s essential to carry out an audit before you start applying for jobs. For obvious reasons, this is especially important in the communications industry. It’s vital that you ensure a potential employer won’t see anything off-putting. It’s also critical that you prove you can use social media to good effect. The following should help you do both.

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FirstMedCommsJob: In conversation with the account managers

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In this webinar, we’re joined by account management staff from different agencies to talk about their own journeys into MedComms and their current roles, the day-to-day working life of account managers, training opportunities and career prospects. The panellists are Melissa Kelly (Senior Account Executive at Envision Pharma Group), Tessa Rowland(Senior Account Executive at Lucid Group) and Matthew Smith-Andrews (Senior Account Manager at Ashfield Health). They have all been profiled in the new issue of our annual careers guide, “The business of medical communications: a guide to getting started in account management“, which was published in January 2021. And we answer questions from the audience.

It should be of interest to anyone who is looking for insights in to MedComms as a career and how to maximise their chances of gaining an entry level job.

Recorded 27 January 2021 as a MedComms Networking webinar. Produced by NetworkPharma.tv Continue reading →

Careers guide – account management

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account_managers_369x524The business of medical communications: a guide to getting started in account management

By Lindsey Heer, 4th edition published January 2021 [Download your copy]

As we explain in this guide, the terminology, job titles and specific roles of account managers or project managers in MedComms agencies can vary, but effective account management is always critical. This new guide helps explain how that happens in practice and provides you with an understanding of both the challenges and the rewards that come from a career in MedComms. We believe reading this guide will give you the edge to getting that first job.

This issue includes nine personal profiles written by current specialists in leading MedComms agencies, describing their personal journeys in to MedComms and the day-to-day work they now do, and an up-to-date directory of agency contacts. Continue reading →