How can I get my first MedComms job?

I stumbled into my first MedComms job.

It was back in 2004. I’d never heard of MedComms, and I was just applying for anything listed in the New Scientist that included the words ‘writing’ and ‘science’ or ‘medicine’.

I’m Eleanor Steele, and I’m the MedComms Mentor.

I want to help you get your first MedComms job in a much more intentional way.

There are more agencies now and more resources, but also more people interested in getting a MedComms job.

Once you’ve got some experience, there are hundreds of opportunities just waiting for you to come along, but getting that first job can feel like an insurmountable barrier.

It’s not impossible though, and if you are watching this video, you’re definitely doing something right – you’re researching, and that’s a key skill that will help you throughout your MedComms career. 

During this video, I’ll cover other resources that you can use to research roles and companies that might be right for you, and then how you can make your applications stand out, even if you feel like you don’t really have much relevant experience.

1. Choose where to apply

MedComms agencies aren’t all the same, and most offer a variety of entry-level jobs. Some of these include a preliminary training programme to get you up to speed, but again, these are all different and each one won’t necessarily suit everyone. 

You’ll give yourself the greatest chance of success if you take the time to find opportunities that will really suit you, rather than applying for everything you can find.

So how do you find potential opportunities?

My number one micro tip here is to go to FirstMedCommsJob.com. There’s a link in the video description below, and it’s literally a website that’s set up to help people find their first MedComms job.

There are a huge number of resources there, so there are career guides about different routes into MedComms, a blog with tips about applying for MedComms jobs, interviews with a diverse range of people about their MedComms careers, and there’s also an archive of webinars where Peter Llewellyn, who runs the site, talks to lots of different agencies about their training programmes or support for entry level recruits.

This is a fabulous resource for getting a feel for what an agency is like and whether their provision for new starters would suit you.

The recordings of these webinars are accompanied by the company’s website and often a link to where you can get up-to-date information about applying for entry-level jobs there.

They also have links for you to connect with the participants of the webinar on LinkedIn, and this is so useful to hear about updates around the schemes that they’re running and also for asking questions, because anyone who does those webinars is happy to answer questions.

Peter also runs careers events, and you can sign up to attend these on the website too. Some of them are virtual, but some are live and in-person at various venues across the UK.

If you’re able to attend one in-person, they are so useful. You can meet people who work at different agencies and ask them all your questions to see whether their scheme would be right for you, and there might also be events like the webinars, but live and in-person.

You can also potentially meet me at some of them, so it would be lovely to say hello properly!

Ok, so by now you may have a huge list of potential places that you want to apply. How can you narrow it down?

I’ve created a playlist of videos that gives an overview of the three main roles in MedComms, so medical writing, client services, and medical editing.

This might be a good place to start if you know that MedComms is the right industry for you, but you’re not quite sure exactly what you want to focus on. There are some companies that have entry-level schemes tailored for people in that position.

I’ve actually developed one – LiNK 360 at Link Health Group is designed to give you a 360º introduction to MedComms during a 4-month structured training programme so that you can find your ideal career trajectory.

It’s not open all the time, but there’s a link in the video description below so that you can see if they’re currently recruiting for the next cohort.

But there are other agencies that run similar schemes that span the career options. If you’re certain about which role you want, it might be better to apply for schemes that focus on that role right from the beginning rather than doing a bit of everything.

A lot of schemes focus on medical writing, but there are a growing number for client services roles and a few for editors too now. You could use my video on what different agencies are like to weigh up these different options and decide what would suit you best.

There’s also a section in that video that breaks down a lot of the main differences between training programmes offered by agencies, and also how you might be supported by an agency that doesn’t have a dedicated training programme.

Once you’ve got a list of target opportunities, it’s time to dive a bit deeper.

2. Research the role

Whenever you find a role that looks like a really good prospect, you should gather as much information about it as you can.

Go through the company’s website, their LinkedIn page, any social media that they have, especially if there are things specifically about their entry-level roles, or their training programme.

You want as many details as you can get for a few different reasons.

Firstly, you need to double check that this is the right company and the right role for you. This can be a bit tricky.

Not all agencies call these entry level roles the same thing, so the standard medical writing entry level role is Associate Medical Writer, whereas you have Account Executive in client services, but lots of agencies have their own names for all roles within the career pathway, and so it can be really hard to see which roles are equivalent between companies.

Also, lots of agencies that have a training programme will have a job title just for those trainees. So the LiNK 360 programme has everyone as a MedComms Executive, and they will then specialise to become a Medical Writer or Account Executive once they finished the programme.

So it’s a good idea to look at how they describe the role, what they say is involved, what skills and experience they’re looking for, what their expectations would be for somebody actually doing that job. That makes it easier to judge what’s right for you, rather than just looking at the job title.

It is also good to do this research to think about softer things like what the company culture is like, and logistical problems like where are they based? Will that location work for you?

A lot of companies require new starters to be office-based during their training programme so that you can have a lot of support around you, but depending on where their offices are, that might make things tricky.

We need to really consider all of these things before we apply for these jobs, and we also need to understand what’s in the recruitment process.

Do you need to email them a CV and a cover letter, or do you have to apply through a form on their website? Is there a test to do? Do they hold interviews or have a recruitment event, including interviews, but maybe other activities too?

What sort of timeframe are they looking at? Will it fit in with your life plans? It’s no use spending hours on an application form for a job that starts before you actually do your exams to graduate from uni. And if you need a job to start really soon because you’re running out of money, but the start date for this job isn’t for 6 months, how are you going to support yourself?

We also need to think about whether we have any questions or concerns while we’re doing this research. Make a note of anything that springs to mind as you go through all of the research materials that you’re gathering, so that you don’t forget them weeks later when you’re actually at the interview and have an opportunity to ask them.

It’s also a good idea to do this in a separate list for each agency or each role that you’re applying for, so that you don’t get muddled if you’re applying for more than one thing.

The kind of things that you might want to ask about include things like what the salary would be and potentially around other benefits, like whether you would get them from day one or whether you would only be able to get them from, after you’ve completed the probation period or training programme maybe.

It’s a good idea to think about the actual content of the training programme too. So exactly what you would be learning and how the delivery mechanism. Is it all going to be in person or is some going to be virtual? Is some going to be mentoring? What kind of things are you actually going to be doing?

Thinking about the size of the cohort might also be quite useful too, and maybe the expected number of applications. That could give you an idea about how likely it is you are actually going to get a place on that programme.

Thinking about whether you are going to be office-based or there might be the potential for hybrid working or maybe remote working eventually, and thinking about any other flexible working considerations.

Some companies have core working hours, maybe 10–4 or something like that, and you can flex when you work around that, as long as you’re available for meetings during those core hours.

It’s also a good idea to ask about progression possibilities and the team structure so that you understand how that company works and where you might be able to progress to after you’ve got your initial training under your belt.

Support is another key factor, so you’ll almost certainly have a line manager, but will you have a mentor or a buddy, and how does that kind of system work?

Some of these questions might be answered as you do your research, but having a dedicated list for each role that you apply for will help make sure that you get the answers that you need so that you can make an informed decision.

3. Tailor your CV/resumé

I’ve recruited a lot of people in into MedComms jobs and have reviewed hundreds of applications.

The biggest mistake I’ve seen is that people don’t tailor their CV to the job that they’re applying for.

Imagine a post doc with lots of lab experience, trained in all sorts of research techniques that are relevant to that specialism, all probably having esoteric acronyms that anyone outside the field would have to Google, and a long list of publications and congress presentations from their research group that they’ve contributed to.

Yes, they will be proud of their achievements and they will have a lot of achievements to list, and that’s great.

But the way you need to write a CV for a research position is not the way you need to write a CV for a job in MedComms.

Not all of that research experience is relevant, and it’s OK to leave things out or bunch things together if they’re not necessary for the job that you’re applying for.

But the best thing that you can do is look at all of your experience, whatever that is, and think about what it says about you that is relevant for the new career that you’re trying to get into.

Picking up all of those research techniques? That means you’re a fast learner and probably a problem solver.

Contributing to those publications and presentations? That would demonstrate teamwork and collaboration, maybe attention to detail, maybe presentation skills, hopefully strong writing experience.

Writing content so that it’s appropriate for the audience it’s intended for, is a key skill throughout MedComms, not just for Medical Writers. Client services people need to hone it for their client interactions too.

Demonstrating that you can do it in your CV is a massive pointer that you are already thinking about things with a MedComms mindset.

It’s also a good idea to mirror the language that is used in the roles job description or on the company’s website when you are tailoring your CV.

What are their buzzwords? How do they describe the skills and experiences that they’re looking for?

Matching your language with theirs, is another way of showing that you are what they’re looking for.

You may have to tweak this for each individual company, but once you’ve got a good basis, this shouldn’t take too long.

If you’re really stuck about what to include and how to include it, there’s a blog post on the First MedComms Job website specifically about creating your CV and tailoring it for MedComms jobs.

But it also might be useful to watch my videos about writing a bio.

These are focused on bios for freelancers, but they’re also useful for thinking about the kind of information that you might want to include in a CV, and how you can either consolidate things that are less relevant to get them into a short summary, or break down the details that you want to really highlight because they’re critical to get across to the person who’ll be recruiting.

Once you’ve updated your CV, read it through pretending to be the person reviewing it on the recruiting team at your intended agency.

Is it easy to follow? Is it optimised for them? Will they be able to pull out the right details in two seconds flat? That’s incredibly important.

At this point, it might also be worth double checking whether they want you to send in your CV or if they want the same information to be submitted in a different way, maybe an application form, or maybe even as a short video, which brings me onto my next microtip.

4. Complete all recruitment tasks

Each agency’s recruitment process has been set up with specific requirements for a reason. It will be optimised for the team reviewing the applications, and remember that they may have hundreds to process and need to do it efficiently and within a short timeframe, and they may also need to do it consistently across different people so that they’re getting an objective viewpoint.

It’s annoying that they are all different, and repurposing your CV or doing similar but slightly different tests can be a bit of a pain. But remember, the core content is likely to be the same for your CV and cover letter and those kind of things, and so it’s easier to repurpose than doing everything from scratch each time.

Following instructions though is a key part of the recruitment process. Now, I know it can be very stressful and you may be doing things in a bit of a rush depending on the deadlines that you’re working to and what else you’ve got going on in your life, but it is really worth taking some time before you get started on doing all of the recruitment activities, and double checking that you understand exactly what needs to happen and how you need to do it.

If there are lots of steps, maybe write out a list by hand so that you can cross things off, or use an app with tick boxes to record those steps and what you have done.

Most entry-level jobs, and to be honest, MedComms jobs in general, will have some kind of test or activity as part of the recruitment process.

The recruiters need to see your skills in action. They want to see how you handle problems, how your brain works.

At an entry-level, this will not come with the expectation that you are going to be performing at the level of an experienced person – it will be marked with the assumption that you don’t have that experience, so you don’t have to get everything right.

It’s more that they are looking for your aptitude – whether you have storytelling ability for Medical Writers, what your attention to detail is like, whether you have good instincts for what to include, what to leave out, the level of detail you are writing, and how you frame that content.

Someone who can follow instructions intelligently can be trained to do the job well. Double and triple check that you followed all of those instructions before you submit anything.

And again, read it through from the perspective of the person who will be marking it to make sure it makes sense to them, not just to you.

I go into this in a lot more detail in my video, giving my top 5 microtips on how to make your medical writing tests stand out. And yes, this is from the medical writing perspective, but the tips are generally still relevant for client services and definitely for Medical Editor or hybrid roles.

Something I mentioned in that video is about asking questions or flagging things that don’t make sense. If it’s something that you don’t understand or a question that you have about the instructions for the test or the activity that you have to do, it’s better to send a quick email with a question, rather than overthinking and risk doing it wrong. You’re much better to check what you have to do and then you can do it right.

Remember, people writing those tests are busy. They’re probably having to deal with lots of client work, they’ll be relatively senior, so they’ll probably have team members that they’re line managing – they’re busy, they might make mistakes!

If it’s something that doesn’t make sense in the writing test, this might be because it’s there deliberately for you to pick up on. Writing tests and tests for other roles within MedComms often have elements where you need to review or edit content, or there might be deliberate errors that are there for you to pick up as part of the testing process.

So, if you can make thoughtful and professionally worded suggestions about how to solve any problems that you’ve noticed, it will demonstrate another key skill that will be useful throughout your MedComms career, so it’s a good idea to practice it during the application process.

5. Prepare for the interview

Any recruitment process will have at least one interview. This is an important opportunity for you to meet team members and get a feel for what the company is really like, but it’s also important for the team to meet you and see if you’ll be a good fit.

Think about the kind of questions you might be asked and consider how you would answer them.

Some are likely to be standard questions that you’d get in any kind of job interview, so things around your strengths and weaknesses, how you’ve overcome challenges in your past, any collaboration or teamwork experience, and maybe things around your ambitions or career goals. What experiences do you have with all of these things?

Think of a few examples so you’re not put on the spot when these questions come up. Some of the questions in the interview will be specific to MedComms and the role or the training scheme that you are applying for.

For Medical Writers the interviewers are likely to be very interested in your scientific communication experience, how you approach content for different audiences, what your writing process is.

Client services experience is also useful – it’s not just for client services roles, because MedComms is a client services industry. Interviewers will also like to hear about your attention to detail, how you are calm under pressure, because tight deadlines are very common in MedComms.

So go back to the job advert or the details that you found when researching to think of other things that you might be asked about.

Now it might seem hard to think of experiences that are specific to MedComms, if you don’t have prior experience. But if this is the career for you, then it’s likely that you will have some relevant experience, even if it’s not immediately obvious.

So it could be participating in a journal club when you are at uni, or volunteering, or student union roles, maybe personal writing projects like blogging or writing fiction.

And other work experience is always useful to mine for examples. So, work experience in scientific publishing or research have obvious links, and clinical experience is very useful too. I had patient care experience from working as a nursing auxiliary in a nursing home when I was doing my A-levels, and that was very useful to talk about in my early interviews.

But there will be something that you can bring in from any job that you have done. For example, working in a bar or a cafe will be something that you can use for client services experience – clear communication, being calm under pressure and attention to detail, making sure that everyone gets what they ordered.

So once you’ve got some good examples, you are prepared for them asking you questions, and it’s a good idea to practice that too. Maybe role play with a friend or just do it in front of the mirror, but it’s also a good idea for you to ask them questions.

You are interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing you, so go back to any questions or concerns that you drafted while you were researching the role. Are there any that are still unanswered? Make a list that maybe you want to even take into the interview. That’s not compulsory, but it can be very useful.

Bringing a notebook so that you can make some notes is great so that you can remember everything that you’ve talked about when you’re deciding whether it’s right for you, but it can be great to refer back to that list when you have an opportunity to ask questions to.

So when you are making that list, look at your original questions and concerns and prioritise which ones you really want to ask.

You may not have the time to ask everything, and also some may be absolute deal breakers and others may just be mildly interesting.

One question I would recommend asking is to double check next steps so that you know exactly what’s going to happen and you are prepared for it, and when decisions will be made.

Now one of the next steps might be other activities for you to do. So let’s go onto the last section.

6. Prepare for other activities

Just having an interview is definitely how some agencies recruit, but often if you are applying for a training programme, or a cohort of people who are coming into entry-level positions, there might be a recruitment day. Lots of candidates will come together and meet key agency people from the programme, hear more about it and get a real taste for how it works.

You’ll also probably have an opportunity to ask questions and do an interview, maybe several short ones for different people. There are quite likely to be tasks or activities that you’ll need to do with the other candidates. This is often a really big part of those days.

Collaboration is crucial in MedComms teams, and so these activities are designed to get you working with other candidates.

They’ll probably be facilitated by, or maybe just observed by an agency person, because they want to see how you work together, not just see whether you are successful in completing the task effectively.

Some people just want to shine and are likely to trample over other people in the group in their attempt to be the best, but they’re probably not going to get the job. They won’t look like a good team player.

This kind of activity is definitely time to demonstrate your active listening and collaborate with the people that you’re working with.

You also need to lean into the exercise, even if it feels a bit silly. It might be about a fictional condition or drug with a funny name, but it will still have been designed to allow you to show whether you are suited to the role that they’re recruiting for.

So throw yourself in, get involved.

That can be hard for introverts though, and medical writing attracts a lot of introverts. If you do throw yourself in, it will be rewarding, but it will also show the recruiting team that you are a team player.

Solo tasks are probably a bit less daunting for the introverts, and there may be another writing test or other type of solo activity during a recruitment day.

These are probably timed and might feel a bit like an exam. That’s stressful.

You might be anxious, but don’t rush.

Slow yourself down.

Take the time to read through all the instructions slowly, several times before you dive in.

Make a note of the key steps that you need to take so that you can check them after you have completed the exercise, because it would be so annoying to realise that you’ve missed something out.

Also read through your responses before you submit them to make sure that you haven’t made any silly mistakes.

Download the PDF summary

Getting your first MedComms job can feel like an overwhelming challenge, but if you use the resources available to you…

1. You’ll be able to choose places to apply that will suit you best and where you’ll be a great fit for that agency
2. Then you need to research the role to check that you understand what’s involved and how the recruitment process works
3. This will usually involve tailoring your CV or resume to showcase your relevant experience, preferably mirroring the language the company you’re applying to uses
4. You’ll also need to complete all the recruitment tasks to the best of your abilities, and that research will feed into that too
5. You can also use your research to prepare for the interview, including answers that you could give to potential questions that might come up, and also questions that you want to ask the interviewers
6. You’ll also be prepared for any other recruitment activities that might happen alongside the interview, like collaborating with other candidates on group tasks, or maybe a solo activity, like a writing test

Following these steps should help you get your ideal MedComms job, and you can download a PDF covering everything that I’ve talked through today from a link in the video description below. There are also plenty of other videos on my channel that could help, and I’ve mentioned some during this video.

The links for those are all in the description below, but there’s also a big playlist called ‘Get your first MedComms job’, which I update whenever I release a new video that will help you …. get your first MedComms job.

I really hope this has been helpful, but please do leave a comment if you have any questions.

I’d also love to hear if you have any other topics you’d like me to cover in the future. So do pop me a comment about that too.

And I’d be really grateful if you could like the video or maybe share it with any friends who are thinking about a career in MedComms too.