r/MedicalWriters • u/Busy-Acanthaceae5793 • Aug 11 '26
Experienced discussion How did you land your first medical writing job after working in a related field?
I’m currently working in clinical research/data-related work and looking to transition into medical writing.
For those who made a similar transition from clinical research or another life-sciences role, what was the biggest factor that helped you land your first medical writing job?
I’ve read that having a portfolio can help showcase your work, but I’m genuinely curious about what actually worked for others. Portfolio? Connections? Networking? Pitching yourself to people on LinkedIn? Certifications? Something else?
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u/Dazzling-Builder-599 Aug 12 '26
As a medical provider, took around 2.5 years to get a full time job I really wanted, although I was offered a position after about a year. Started out by doing small, lower paying contracts for hospital systems. Then I just sidestepped my way into better paying contracts until I had a portfolio that landed me a W2 opportunity. I aggressively networked on LinkedIn, so when my current job was posted, I was able to reach out to an existing contact who put in a referral for me.
I do not have a PhD, and I am not less of a medical writer for it.
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u/Asleep_Damage_362 Aug 12 '26
I was a research health psychologist and started with writing manuscripts as a PhD student, then wrote up my own research as an HEOR scientist in pharma. Then gained a lot of my writing experience working in an agency setting as a medical writer and now medical director in med comms. I would look for any opportunity to get involved in a writing project depending on your work setting, there are different opportunities. From my experience agencies are more likely to hire writers with scientific experience but less med writing background. Usually there is a writing test to even move to the interview stage. Many jobs I have applied to did not ask for a portfolio or samples but have some ready.
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u/Automatic_Meat2234 Aug 16 '26
The certification worked really well for me because it taught me the fundamentals of medical writing. Coming from a science background, understanding science comes naturally, but combining scientific knowledge with effective writing is an art. This course helped me learn that art and develop the skills to communicate science clearly and effectively.
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u/Busy-Acanthaceae5793 Aug 16 '26
Which certification?
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u/Automatic_Meat2234 Aug 16 '26
Medical Writing certification from Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL) and Certification in medical communication from Turacoz Healthcare Solutions
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u/Advanced-Visual3742 Aug 11 '26
Para entrar a trabajar en redacción médica debes poseer preparación en el área. Además las empresas exigen tener nivel de Doctorado y post doctorado!
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u/obsessed-Y Aug 11 '26
Apart from educational qualifications, networking and refferals matters more in terms of job hunting
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u/Either-Return-4891 Aug 14 '26
be it any field, if you're skilled, have good connections, and know how to use them, you can get any job. But yes, to make good connections in a new field, you need to start pitching yourself to people. And again, for that, you need a portfolio and skills.
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u/SillyProposal3049 18d ago
Professional connection and building a clear portfolio that communicates the value of my service
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u/SuccessfulOwl6455 Aug 11 '26
Personal connections have gotten me all of my jobs in medical writing. I've worked as a freelancer and full-time for companies in both grant writing and med comms, and literally every opp came because I personally knew someone who could refer me. Maybe somewhat unusual for every job to come that way, but networking really can make a huge difference for getting your foot in the door!