From Academia to Scientific Writing

I spoke with Tope about her transition out of academia to scientific writing, her motivation to make this move, and how she secured a role in the science communications sector.

What was your motivation to leave academia? 

I did my PhD in the UK with funding from a UK-based cancer research charity. Like most PhDs, my project was filled with ups and downs. I generated good preliminary data to begin with, but then in my 2^nd year it became more challenging, but by the end it all started to come together and I was able to submit my thesis and pass.

I’d decided from an early stage that academia probably wasn’t for me. I found it too individualistic and saw first-hand just how challenging it can be to forge a stable career. 

Fortunately, I started thinking about my career options early on in my PhD (probably from the 2^nd year). Initially this felt daunting. I hadn’t planned out my career path post-PhD and I didn’t know what I wanted to do. 

I attended a few career events and sought help from the university’s career service. However, a lot of the information and advice was geared more towards undergraduate students, and I didn’t find the information that relevant. But I did have time to explore multiple career options myself and investigate jobs that might be a good fit. 

I enjoy writing. So I narrowed my options to patent attorney and scientific writing, as both these roles would allow me to utilize my writing skills. 

For patent attorney roles, I found IPCareers was a useful resource. I discovered

law firms tend to hire in 2-year cycles, which unfortunately meant there might have been a delay for me to obtain employment after completing my PhD. So, if you’re considering this career, again it’s important to start early. 

For writing jobs, I found MedComms Networking to be a helpful resource along with this blog. You helped answer loads of questions about obtaining a writing position. 

Eventually whilst writing up my thesis, I realised I enjoyed it so much that I knew a scientific writing career was for me. 

How did you transition into scientific writing?

My job search began by looking for companies where my writing skills could be utilized (mainly medical and scientific communications agencies). I shortlisted those whose goals aligned with my own interests. 

I ruled out start-ups in favour of more established small-to-medium sized enterprises that I felt could provide more experienced training for my new career.

I found the job search tough. I must have applied to around 20 companies before receiving a job offer. In hindsight I should have invested more time networking and reaching out to connections for referrals. I think this would have helped me land a position more easily. 

To secure a scientific writing position, most employers will demand a writing test. To begin with I struggled with these, but with each application my familiarity with the tests increased and I improved. 

Sometimes tests were provided in advance of the interview, sometimes afterwards, or for other employers, at the interview itself. 

Most are based on clinical trial papers, so it’s important to be familiar with these. Understanding the research goals and whether or not different endpoints were met is crucial. They usually require a summary of the key points broken down into introduction, methods, results (including adverse events) and conclusions. 

Sticking to the word could is imperative and don’t be disheartened if you don’t pass the first time. It gets easier the more familiar you become with critiquing clinical data and it will eventually work out. 

In the end I was simultaneously offered more than one job, which felt fantastic after so long searching. I decided to take a position at Random 42 Scientific Communications. 

How does working as a scientific writer differ from working in academia? 

At Random 42 Scientific Communications we specialise in developing medical animations for pharma and biotech clients. The animations are most frequently educational films used to explain complex biological processes such as the mechanisms of action of a drug or how a medical device works. 

My job is to write scientifically accurate scripts and then storyboards for artists to develop the animations. Therefore, I no longer work in a lab or conduct scientific research. 

The work is challenging, varied and definitely not boring. Whilst it is lots of hard work, there is a huge amount of moral support available from my team. 

I work with artists, animators, programmers and other scientists, all working together to complete projects. So unlike in academia (which is often more individualistic), this role requires a huge amount of teamwork. 

Dealing with clients is something I’ve had to learn. Client satisfaction and retention is important. 

We also have to deliver projects in time and on budget. We evaluate how quickly, efficient and smoothly projects are completed, with the aim to improve our client experience and maximise recovery for the company. 

When you’re working on your own research project in academia, you will be praised for doing well. However, when working in teams in industry, you need to be happy with others taking credit too. The team as a whole will be praised for a job well done, rather than you individually.

Likewise, the client also owns the work and whilst you might be acknowledged, it’s the client who will receive credit from a public audience. This is very different from publishing in academia, where it’s the authors who receive recognition for the work. 

You’ll find far better career support in industry compared to academia. Regular appraisals support your career goals and highlight areas for personal development, providing a platform for progressing your career within the company. 

In addition, after a year or so (or even sometimes less), head hunters will be reaching out to you on LinkedIn, offering you positions in other companies with better pay. You just need to get some experience under your belt. 

What advice do you have for research trained scientists who are looking to secure their first scientific writing job?

Your academic CV needs to be overhauled to be relevant for science writing jobs. I learnt that the personal summary section is incredibly important for getting noticed by recruiters and hiring managers.

The personal summary should be at the top of your CV and should list your key skills with experience, plus a quantifiable result at the end. For science writing jobs, this should include a description of your strong communication and writing skills upfront. 

For example, you could include something like: 

‘Skilled scientific writer producing high quality deliverables, including manuscripts, abstracts, posters, and slide decks, which resulted in a successful grant application of £120,000’ 

You must tailor your CV to each application. 

It’s important to include a paragraph tailored to the company you’re applying too. Digging deep to find things about them and how they align to your own interests, not only demonstrates your enthusiasm to apply, but also your research skills. 

For example, if the role is for medical writers within the market access team, ensure you check out any press releases or articles specific to market access from their website and try to find a way to include it in your CV. It is time-consuming, but I’ve found that it’s a useful way to get your CV noticed for the next stage. 

Include key words in your CV and cover letter from the job description. A useful tip that can help is to copy and paste the job advert into a word cloud tool to highlight the most commonly used words. Including the most frequently mentioned skills and candidate descriptions is what the Applicant Tracking System will use to select prospective applicants. 

In addition to reworking your CV from an academic to industry-relevant one, as previously mentioned you should also work on networking with industry employees as much as possible. 

Finally, perseverance is key. It might take a number of application attempts and writing test, but keep going, you will get there eventually! 

Thanks to Tope for some fantastic advice about transitioning from academia into scientific writing. If you’re interested in writing as a career, pop any queries you may have in the comments and I’ll answer them.

Interested in your career options as a research trained scientist? Sign up for frequent updates: 

www.biomedbadass.com/subscribe

Or if you’ve got a burning question about your career – Ask it in our secure community forum page:

www.biomedbadass.com/forum