Careers in Medical Writing Tips

For some medical writing job seekers, the salary negotiation process can seem uncomfortable. But the truth is, those who negotiate their salary have the potential to earn more. Here are 5 tips for negotiating your medical writing salary.

• Check out salary surveys. A salary survey conducted by ScienceCareers.org reveled that on average, medical writers earn a minimum of $74,000. And those with advanced degrees, like a Master’s or Doctoral earn at least $94,000.

• Contact comparable organizations in your area. Speak with Human Resources Managers and discuss salary ranges for medical writing jobs. This will allow you to back up your counter offer with solid research.

• Focus on the value you bring to the organization. When negotiating your salary, don’t discuss how much you have to earn to make ends meet. Instead, discuss your previous accomplishments and what you bring to the organization.

• Consider finding medical writing jobs through a staffing firm. Companies like Delta Pharma can help you negotiate your salary. Plus, having an educated staffing professional on your side will make the process easier.

• Don’t get stuck on a number. Salary negotiations are a “give and take” process. That means you’ll also need to be a little bit flexible. Know your bottom line before negotiating your salary

Hiring a medical writer that doesn’t work out can be expensive. Hours of interviewing and training are lost – leaving you back at step one. But the good news is your company can avoid this pitfall by understanding common mistakes for hiring medical writers.

When marketing a medical writing job, advertise in a niche community. For example, consider hiring a staffing firm that specializes in placing medical writers like Delta Pharma. They’ve already prescreened a talented pool of writers; driving down your company’s costs.

Once you’ve located a talented writer, consider hiring them on an outsourcing basis through a staffing firm to ensure they’re a good fit for your company. In the future, the medical writer may have an opportunity for a full-time medical writing position.

And if you do hire an outsourcing medical writer, don’t forget to have them sign a non-disclosure agreement. This will protect your company from having information “leak out.”

If you don’t have previous experience, landing a medical writing job can seem impossible. But learning a few techniques can help you hone your writing skills and land medical writing jobs.

The first step to launching your new career is to start reading medical publications. Visit your local library and comb through medical journals and magazines. Also, check out local teaching hospitals, which may publish newsletters and internal communications.

After you’ve reviewed publications, it’s time to create some writing clips. This step is easier then most aspiring medical writers think. Simply contact pharmaceutical and biotech companies and offer your services on a volunteer basis. Typically, the smaller companies will be more open to working with new writers. The end result will give you great writing clips and references.

Once you’ve secured your medical writing clips, it’s time to land your first gig. Consider approaching a staffing firm like Delta Pharma that can place you with organizations in need of a medical writer.

If you’re applying to medical writing jobs daily without any response, there might be something wrong. Read on to learn some common pitfalls medical writers encounter when trying to land a job.

When applying for jobs, make sure to include a link to your online portfolio. Most employers prefer to review medical writing samples on a website instead of downloading lengthy attachments. You can create an inexpensive website to showcase samples with companies like Yahoo Web Hosting.

Don’t send samples that are irrelevant. Some medical writers apply to hundreds of jobs without any reply. If you’re sending samples that aren’t specific to the company, this can be the culprit. For example, if you’re applying to produce a pharmaceutical company’s internal newsletter, don’t send samples of medical press releases. If you don’t have relevant samples, do volunteer projects to beef up your portfolio.

Also, consider using a staffing firm to get your foot in the door. Companies that specialize in jobs in medical writing like Delta Pharma already have relationships built with companies hiring medical writers.

Finding a good medical writer can be a difficult task. It’s important to ensure the writer can match your company’s tone to create consistent communication pieces. Read on to learn tips for finding talented medical writers.

The first step in filling your medical writing job is to partner with a staffing firm that specializes in your specific industry. Companies like Delta Pharma have a talented pool of medical writers. They can match your company with qualified medical writers on a temporary, permanent or full-time basis.

Once you’ve been matched with a medical writer, it’s important to supply a test assignment. This allows you to evaluate if the applicant's medical writing skills and abilities are a good fit for your company. Ideally, you might give this assignment to a few writers to compare each writer’s ability.

And finally, you can select the most talented medical writer. Some companies find it’s easier to offer a temp to hire position that can evolve into something more permanent.

Since medical writing is a competitive field, many aspiring writers are not sure where to start. The first step in launching your medical writing career is to study the types of pieces you’ll be writing. This includes research articles, monographs and medical reviews. Plus, there’s lots of work on the marketing side of the business, which includes writing brochures, press releases, Website copy and newsletters. To locate writing samples, contact the companies you’re interested in writing for and ask if you can review a brochure or newsletter.

After you’ve reviewed writing samples, consider finding a medical writing mentor. Finding a writer that doesn’t compete in the same market as you, can be beneficial in launching your career. They can provide insider tips on securing clients and full-time in house positions.

Also, consider creating a database of potential employers including: laboratories, pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms. Gather relevant writing samples and send a resume and cover letter to these companies.

Another great way to find medical jobs is partnering with a staffing firm like Delta Pharma. Since they already have relationships established with employers, you’ll gain access to jobs that may not be available other places.

When interviewing for a medical writing job, you might be asked about medical report writing. If you haven’t written this type of document, there can be a learning curve. But fortunately, there are a few tips you can implement to make the process easier.

Broaden your medical writing skills by learning the Subjective Objective Assessment Plan (SOAP) method before writing the report. This method essentially describes the analysis of the report, and discusses the facts and what conclusions can be drawn from the given information.

Also, make sure all of the information is accurate without a shadow of doubt. This will ensure the medical report could be used as a legal document if needed. Also, if you make a mistake when writing a report, make a single line through the error and initial it. It is even better to revise the report and print a hard copy. This will protect the legal validity of the report.

And finally, when writing the plan section of the report, make sure it includes all treatment, medications and therapies used with the patient. Double checking information will protect the integrity of the medical report.

You’ve reviewed a medical writer’s portfolio, and everything looks great. But when the first project is submitted, there are some serious problems. Many medical companies wonder how to avoid this pitfall. The answer is simple; learn how to test a medical writer’s skills.

The first step in testing a medical writer’s skills is evaluating their ability to match your company’s style. Give the applicant a sample of your company’s marketing materials. Then ask them to rewrite 2-3 paragraphs, without changing the tone of the pieces.

Then, test the medical writer’s creativity. This is especially important if the writer will be working on marketing pieces. Give them a brochure or other marketing materials, and ask them to rewrite the headline. Then, evaluate if the headline is creative and in-line with your company’s brand and message.

And finally, give the writer a test assignment. This would be a paid assignment that could lead to a permanent medical writing job.

Medical writing is a rewarding and lucrative career. But to successfully launch this type of career, most medical writers transition into medical writing slowly. Here are some tips to get you started.

Some medical writers work in-house full-time, while others launch a freelance business. While there are benefits to both arrangements, if you’re looking to transition out of your day job, the freelance options may work better.

First, create a few medical writing samples to show potential clients. You have two options for creating samples: volunteer your services in the non-profit sector or create fictional samples. Fictional samples are based on a company that you make up to showcase your writing ability.

Then, schedule blocks of time to work on freelance medical writing work. This will ensure you have time available to work once you start booking projects. In the beginning, it will be tiring – but as you transition out of your full-time job, it will be worth it.

When looking for medical writing jobs, consider contacting a staffing firm like Delta Pharma. They can help you find both full-time and contract positions in medical writing. Plus, since they have relationships established with medical companies, you’ll be a step ahead of the competition.

When launching a career in medical writing, it’s important to know where to find jobs. That’s because medical writing jobs aren’t always on traditional jobs boards; you’ll need to dig a little deeper.

• Check out medical research facilities in your area. These companies often seek talented medical writers. Plus, if you contact them unsolicited, you may land an unadvertised position.

• Contact medical laboratories. Many medical writers often overlook this segment. But, medical laboratories often hire writers to craft newsletters, internal communications and other materials.

• Approach the marketing manager of pharmaceutical companies. It’s important to understand that pharmaceutical companies can be picky. So make sure you have a few strong writing samples that demonstrate your ability to write about medicine in a marketing capacity.

• Contact biotech firms. They also have medical writing needs including marketing materials, internal communications, press releases and other marketing related projects.

• Contact a staffing firm. Companies like Delta Pharma already have relationships established with companies looking for medical writing professionals.