What employers screen for
Employers assess scientific understanding, writing evidence, language accuracy and the ability to work with people and deadlines. The qualifications that open a particular vacancy depend on the employer and the experience an applicant can demonstrate.
Scientific qualifications and alternative evidence
One medical-writing employer required a scientific qualification, ideally a master’s or doctorate, and regarded entry with a bachelor’s alone as difficult because of competition, while acknowledging that some applicants had succeeded. With many applicants, her actual hiring had concentrated on doctors, PhDs and pharmacists. A medical degree was particularly attractive because a company could consult a doctor about medical questions; the employer reported that clients were disappointed that her company had no physician on staff and thought this affected its success.
Her assessments of individual applicants illustrate the qualification preferences.
- An English-literature bachelor’s degree plus an MSc in clinical trials supplied an acceptable scientific background.
- A biochemistry bachelor’s degree and ten years in the pharmaceutical industry, mainly pharmacovigilance, were of definite interest.
- Bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and translation studies were not enough in her view; she recommended a master’s or doctorate.
- Nursing counted as scientific background, but she needed evidence of writing; an additional BA in English showed writing, while clinical research experience would be of particular interest.
Another medical communications practitioner places less emphasis on acquiring a doctorate before applying. A UK agency hiring manager reported in 2019 that more than 75% of her scientific team held PhDs but that many successful colleagues did not; employers could value project management, problem solving, organisation and communication of complex concepts more than the doctorate’s subject knowledge. Applicants without a doctorate should be ready to show those skills through other experience, such as undergraduate projects, hobbies, outside interests or contributions to magazines, blogs or websites.
In 2016, medical communications careers advice described increased emphasis on PhDs and possibly postdoctoral experience for entry-level writing roles, with a similar trend in account management despite its more varied backgrounds. Without postgraduate qualifications, relevant publishing or pharmaceutical-industry experience was suggested as an alternative.
What small surveys found
In a 2016 survey, 90% of 102 respondents answering the entry-requirements question considered a science degree necessary, and 54% said some companies might stipulate a PhD or medical or bioscience work experience. Free-text responses also reported successful arts graduates and questioned the need for a PhD in junior roles. Other desirable attributes were interpreting complex data, interpersonal and communication skills, computer proficiency, statistical knowledge and an interest in medical writing; 74% reported that candidates were often required to pass a writing test.
Seven companies interviewed at an internship forum rated four criteria from 1 (not so important) to 4 (imperative).
| Criterion | Overall rating |
|---|---|
| Positive attitude | 3.4 |
| Strong application letter | 3.4 |
| Higher-level degree | 2.0 |
| Relevant experience | 2.4 |
Almost one in three said EMWA membership could significantly improve an entry-level applicant’s credibility, and another 43% said it could add value depending on the application’s overall strength.
Writing and working qualities
An employer’s desired writing qualities include prose that is easy and pleasant to read, clear summaries of large amounts of data, meticulousness and strict punctuality: a document due at five o’clock is not acceptable at six. She looks for short, clear sentences, perfect grammar, spelling and punctuation, logical argument and organisation of complex information with headings, bullets, numbering, tables or figures. Respect for guidelines, templates and instructions matters alongside finding the clearest presentation within the prescribed structure.
Rapid understanding of unfamiliar science is another criterion: in one company, staff worked on ten or fifteen projects a year and might move from oncology to cardiovascular disease to neurology. The same employer values diplomacy, modesty, ethical conduct and project-management skills. A completed thesis can demonstrate determination and meticulousness, while early school or university writing can suggest a longstanding interest in writing.
Agency work also depends on interpersonal skills: writers work in teams and with clients, and an interviewer needs to see the applicant’s distinctive contribution beyond qualifications on paper. A small biotechnology writing group’s director reported in 2010 that limited training resources led her to seek previous biotechnology or pharmaceutical writing experience, and that electronic submissions made relevant software expertise valuable.
Language as an initial filter
One employer rejects applicants for English-language roles if the email, covering letter, CV or application form contains any language mistake; for work in Spanish, she expects the equivalent standard of Spanish. On one vacancy she reported rejecting more than half the applicants because the English in their letters was inadequate. Her three non-native English-speaking hires had substantial residence in English-speaking countries: more than five years each for two French writers, and ten years in America for an Italian writer.
A good English-proficiency-test result can support an application, although a test is not considered necessary simply to enrol on a medical-writing course. The employer recommends English-writing training where the language standard needs improvement and values a course qualification as evidence of effort and writing ability. For a role in another language, the standard shifts to that language; she thinks an employer choosing between a native and non-native writer will probably prefer the native speaker.
Age and clinical backgrounds
The same employer sees no upper age cut-off: a 40-year-old with postdoctoral experience and a strong publication record was an ordinary applicant in her view. About twenty applications received in one week were almost all from PhDs with postdoctoral experience, aged roughly thirty to fifty, and she valued research experience and publications, particularly first-author papers. She also regarded an MD with two public-health master’s degrees and WHO technical editing and drafting experience as a strong candidate likely to find work relatively easily.
A physician entering a medical communications agency reported being offered a job after ten minutes without a writing test, attributing this to the relative rarity of medical applicants compared with science graduates and PhDs. Another industry practitioner considers doctors more likely to receive the benefit of the doubt in hiring.