Does anyone on here work in med comms?

[poiuytrewjhg]

I'm thinking of changing jobs in med comms next year, but I've only ever worked at one company (my current company), so I don't really know what other agencies are like.

My agency is a large agency, with offices across the world working with big clients. I don't think it suits me, and think I may be more suited to a smaller agency.

If you have experience in the field, can I ask what your thoughts are on the differences between big vs smaller agencies, and whether you have any advice in choosing the right agency when job hunting?

Thanks!

Media coms? what specific agencies are you working with pure communications, PR and the likes?

I'm creative agency side but I was curious about your post.

Med comms (medical communications) varies a lot between agencies - some focus on publications, some on meetings work such as ad boards and symposia, and on education deliverables, etc. If you have a preference, that would inform your choice of options. And then larger and smaller agencies have upsides and downsides. In a smaller agency you might be involved in more aspects of a project, because there are fewer employees - you may be more likely to work with freelancers, have to be an editor as well as a writer, do more financial project management - it depends how the company is structured. That could be an advantage to you if you like that. But very small agencies can be run as fiefdoms by individuals, which can be difficult, and small agencies can provide limited scope for career progression if you become pigeon-holed into a role and you have to wait for someone to retire before the promotion is available.

So I would recommend that you work out what you want and then find out as much as you can about different agencies. The good news is that at the moment, good writers are like hens’ teeth - every agency I know has vacancies.

What specifically don’t you like in your current role, and what do you want your new role to look like?

I realise that I’ve assumed you are a writer, as I am - you might be an editor or client services person, or a designer - so many options!

@greeandorange Sorry, I should have written it out in full I meant medical communications.

@JennyWren I'm a writer too! I like a lot of things about my company, but I feel like I don't fit into the company culture. There are lots of socials, parties and happy hours in the office which most people enjoy, but I think I would prefer to be in a smaller team in a smaller office. There's also a high turnover of staff - I'm not sure if that happens across the field?

On the other hand the progression at my current company is good. I like that my role is mainly writing focused, I do wish there was less client service. The salary is below average, though.

Sounds like a really interesting sector.

It is a really interesting sector. I love the balance between deep science and language at the same time. And knowing that what we do is a tiny cog in the process of saving lives.