How did you hear about Healthcare Communications?
During my industrial placement at Takeda UK and Ireland, I first learned about the PM Society and its resources and support for professionals in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. After returning to university, I was curious to learn more, which led me to attend the 2023 Careers event. At the event, I met Amir (European Talent Lead at Syneos Health), who introduced me to the healthcare communications side of the pharmaceutical industry. From our conversation, I realised that working in an agency would expose me to the wide range of activities healthcare agencies deliver and would be a great place to start my career.
Your career path
As a young professional, my career journey, though still in its early stages, has given me broad exposure to various roles. I began as a Brand Team Assistant at Takeda UK & Ireland, supporting a UK Brand Manager within the Oncology function. I thoroughly enjoyed this role, which involved working with a cross-functional team to deliver what was best for the brand and the wider oncology function. After graduating, I was fortunate to shadow a Regional Franchise Head within the coffee industry. This experience opened my eyes to the significant role franchising plays in the pharmaceutical sector, bringing together different teams to achieve shared goals.
I then joined Syneos Health as a Junior Account Executive, where my work has focused on blending creativity with data-driven insights to craft impactful communications. I help enhance understanding of health issues and treatments, while shaping perceptions among key stakeholders, all aimed at driving the success of our customer brands and the business.
What area of Healthcare communications do you work in?
I work in public relations, blending creativity with data-driven insights to craft impactful stories. I create communications that enhance understanding of health issues and treatments while shaping perceptions among key stakeholders.
I contribute to campaigns that raise disease awareness or share insightful scientific information with healthcare professionals.
I've worked on thought leadership campaigns that help organisations convey their vision to the public. I have also leveraged celebrity engagement to reach wider audiences, using well-known figures to address important healthcare issues in a relatable way.
What does a typical day at work look like?
My day revolves around translating complex medical data into clear, impactful messages that resonate with both healthcare professionals and the public. A dedicated account team supports each client, and I work closely with my assigned teams to achieve strategic objectives.
My typical day is fast-paced and collaborative. I start by checking in with my teams or the client to provide status updates, then identify key priorities and areas for progress. This often involves delivering creative assets, developing messaging for new campaigns, and creating patient-focused content. I also liaise with the advertising and creative teams to ensure our goals are clear and aligned, enabling us to deliver the best results for our clients.
How would you describe your role?
As a Junior Project Manager, I observe and learn from pharmaceutical leaders and senior directors as they craft strategic plans. These plans guide us through every stage of the pharmaceutical product lifecycle. My role involves implementing these plans, monitoring progress, measuring success, and reporting on key outcomes.
What has been the highlight of your career in Healthcare Communications?
One of the most rewarding projects I've worked on involved recruiting patients for a global cancer clinical trial. As a global trial, the challenge was to create content that was both universally understood and directive. The results showed that we successfully achieved both aims, exceeding average click-through rates and driving engagement across diverse audiences.
What skills do you think are most important in your role and how do you use them in your work?
1. Communication - it's essential to communicate the project's vision clearly, manage changes, and interpret the underlying needs of stakeholders.
2. Adaptability – no two days are the same, so flexibility is key to managing the demands of a fast-paced environment.
3. Organisation— managing multiple moving parts is a key aspect of the role. Arranging projects into a system or a comprehensive workflow/ tracker will help you communicate this to your teams and understand when you need to take action.
What has been your greatest career challenge and how did you overcome it?
One of my biggest challenges was aligning stakeholders for a European disease awareness campaign. After we developed the campaign assets, we discovered that a key market had not been engaged with to gain their support and input. This led to difficult conversations with this market team as our planned campaign would not fit their audience. Through compromise, we adjusted the campaign to meet the needs of all markets. Although it wasn't the perfect outcome, it strengthened our relationship with the market team and laid the groundwork for smoother collaborations in the future.
What are your future career goals?
As an advocate for diversity and inclusion within healthcare communications, I am developing skills to leverage digital channels to drive diversity among clinical trial participants and ensure that disease awareness campaigns feature inclusive messaging and visibility.
How would you describe Healthcare Communications?
Healthcare communications is about bridging scientific innovation with real-world healthcare needs. Our aim is to make complex science clear and relatable to all, from healthcare professionals to patients.
What do you love about working in Healthcare Communications?
No two days are the same. You wake up knowing that your work will help improve someone's quality of life, and finish the day not only having achieved that, but also having learned how to better connect with healthcare professionals, patients, and society to communicate complex science.
What advice would you give someone looking to start their career in Healthcare Communications?
Ask questions. Everyone has a story and a journey. We are lucky we can communicate; why not leverage this by learning from others? You never know what you may learn until you start asking questions.
Be aware and understand the basics. A strong foundation will give you everything you need to take your next step confidently.