It’s no secret that talented, experienced medical writers are hard to come by. Not to mention those who are seeking a permanent position within an agency. The recruitment process is often lengthy, taking months or even years to fill a senior vacancy. And if the fit is not quite right, you’re advertising yet another vacancy after only a short time.

So what’s wrong with the process? The answer is not clear-cut, but perhaps it’s time for a closer look at how medical writing careers develop. Specifically, the terms being used to describe medical writers – generic terms like Principal or Senior Medical Writer – may no longer be fit for purpose.

The diversity of med comms agencies is continuing to expand. While some agencies focus on publications and congress activities, others have expertise in digital or patient-centric communications, and yet others offer a wide range of services. The definition of the medical writer role can vary widely from one agency to another, and as experts in communication we need better job titles to match writers’ talents to the right roles.

While certain core skills are needed to progress to the ranks of Senior or Principal Medical Writer, it’s a mistake to view all medical writers as interchangeable, with any writer able to replace another at a moment’s notice. Careers in medical writing vary widely, and it’s time that our job titles better reflect our skills.

To take an example, I have known many great writers to progress through their career doing very little actual writing. They devote their time to developing beautifully formatted slide decks, infographics and other visual content that requires a rare mix of scientific understanding and creative flair. Creativity is skill that is valuable when applied to the right projects, but not the most useful attribute to an agency who needs a writer to develop manuscripts or detailed meeting reports.

If your agency needs a medical writer to support marketing teams and develop product-led communications, why not advertise for a Brand-focused Medical Writer. If you need a writer to focus on pitching and researching new business leads, why not advertise for a Medical Writer – New Business Lead.

I am an advocate for allowing individuals to focus on their strengths wherever possible. A writer with strong technical abilities is just as valuable as one who does not write as well but who’s able to offer strong strategic input. Why let writers become mediocre ‘Jack-of-all-trades’ when they could excel by focussing on their natural skills or passions?

If not executed well, the danger is that placing further definition on medical writer roles risks pigeon-holing writers, limiting development opportunities and possibly deterring good candidates from applying for suitable vacancies. It also might not work for smaller agencies, where writers must have a broad range of skills that they can adapt to specific project needs (Non-Specialist Medical Writer, anyone?).

Making job titles more specific is one step towards communicating individuals’ strengths to the world, signposting others towards what you can do, what you like to do, and how they can get the best from you.