Help Me Help You: Useful Info That Guides My Medical Writing Advice

When Someone Asks, “Can I Be a Medical Writer?”

Someone messaged me recently and asked if I thought they could be a medical writer. I could not answer that question without knowing more about them. I looked at their LinkedIn profile to see what I could gather.

What I Look for in Your LinkedIn Profile

 I saw that they clearly presented their interests in medical writing with specifics on the types of medical writing they wanted to do. They also had a sample, which I reviewed and gave some feedback on ways to improve. I pointed out that their sample didn’t quite fit the kind of writing their profile indicated they were interested in. My main advice was to niche down and make sure their samples reflect the kind of work they want to do.

How You Can Help Me Help You 

After that interaction, I gained some insight into how I could guide people toward providing the information that would help me give better advice. In other words, how they could help me help them.

3 Ways to Strengthen Your Profile Right Now 

Here are a few suggestions that can help your LinkedIn profile provide the information I need to give useful advice:

• Start describing yourself as a medical writer. Even if you are new or haven’t written anything yet, you can describe yourself as an aspiring writer, writer in training, or whatever other language you are comfortable with. You can add this to your Headline and About section.

  
  

• Be clear about what kind of medical writing you want to pursue. Whether it’s CME, regulatory, or promotional writing, letting people know your focus helps guide the feedback you receive.

  
  

• Have a writing sample available. Ideally, a LinkedIn article that matches the work you actually want to do. A link to a portfolio is also helpful, but a one-click option is easier for me.

  
  

Receive Hands-On Guidance

For those looking for this type of personalized advice, I offer single coaching sessions for $20. Each session includes tailored questions, a detailed email response, and a 15-minute Zoom call. Email me at nhbowens@asapmw.com for further details.

I can also help you build your skills with practice writing assignments through my tiered coaching program. Assess Your Progress

 Take the Medical Writing Journey Assessment to see which stage best reflects your progress and what to focus on next.

References

A detailed list of resources matched to each step can be found in the Comprehensive Resource Guide for Medical Writing.

Final Thought: Start Small, Stay Focused 

Getting established in medical writing takes time. It’s normal not to have everything figured out immediately. Keep focusing on your niche and building samples. With steady effort, you’ll create the opportunities you want.