Plunging into Life Sciences

Hear from our new recruit Olivia Addinall, as she reveals her experiences having freshly entered the pharma industry…

If you would have asked me last year what a CDMO was, I would have been trying to come up with some quirky millennial acronym – I can admit that Contract Development Manufacturing Organisation did not roll off the tongue.

It’s safe to say I joined ramarketing with a wealth of marketing knowledge but far less pharmaceutical specific knowledge, so I knew there would be some necessary training to bring me up to speed to understand the ‘pharma lingo’ and gain an understanding of the life science ecosystem and outsourcing space.

As with any new job, there’s training involved but at ramarketing there is an extra element of industry specific training that is needed to elevate knowledge and fully understand what clients offer.

The training available at ramarketing is perfect for a newbie like me, but I don’t imagine I will ever stop learning – even “old-timers” will join training sessions to learn about a particular subject or refresh their memories. It’s really about learning the basics and adding to that knowledge over time.

Plenty of companies say they offer comprehensive inductions and training, but at ramarketing you have access to limitless training resources and genuine, friendly help to ease you into your role and help you establish yourself as an important member of a close-knit team…

Training Playbook

I was introduced to the training playbook on my first day at ramarketing, it provided a guide to the systems at ramarketing and has specific ‘need to know’ elements to kick off the induction period. There is a range of role and industry specific training materials to get stuck into within the first few weeks.

One of the most useful elements of the playbook is the vast range of industry training resources that are available to refer to whenever there is a need for some extra insight into a particular topic. This ‘additional’ sector knowledge is just that – additional. It allows you to learn at your own pace, so the first few weeks aren’t too overwhelming by trying to learn too much all at once.

The training materials within the playbook can range from recorded webinars, whitepapers, YouTube videos, articles and recorded internal training sessions. The mix of different resources avoids having to stare at a screen reading for hours on end.

Brunch & Bloom

ramarketing runs Brunch & Bloom sessions bi-weekly, the sessions deliver internal training about particular subjects – these vary from marketing training to specific sector training. Each session is presented by different team members that have the most knowledge in that area. For example, the ‘digital marketing’ session was hosted by our Head of Digital, Rob. The industry specific topics are presented by a sector lead – someone that knows their industry ‘stuff’!

The Brunch & Bloom sessions are one of my favourite parts of the working week at ramarketing! They’re so interactive and there is always a Q&A session at the end where no question is too daft! (I speak from experience; I’ve asked some questionable questions).

If you happen to miss a Brunch & Bloom session – don’t worry, these sessions are readily available on the playbook and shared afterwards for those that want to catch up!

Sector Leads

When I started at ramarketing, the thought of having ‘sector leads’ put me instantly at ease. As a marketeer, I was concerned about not knowing the technical aspect of what our clients do – but that’s where sector leads come in.

Each client has a specified sector lead that can get involved in the accounts. Often, they will support the account in the background by assisting with questions or they may get involved on a client-facing basis to support more technical calls to boost the account team with a deeper understanding of the client capabilities.

Our sector leads – Laura, Selena, Emma, and Katie have all come from an industry background, so they really know what they’re talking about.

Allocated Training Time

Agencies are inherently fast-paced and whilst there is always the intention of upskilling yourself, it very rarely happens. At ramarketing, it actually does happen – there is allocated time each month for training and personal development, and you can choose how to spend the time to get the most out of it.

Slack Channels

Everyone at ramarketing is so willing to share their knowledge – there are even dedicated slack channels for sector specific advice (#KnowYourOnions) and even a channel for recommendations on podcasts, books and TV related to life science industry, marketing, or general creativity (#GetYourGeekOn).

Guest Speaker Sessions

Another example of the training available is guest speaker sessions. If there is a knowledge gap within the agency, we’ll invite a consultant to fill that void. For example, a few weeks back we had a session on Marketing in the Life Sciences Space in China from one of our industry consultants. The insights shared were from someone that knows first-hand the challenges of marketing in China, so they were able to share their recommendations and ways of working to achieve marketing objectives.

Olivia’s top tips for non-scientists considering a sector change

My advice to anyone that is concerned about their lack of sector specific knowledge when moving into the life science and pharma industry would be to take the leap – just be willing to learn. Knowledge, awareness and understanding of the industry is key to working at ramarketing but it is also very teachable. Firing up your curiosity and asking LOTS of questions will ensure you soon start to grasp the sector and understand the life science lingo.

There is really no limit to what you can learn at ramarketing, the resources available are endless. My personal experience of plunging into the life sciences sector has been great. I’m not an expert yet…but give me time!

Want to know more about moving into life sciences or about working for ramarketing?

Olivia is happy to talk about her experience of adapting to a new industry and how she’s settling into her new role at ramarketing. You can email Olivia at olivia.addinall@ramarketingpr.com or connect via LinkedIn.

If you fancy joining our fast growing agency and making the leap into life sciences you can check out our current vacancies here.