Introducing our class of 2020 graduates

In a world of uncertainty, we were very fortunate to be able to continue our graduate scheme for the fourth year running, and, in response to the vast number of applications we received during the recruitment phase, we decided to open up a fourth spot this year. Therefore, we are pleased to welcome Emily Keizer and Emily Thomas to our Medical team, and Charlotte Roe and Valentina Funaro to our Client Services team for 2020.

Unlike previous years, the graduates had to begin their Med Comms careers in a completely virtual setting, with all company introductions taking place over Zoom. The series of rotations across the different departments – Creative, Client Services, Technical and Medical – offered the graduates an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the work carried out by the different departments and to meet the team members that work within them.

The scheme started with a six-week rotation, with the first week focusing on introductions and the final week on specific account onboarding. In between, the graduates rotated between the four departments each week. In their Creative week, the graduates were tasked with creating a brand identity and logo for an online learning platform of their choice. They learnt how to conceptualise ideas through mood boards and logo mock-ups. This brand was then developed further in the Technical week, where they created a website implementing the skills they had learnt about HTML and CSS code. In the Client Services week, they faced a variety of tasks related to managing a symposium project, including creating budgets and building timelines. Finally, the Medical week saw the graduates create their own patient support programmes for a rare disease of their choice, whilst also receiving training talks from many of the medical team.

Having now completed their six-week rotation, we asked the ladies share their thoughts on the virtual experience:

Charlotte Roe, Junior Account Executive:

“The thought of starting a new job virtually was overwhelming, but everyone at emotive has made me feel so welcome and the team are always on hand to answer any (the many) questions I may have. I really appreciate the 15-minute Client Services catch-up call every morning, where we all answer a non-work-related question of the day and share what tasks we have going on. It has helped me get to know the team further and other projects going on within emotive. It was also super helpful to spend a week in each department before being onboarded onto my projects within the Client Services team. It gave me a much broader understanding of Med Comms as a whole before getting stuck in!”

Emily Keizer, Graduate Medical Writer:

“I didn’t know much about medical communications, However, the rotation that emotive runs for graduates is truly unique and it allowed me to gain a greater understanding of how the whole company worked, while gradually being introduced to specific projects I now work on over a six-week period. Despite lockdowns and working from home, since joining, almost everyone I have spoken to has been interested to learn about us and offer their help wherever necessary. I feel very happy to be working at emotive and would recommend the Med Comms industry to anyone looking for a science career outside the lab!”

Valentina Funaro, Junior Account Executive:

“Entering a new career straight after graduation can be a scary thought, especially when you haven’t met any of your co-workers in person. However, the six-week rotation was an amazing way to ease into agency life and fully understand how all the teams work together to create amazing projects for our clients.

I really appreciated spending a week with each department as it allowed me to meet my colleagues and slowly get introduced to all the various processes used by the agency. This was the perfect start before kicking off in the fast-paced world of Client Services and made me feel much more confident and prepared to face the role ahead!”

Emily Thomas, Graduate Medical Writer:

“Since starting the Graduate Scheme at emotive, I have learnt so much about the pharmaceutical industry and the various roles within it. I’ve really enjoyed learning about the different therapy areas and working with others on specific projects. The team have been so encouraging and supportive throughout my time here and are always on hand to help! Even though I started virtually, everyone has worked hard to make me feel welcome and answer any questions I have. I would recommend this role to anyone with an interest in science who loves writing and wants a challenge!”

emotive runs a graduate intake programme every year, starting with Graduate Assessment Days in the first half of the year. This year, we ran two separate days – one to look for future Medical Writers, the other to find new Account Executives for our Client Services team. With a growing team across our offices, we will be taking on more remarkable science graduates in September next year. So, look out for Graduate Assessment Days in early 2021!

emotive is an independent, London and US-based, award-winning global healthcare communications agency who inspire change that has a positive impact on people’s health through our medical, brand, patient, PR and advocacy services. If you would like to find out more about joining our graduate scheme at emotive, please contact jade.nuttman@emotiveagency.com.