A medical writing portfolio is a collection of your work, all in one place. Whether you’re an established medical writer, or a beginner looking to get into medical writing, there are many reasons why it’s a good idea to have a medical writing portfolio.
For example, a medical writing portfolio helps you look professional, and you’ll be prepared if someone asks for a sample of your medical writing. It’s also a record of achievement which you can refer back to, and remind yourself of how far you have come.
If you want a helpful guide on how to create a medical writing portfolio, to help you get into medical writing, you can check out this short medical writing portfolio course.
Read on to find out 10 reasons why a medical writing portfolio can help set you up for success, stand out from the competition and win clients or a career as a medical writer.
1. A medical writing portfolio shows you are professional
It’s a great first impression to send a medical writing portfolio along with your CV and cover letter to a client or job application. This way you’ll come across as prepared and serious about starting work with them.
2. You can demonstrate your capabilities as a medical writer
Naturally, if someone is interested in working with you they’ll want to see what you’re capable of. This includes work that you’ve done in the past, how you created it and who you’ve worked with before. A medical writing portfolio ticks all of these boxes.
3. You’re more likely to get a “yes” for medical writing work
With a medical writing portfolio you’re already ahead of other people looking to become medical writers. You’re more likely to get a “yes” and get work compared to someone who has nothing to show.
4. You can give an insight into your creation process as a medical writer
It’s a good idea to show a bit of the background creation process in your portfolio, almost like a “behind the scenes” of a movie. This gives you credibility and shows that you have a process which you can repeat to create work efficiently. For example, showing what keywords you were targeting and the resultant success of a marketing campaign you ran.
5. A medical writing portfolio helps you save time in future
When you’re asked for a sample of your writing by several people, you can save time by simply giving them a link to your online medical writing portfolio, rather than having to attach multiple files to lots of different emails. A medical writing portfolio can also get you out of having to complete a writing test, and justify charging for writing a sample – rather than do it for free.
6. An online medical writing portfolio is ‘always on’
A medical writing portfolio published online is ‘always on’. This means people can find you and look at your work even if they are in a different country or simply browsing during the day. Your digital presence will be there to represent you while you’re asleep or working on other projects.
7. You can update your medical writing portfolio with your latest work
Regularly updating your medical writing portfolio is a great way to show that you are currently and actively working as a medical writer. A medical writing portfolio that’s up-to-date with your latest work will show you’re in demand too. Having a history of work with a variety of clients adds to your credibility.
8. You can create a ‘client specific’ medical writing portfolio
There are many types of medical writing you can do, and certain clients might want you to help them with something specific. For example, someone interested in short pieces of writing for social media might not be so interested in your regulatory writing work. Much like you would write a specific cover letter when you apply to a certain job, you can have specific portfolios for certain clients or potential employers.
9. A medical writing portfolio can get people to come to you
By having a medical writing portfolio people can come to you, as you have a presence online. You can include a link to your LinkedIn profile, an email address and a phone number so people can contact you directly.
10. You can include testimonials from previous clients in your medical writing portfolio
Social proof, in the form of testimonials, is a powerful way to market yourself as a medical writer. You can dedicate a page in your medical writing portfolio that shows previous client success stories. Think of testimonials as mini reviews to show you’re an experienced and dedicated medical writer.
Start creating your medical writing portfolio today, and you’ll thank yourself in future for it.