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Industry Transition Spotlight: Anand Devasthanam, Ph.D.

An interview with Anand Devasthanam, Ph.D.

What is your name, your full job title, and the full name of the company you work for?

Anand Devasthanam, Medical Writer II, PAREXEL Informatics – a subsidiary of PAREXEL International.

Can you describe what a typical day at your job looks like?

  1. Coffee!
  2. Meet with the internal team comprising of physicians, scientists, and a project manager to discuss a client-specific work assignment as it pertains to overall objectives, endpoints, deliverables, and timelines.
  3. Research any relevant literature and follow FDA guidance, as well as internal operating procedures, to draft deliverables expected of the Medical Writer while communicating with team members, keeping the client’s requirements in mind and demonstrating a sense of ownership.
  4. Meet with my line manager and senior Medical Writers, as needed, to discuss any potential regulatory hot spots, quality issues, and operational considerations.
  5. Deliver work on time
  6. Go home and have a beer.

What is your biggest or most satisfying career goal you’ve reached since transitioning into industry?

Earning trust and credibility as a Medical Writer has been the most satisfying career goal since transitioning into industry.

What’s been your biggest learning experience or Ah-Ha moment since transitioning into your new role?

I have come to realize that companies hire the person, not the resume. Having realized this, I have shifted my perspective from, ‘”I must diversify my portfolio and improve my resume” to “I must become the approachable go-to person for anything Medical Writing related”.

How is your current industry position different from your academic postdoc or experience as a graduate student?

Industry treats me like a person.

If you could go back in time, to before you received your job offer, and give yourself one piece of advice or encouragement, what would it be?

I would give myself the very same advice that Rocky Balboa gave his son:

“It’s not about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”

What was the most memorable moment for you (so far) as a Cheeky Scientist Associate?

Moment 1: realizing that I was responding positively to the “tough love” CSA approach.

Moment 2: sharing my transition story on the CSA Facebook page.

What do you see as the next step in your career?

This is my first large-scale client-facing role within industry. My goal this year is to develop efficiencies in this area and work toward becoming a valuable, service-oriented, Medical Writing representative.

How can the Association and the Association’s members help you continue to achieve your career goals?

To achieve my career goals, I will need to see and understand the industry landscape through the varied perspectives of different individuals. Stories add perspective and provide a glimpse of the road ahead. CSA provides a platform for people to candidly share their transition stories and experiences through Facebook posts, Cheeky Spotlights, Expert Webinars, and Isaiah’s much welcomed academia-bashing blogs.

Now that you’ve spent some time working in industry, what is the biggest takeaway(s) you’d like to share with those who are still executing their job search?

Exude positivity because vibrant people get the job; grouchy people don’t.

To learn more about how you can transition into an industry career like Anand, including instant access to our exclusive training videos, case studies, industry insider documents, transition plan, and private online network, get on the wait list for the Cheeky Scientist Association.

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ABOUT ISAIAH HANKEL, PHD

CEO, CHEEKY SCIENTIST & SUCCESS MENTOR TO PHDS

Dr. Isaiah Hankel is the Founder and CEO of Cheeky Scientist. His articles, podcasts and trainings are consumed annually by millions of PhDs and other professionals in hundreds of different countries. He has helped PhDs transition into top companies like Amazon, Google, Apple, Intel, Dow Chemical, BASF, Merck, Genentech, Home Depot, Nestle, Hilton, SpaceX, Tesla, Syngenta, the CDC, UN and Ford Foundation.

Dr. Hankel has published 3X bestselling books and his latest book, The Power of a PhD, debuted on the Barnes & Noble bestseller list. His methods for getting PhDs hired have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Nature, Forbes, The Guardian, Fast Company, Entrepreneur Magazine and Success Magazine.

Isaiah Hankel, PhD

Here's What Others Are Saying

"I accepted my job offer today. I was able to get 5k more + the exact PTO package I wanted. I am very happy and very thankful for everything that I learned through the event. I plan to stay involved with Cheeky Scientist as I love what y'all are doing and I'm still learning."

Tracy Gardner, PhD

Tracy Gardner, PhD

Senior Measurement Advisor

at Pearson

"I'm happy to share that I will be starting a new position as MSL at Sanofi! I want to thank everyone that took the time to speak with me about their MSL experience and to help me land this position!"

John Crawford

John Crawford

MSL-Vaccines

at Sanofi

"I am happy to share I am starting a new position!"

Tharcisse Guedegbe

Tharcisse Guedegbe

Policy Researcher

at African Bank Development Group

"One thing I feel I did great was joining the association as a Diamond member. Modules and Classes helped me to prepare ahead of the search- to do and to go right. The other useful thing was the accountability forum....your classes and modules really helped me to believe in myself and have confidence in myself. I value myself as a PhD. I gave a shot for a senior scientist position, and got one!"

Nabina Paudyal

Nabina Paudyal

Senior Computational Scientist

at Colossal Biosciences

"I am happy to share I am starting a new position as Principal Fatigue Specialist at Qantas!"

Gemma Paech

Gemma Paech

Principal Fatigue specialist

at Qantas

"I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position as Senior Actuary, Pricing at HDI Seguros!"

Claudia Wehrhahn

Claudia Wehrhahn

Senior Actuary, Pricing

at HDI Seguros

"I attended the Transition CHALLENGE and VIP Modality and, as a result, in less than 2 months I have participated in 8 interesting interviews and been offered a wonderful job full of opportunities! Thank you so much for all the great and necessary work you do!"

Veronica Pascual

Veronica Pascual

Research Projects Coordinator

at SEMERGEN

"I started my new job as an MSL on the 13th. I never would have got an interview without your company's help on CV and interview prep. I am on a much better salary and have a much better quality of life than I did as a postdoc. So thank you."

Edward Law

Edward Law

MSL

at AbbVie

"I landed a dream job as a revenue management analyst at british airways."

James Washak

James Washak

Revenue Management Analyst

at British Airways

"Good news...I've secured a job! Thank you for your support during the job search process and for giving me the courage to transition from academia to industry."

Marlyn Brookins

Marlyn Brookins

Regulatory Submissions Coordinator

"Aside from all the technical pieces, the comradery, I really had an excellent time at the symposium that I was in Florida, that was super helpful...having a community that takes a part in your wins and also helps you pick yourself up and dusts yourself off when you don't get those wins and that you're not alone."

Christine Lo Bue-Estes

Christine Lo Bue-Estes

Medical Communications

at NBA

"I'm excited to announce that I have accepted a position as an Innovations Analyst at Cleveland Clinic. Looking forward to using my background to help commercialize healthcare innovations!"

Joe Thomas

Joe Thomas

Innovations Analyst

at Cleveland Clinic

"I proceeded with the offer we were discussing and i signed the contract a few days ago. I would like to thank you so much for your support throughout this process. it was really helpful and beneficial!"

Samir Tohme

Samir Tohme

Project Engineer, Optical Development & Simulation Expert

at EDL Rethschulte GmbH (FEV Group)

"Thrilled to announce that I have joined a new role as a Research Associate at HJF to work at the WRAIR. Very excited to join a dedicated and brilliant team working to eradicate HIV. Thanks to my family, friends, and fellow Cheeky associates for their support in my job hunt journey.""

 Lakshmi Rani Iyer

Lakshmi Rani Iyer

Research Associate

at HJF

"I am delighted to announce that I have accepted the role of Research Scientist with a base salary of 90k. The cheeky scientist resources have helped me immensely and I am really grateful."

Amninder Singh Sekhon

Amninder Singh Sekhon

Research Scientist

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