From Clinical Trials to Corporate Comms - Lucy's ICON Career Journey

Exploring Lucy's Path: From Science to Communications

Skills Transferability: Lucy's Journey of Continuous Learning

Skills transferability lies at the heart of Lucy's career trajectory, enabling her to thrive in diverse roles and specialisms. "The ability to transfer skills across domains is a valuable asset in today's ever-evolving job market," she affirms. Lucy's journey is a testament to the power of adaptability and lifelong learning. "My background in Clinical Research helps me understand the needs of the operational service teams I partner with in my current role," she explains. "I learned a lot in my previous role about the importance of transparent, timely, clear communication when it comes to ensuring changes successfully land with all stakeholders."

Seizing the moment

"I feel like things have organically changed for me rather than having a plan of I'm going to do X and then I'll become Y - it's never been my mindset really," she reflects. "I feel like I have prepared myself for when the right opportunities arose," she advises. "I couldn't have predicted when PRA and ICON integrated, there would be an opening for a Corporate Communications Business Partner. When I read the job description, it felt like it was made for me. It felt like I was reading what I wanted to do next."

Navigating Career Transitions

Transitioning from a role rooted in science to one centred on communication has been a natural one for Lucy. "I've had quite unconventional development process, and I think the advice I would give is just not to be scared of that. I feel like there's often a tendency for people to follow the path that is most obvious, even if that's not the right fit for you." she reflects.

Collaboration in Action

Cross-functional collaboration lies at the heart of Lucy's approach, and Lucy strives to cultivate a communication strategy where diverse perspectives are valued and unique needs are met. "Colleagues in different departments and roles can have very different working environments, whether they're on their feet in the lab, at a desk all day, or travelling the country, just like I used to as a CRA. So we have to be mindful that colleagues are going to ingest communication in different ways." she explains.

Looking Ahead: Lucy's Vision

Looking ahead, Lucy is excited about the possibilities that lie on the horizon within her current role. "I've been in this role almost three years, but I'm still learning and I feel like the role is evolving and developing as I am." she shares. Last but not least, we asked Lucy how she foresees integration of AI in certain aspects of communications: "I think AI can potentially help us as a practical tool, in a similar way to an online thesaurus, but we're definitely not going to be replacing the human art of writing with artificial intelligence."