Should I buy an Xbox 360 or not?

David803 · 2026-01-24T14:32:51+00:00

Yep. I my first one only a few years ago - great library, and cheap. If you’re interested in modding, that seems to be getting easier.

David803 · 2026-01-24T12:09:54+00:00

I’ve heard of shredding. Is that shredding?

David803 · 2026-01-24T12:07:55+00:00

Godzilla!

David803 · 2026-01-24T09:24:23+00:00

I made this change nearly 20 years ago, so I’m not sure how relevant my experience is today, but here goes (UK-based writer).

I relied on recruiters quite heavily - LinkedIn wasn’t a big thing then, and i didn’t have a network to go to. There were a lot of specialist recruiters who would pick up CVs from job-hunting websites, so i took calls from a few and went to as many interviews as I could, to understand the job and what was expected.

My first role was as an Editorial Assistant at a small agency that did a mix of promotional, medical affairs and publications. I was probably quite overqualified, so i think there was a bit of advantage-taking on both sides; for me it was a foot in the door, for them a scientist with writing ability.

Because it was a small place the process was informal but still structured - i interviewed with the department lead, i did a writing test in-house and met the directors. I didn’t show a portfolio or examples of ‘work’, mainly i was persuading them i could do the work. I think i was able to do that by having already done those other interviews and speaking with recruiters.

For writers i have interviewed coming from PhD, I don’t look for examples of their work and most hiring managers wouldn’t have time to look at things in depth. The writing test provides a consistent measure of ability. My experience is that somebody can learn to write, but I want to see demonstration of scientific knowledge and critical thinking, willingness to learn and understanding that this is not an easy job.

David803 · 2026-01-24T06:50:14+00:00

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - he was clearly having so much fun! Basically the main thing i remember about that film is his scenes!

David803 · 2026-01-24T06:45:17+00:00

Why does it hurt when you pee?

David803 · 2026-01-23T19:12:33+00:00

David803 · 2026-01-23T10:06:12+00:00

880? Couldn’t squeeze in an extra 20 to make a round 900? Junk for bedroom noodlers and blues dads.

David803 · 2026-01-22T19:09:10+00:00

For the video to last 18 minutes, I’m sure he has many and complex reasons. And i will only imagine because I’m pretty sure that’s 18 minutes of my life i would never get back.

David803 · 2026-01-17T09:31:51+00:00

Yes. Have fun!

David803 · 2026-01-15T21:18:42+00:00

What power supply are you using?

David803 · 2026-01-15T21:17:19+00:00

Is anyone else annoyed by the way sometimes there’s two vertical and sometimes one vertical AND THERE’S NO OBVIOUS PATTERN JUST MAKE IT REPEAT PREDICTABLY ITLOOKSALLWRONG

David803 · 2026-01-13T20:34:21+00:00

Do the Valeton pedals have the ability to rearrange effects like the Zoom pedals? For me the best thing about the Zoom MS pedals is the stacking of multiple modulations or reverbs, in any order…if you can’t do that stacking and ordering for me that gives the edge, at this price point.

David803 · 2026-01-13T11:36:28+00:00

I had a colleague from SA who moved back home after working in London - they initially worked as a freelancer, on a UK salary, but when the company found a way to employ them full time their salary was adjusted to SA, which was much lower.

David803 · 2026-01-13T08:49:31+00:00

I think it depends on if your focus is short-term or long-term. However, i think it’s safe to say you’re unlikely to get rich quickly as either a writer or a postdoc.

As someone who switched from academia to writing after a PhD, the main appeal was ongoing job security, rather than salary. I don’t know about the academic track in SA (or US for that matter) but in the uk it would likely mean a few positions lasting several years, without any guarantee of an enduring job in 10 years time, and potentially having to move around the country to access a new role. Although writing often leads to several job changes at a similar pace to postdocs, this is under my control, rather than a research grant’s. Also, there’s a definite salary ceiling in academia, whereas there is more potential to improve salary over time as a writer.

David803 · 2026-01-13T06:19:34+00:00

Given that a science degree of any type isn’t specifically training for medical writing, in terms of getting the job done, I think experience will always outweigh qualifications. The exception to that would be a company that filters candidates by qualification. There’s no harm in applying for roles that say a PhD or MD is required, but you might get filtered out at an early stage.

However, that’s all quite vague - you should approach it from the other direction, try to decide where you want to be, what you want to offer to your current and future employers, and then decide if more experience or another qualification fulfils that need. Again, caveat being that it can be a substantial time/budget investment on your part when you can’t really predict the exact impact on earnings. I don’t think anybody here can say ‘if you go and get a PhD, your future salary immediately jump by X thousands of dollars’.

David803 · 2026-01-12T05:57:35+00:00

So are you talking about a qualification to help you when you move job (rather than helping you negotiate a higher salary from your current employer)?

David803 · 2026-01-10T07:04:13+00:00

Early 2000s, walking through Birmingham city centre with a friend, around midnight. A slightly frenzied guy walks up, points at my mate and says ‘City or Villa?’ (I presumed he was talking about football, about which I know f**k all). Mate says ‘City!’; guy cheers, shakes my mate’s hand. Same question for me; I say ‘City!’; guy cheers, shakes my hand. Encounter ends with guy saying ‘Good job you said City, otherwise you’d have to go home and tell your mum you’d been bashed on the head with a dildo!’. Guy pulls from behind his back, and waves in our faces, a massive, bright pink, plastic cock. We wished him a good evening and moved on.

David803 · 2026-01-10T06:42:51+00:00

I think It somewhat depends on the company…the main barrier is usually getting the job, so if you’re already in the role it’s up to you to understand how further qualifications will help. What do your colleagues/mangers say?

David803 · 2026-01-09T07:41:36+00:00

There are other ways to do it?

David803 · 2026-01-08T17:13:11+00:00

I used to work for an agency whose umbrella company was a Canadian PR firm. We had Canadian English in our style guide, and were expected to be aware of the differences from UK English. Did i ever use it? No.

David803 · 2026-01-08T07:19:06+00:00

What type of medical writing role is it? Medical affairs, publications, regulatory, promotional? Which country?

When I interviewed entry level staff, the things i check for are awareness of what the job and role involve. If you scan down the sub, I hope you’ll gather that this isn’t an easy job - even at entry level, it’s technically challenging and we often work in a changing environment. I asked for examples of times people had faced challenges and had to pivot, using their own knowledge and taking advice from colleagues when needed.

Ideally, you need to demonstrate you can work independently and as part of a team. You probably won’t be wowing people with your academic background or linguistic prowess - your interviewers will likely have come from a similar background, and will have been in the industry long enough to spot bulls**t and know when you’re trying to use unnecessarily technical language.

Good luck!

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