In search of a career that would take advantage of their graduate-level skills, Clare Chang and Zuo Yen Lee found medical writing – a career path few PhD students consider. Within 6 months of graduating, with lots of effort and some luck, they found their first jobs. In this article, Clare talks about her first impressions 2 months into her new career, while Zuo Yen shares her insights from almost 2 years in regulatory medical writing. The two discuss the important similarities and differences with their academic work and how they have adapted to the challenges of their new careers.