Am I doing what is right for me, or should I change direction?
Navigating through one’s career might seem daunting for some healthcare research & development (R&D) professionals. Defining objectives and tangible milestones can help deconvolute the process.
Michelle Chen, Technical Sales Consultant at Lucideon, shares her best learnings on how to actively take strides towards staying professionally fit for her future. She walks us through the journey of making her leap as an accomplished R&D scientist at Johnson & Johnson to a commercial business-driven role at Lucideon.
How did I know that I wanted to leave Johnson & Johnson?
Leaving comfort and habit is never easy. After all, I was vested in my pension, had at least five weeks of paid time off each year, and owned a house that was a 5-minute commute from work. I developed products under the Neutrogena® line and commercialized Aveeno Baby ® global products. Yet, I couldn’t piece together my insatiable drive to be more.
This was my “tipping point.” I needed to redefine my working identity. Therefore, I jotted down my key personal values, then prioritized and elaborated on them. Soon, my page was filled with thought bubbles around each personal value and what each of these meant to me. At the top of my motive list was and still is impact. My personal value of impact included empowering others to feel confident in their own skin.
But how would I achieve impact? The answer lies in the method (the how), not the motive itself. It took me two years to realize that how I achieved my personal value can be fluid, from becoming an accomplished leader in the scientific community or a spokesperson for a growing business. However, it’s also the how that determined my day-to-day life. In defining clear milestones in my personal development in order to become my best person within my targeted time frame, I knew I had to venture outside of Johnson & Johnson, the company I called home.
What attracted me to a smaller company?
Three reasons drove my decision to leave Johnson & Johnson and start anew with Lucideon:
1. In a smaller company, I can wear many hats. In a larger company, I wear only one hat in my position.
I have wondered: how many hats would I need to wear to consider myself to be successful? I joined Johnson & Johnson’s R&D rotational program, transitioning through several positions to support the end-to-end innovation-to-launch cycle process. Such a 3-year journey through multiple positions would have taken a minimum of 1 year at a smaller, more nimble company. To grow as a well-rounded scientist or contributor in a company requires rotations through many functions; whereas this goal can easily be achieved through one role in a smaller company.
2. I wanted to be part of the growing business’s journey.
Not only did I want - indeed, I needed - to stretch out of my comfort zone and grow, even if that meant making mistakes. I wanted a company to embody nimbleness. Moreover, I wanted to work for an employer that would allow me to grow autonomously and with open communication with the company’s leaders.
3. I wanted to have a dialogue with the lives I’ve changed through the products I make.
Nine months into my new position, I have already seen the value that I bring to my new company, my healthcare clients, and most importantly, my community. I help companies address gaps in their products, and I show how relevant solutions can simplify and improve lives. I’ve seen the excitement in my clients’ expressions when I can present to them the solution, the ticket-to-win, on the challenge they’ve struggled for months to solve. Therefore, I know I can make a difference, even by the handful of people I’m able to touch and support the launches of many consumer & pharmaceutical brands.
What do smaller companies look for in job candidates?
I had submitted resumes to at least 70 job openings both within Johnson & Johnson and externally. Faced with rejection after rejection (sometimes multiple rejections on the same day), I had some growing anxiety. Thus, the biggest takeaway I’ve learned is to embrace humility, acknowledge my gaps, and to arm myself with books and mentors so that I can be stronger for the next battle.
Ultimately, any hiring decision will come down to the value a candidate brings to a company. Do you have the drive, the experience, and the willingness to adapt? In a smaller company, you are expected to wear many hats and make informed decisions when faced with adversity and uncertainty. You are one person taking on the role of multiple functions, which in larger companies may be a whole department. If the answer is yes to the criteria above, then conveying the value you can bring to the company can help reassure that this value can close the gaps identified within the hiring organization.
What are some key takeaways from my career change?
Three things I’ve learned during this transition:
1. The first people to admit how little they know are the wisest.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Why is my project now a priority? How will my project impact the top/bottom line (or relevant business metrics)? What are the key indicators of success for the product? Were there hurdles that have been seen in previous similar projects? What does my team and my manager believe I should bring to the table? By asking these macro questions, I have been able to make decisions to impact and grow the brands and businesses I oversee.
2. Your past cannot define your future.
Focus on where you want to be, not where you’ve been. Then take a look at the present and make actionable objectives. What are the skills you need to develop to meet your goals? What connections or network do you need to build? You are your dreams and your aspirations. If you focus too much on your past and present, you’ll find yourself doing tasks that you’re great at, but they may not set you up for the future you want.
3. You own your own career and no one else does.
Today is the youngest you’ll ever be – so make the most out of it. With all of the prediction models in the world, nothing is as real as when you make the leap. To launch yourself anew, you need to get out of your head. You need to act.
About the author
Michelle Chen, Technical Sales Consultant, Lucideon
Currently a technical sales consultant at Lucideon, Michelle leads the US commercial development and expansion for Lucideon’s consumer and pharmaceutical business. Prior to Lucideon, she led some of the biggest new product developments and launches within Johnson & Johnson’s beauty and iconic baby care brands, touching millions of consumers globally.
Inspirational story, and relatable as someone who worked for a corporation of >100k five years ago to an organization of <500 today. The author makes her points so eloquently! There are many that due to a myriad of reasons could not to what she did, there’s something to be said about taking ownership of your career and subsequently your life...bravo Michelle!