How One Drug Discovery and R&D Leader Advanced in Her Discipline
“I didn’t think I would grow up to work in the pharma industry,” AcheneRx LLC Founder and CEO Julie DeMartino, Ph.D., confessed to a few hundred scientists sitting rapt before her.
She did, though, and has spent more than three decades in the industry. She took stock of her career, complete with its crossroads and challenges, in her closing plenary presentation at the 2023 PharmSci 360. From these experiences, she distilled what she called “a-ha moments”—instances of insight during which she learned something significant that went beyond her scientific expertise.
The following are DeMartino’s “a-ha moments.”
Power in Shared Purpose
DeMartino’s first glimpse of our industry was through the eyes of the individual who escorted her to her first interview. This individual proudly told her that he had been making medicine for the company for over 40 years. She was surprised to find out that he wasn’t a scientist. He was a stonemason.
“How could a mason make medicines?” She wondered aloud.
He logically explained that her laboratory existed thanks to stonemasons and other construction workers. “If there are no masons, there are no labs; if there are no labs, there are no medicines.”
That brief initial impactful encounter inspired DeMartino to join pharma to become part of a multi-disciplinary team that creates medicine.
Growth Mindset is Key
Continuous learning in team-oriented environments is crucial for success, particularly as roles are becoming more flexible across the industry.
She used the example of mastering new jargon, noting that “only part of the jargon is industrywide,” with most of it specific to companies, including phrases, acronyms, and abbreviations. Some of this shorthand, depending on your field, can even have multiple possible meanings.
As an immunologist working among colleagues representing a diversity of very different trainings, experiences, viewpoints, and backgrounds, she asked a lot of questions in order to avoid ambiguity and to succeed.
“Active listening is important,” DeMartino said.
Soft Skills Combined with Hard Skills
“It is important to realize you can create your own luck in your career,” she said. “Luck happened when I prepared for the opportunity.”
This means avoiding distractions, or “avoiding the squirrels.”
DeMartino found that focusing her early career growth on merit helped her build a positive reputation that helped her achieve further opportunities as she moved ahead in her career.
“Perceptions can be career-defining,” she said.
Feedback: Dreaded But Necessary
Building a positive reputation requires being effective at communications, including honest feedback—something most of us fear.
DeMartino is an associative thinker who can link unrelated ideas together for creative solutions. Sometimes this can make it hard for others to follow.
“This could be a superpower,” she said. “Or it could be kryptonite if not communicated effectively.”
After receiving written feedback that she was sometimes unclear in meetings, she asked to be video recorded in one of those sessions. Literally seeing herself as others saw her sparked her to improve her communication skills.
“I was able to change perceptions of me, transforming new found self-awareness into self-improvement,” she said. This course correction helped accelerate her career.
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
One way to move ahead in your career is to step outside your comfort zone. DeMartino recounted her participation in a meeting that included an intimidating executive. She was one of the few who asked questions about the potential impact of a new technology under development. He sought her out at a later date to thank her for asking questions, which he said helped set important new directions.
“Ask more questions,” she advised. “Ask good questions.
“Irrespective of job level, it’s a way for everyone to be influential and to effect positive change.”
Build a Career Portfolio
DeMartino also strongly recommends developing a high-level view of your career and expressing it in a career portfolio. Your experience and expertise are much more than a list of dates on a resume or CV (or LinkedIn Profile). A portfolio gives those bullet points a structure and depth and allows potential collaborators and employers see new opportunities for you. Manage it as strategically as you do a drug development pipeline.
DeMartino successfully used a career portfolio when she was up for a promotion. In it she included documents that showcased her passion and examples of innovation and creativity.
“You can be the entrepreneur of your own career,” she said. “Set career goals and invest in yourself.”
Above all else, DeMartino encouraged the audience to remain true to themselves as they set the direction of their scientific careers.
“Let your core values be your touchstone,” she concluded.