What to Expect on Your First Day of the Job; An Interview With Joshua Johnson, PPD Project Manager
An interview with Joshua Johnson, Project Manager at PPD
Josh has been working in the clinical research industry for over 13 years. He currently works as a project manager (PM) at PPD, a leading global contract research organization providing comprehensive, integrated drug development laboratory and lifecycle management services. As a PM, he's responsible for planning and achieving the goals of clinical trials on behalf of PPD's pharmaceutical company customers. He works to deliver completed clinical trials on time, on budget and within set quality standards. Their goal is to help our customers bend the cost and time curve of drug development and optimize value in delivering life-changing therapies to improve the health of patients around the world.
How did you get into your current career?
In college, I took a course on research methods that opened my eyes to an incredible world of scientific discovery and innovation. My professor was amazing, relatable and helped us interpret our textbook learning into real-world experience. After getting my feet wet in academic research and following graduation, she guided me toward the ex-academic world of commercial clinical research, and I spent a number of years exploring my “best fit” career-wise within the industry. I first worked directly with patients, then coordinated research activities for a group of physicians, and eventually settled in by working directly with companies who were developing and implementing how clinical trials were run. I have enjoyed the variety in the job by working on several psychiatric, oncology and rare disease clinical trials.
Was this something you always thought you would do?
Yes, working in the sciences and combining my love of knowledge with real-world application of the hunt for innovation were two things key to my career aspirations. Also, travel! I knew from a young age that travel was an important part of my life. Growing up in rural South Dakota, U.S., there was much more of the world I wanted to experience. Luckily, I work in an industry that operates on a global scale; from meetings in Belgium, Italy or Spain to team trainings in Wilmington, North Carolina, U.S. I have been able to combine my love of travel with a passion for working across borders. I now work from my home in Houston, Texas, U.S., and I’m grateful each day to be on this career path!
Josh and his fiancé Justin
Can you tell us about your first day in your current role?
My first day at PPD was my first day of a permanent work-from-home position as a project manager. It was a new experience for me to meet my manager, coworkers and human resources team all virtually. Happily, my manager had an organized day ready for me and I was able to work at my own speed through the onboarding tasks. I also was excited to learn of an in-person orientation seminar scheduled the month after I started. I got my company profile set up with a picture and organized my upcoming week so I knew what to complete each day in order to feel accomplished. Lastly, I took some time at the end of the day to print key reference material and arranged my desk/work area so I was ready to go for the next day.
What were your expectations entering this role?
Clinical research is challenging, and as a PM I expect there to be challenging times (deadlines, logistical obstacles, etc.). As a large established global company, I also expect there to be process and precedent for managing said challenges. Lastly, I expect any company I work for to have clear and balanced (fair) work standards with policies that support and respect all their employees.
Has it met these expectations? Is there anything about your career that has surprised you?
Yes! My experience is positive as a whole and I am extremely pleased with my position. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the great diversity in the clinical research industry. My global colleagues have taught me so much and helped me view many situations in new ways!
How important is an effective induction for new colleagues?
100% important – onboarding to a new position sets the tone for your work experience.
What can organisations do to make sure inductions are successful?
Listen to the needs of the new employees and take “lessons learned” from what works the best in training and onboarding.
What can organisations do to ensure new employees feel welcome when they start?
Personalized welcome messages from managers, celebratory “happy to have you on the team” activities (either in person or virtual).
What advice would you give someone about to start a new job?
Go for it! If this is the job you want, believe you deserve it and be prepared to prove you were the right choice. Never forget the excitement of day 1 on a new job – it will help you get through the inevitable challenges that come with any job. Lastly, keep a “positive messages” file – either hard copy or electronic – you can use this to file all the happy and positive messages you receive. These types of files are great for supporting discussions on your career advancement, evidence during performance reviews and they can also make you feel great to look back over all your accomplishments years down the road!
Josh and his puppy Mika
