I thought this might be a helpful post for anyone who is also starting out their career in Regulatory Affairs (recent graduates for instance) and things I have learned from the past few months. I am obviously still learning but this could give you some insight on some things I have noticed.

1. Being organized is the number one most crucial thing you require because you will have deadline after deadline and you need to learn how to prioritize your tasks while balancing tons of projects and implementing new strategies. Keep a to do list and a calendar on you at all times!

2. Ask a million questions and write down everything your mentor tells you. I personally carry a notepad and pen with me wherever I go so I can mark down changes or ideas my team and I discuss.

3. Writing and Presentation skills - especially when dealing with authorities, it is crucial, you need to be able to answer questions related to regulations. You also require great presentation skills (at meetings and such)

4. Negotiation and Financial skills - I learned this quite quickly that you need to have really business savvy skills and negotiation skills.

5. Being precise and accurate - because you are the middle man between government authorities and your company, you need to be careful about what you say and how you say it. Always double check your emails and get colleagues on your team to proof read it for no mistakes and ensure what you are saying is 100% correct.

6. Great interpersonal skills - you are going to require help from someone else at one point or another who does not work for you. Try to build good rapport with everyone at your company so people are willing to help you in a pinch. Also you will always be on the phone or in meetings so this is a great skill to fine tune.

7. Always stay up to date with new regulations in your country and try to get annual training so you are up to date with all the changes.