Talent spotlight: Lily’s journey at Meet Life Sciences

This edition of our Talent Spotlight Series features Lily Butt, a New York-based Recruitment Manager who’s part of our wider Global Communications team.  

Having spent just a few years in recruitment, Lily is an excellent example of how hard work and ambition can lead to rapid career progression and success. 

Below we’ve shared her career journey so far, including her highlights, biggest challenges, and the skills that have shaped her into one of our top performers.  

Lily’s background and reasons for joining Meet  

Lily lives in New York City, and before joining Meet, she was working in PR. When she realized that industry wasn’t for her, she decided to pivot into sales – specifically, recruitment. In her mind, recruitment would be a nice blend of working with people and talent while still having that sales element. 

Having had a few high school and college friends working at Meet at the time, Lily ended up working here via a referral. She was drawn to work in a setting where she had some familiar faces around her.  

“I also liked the idea of moving to a slightly bigger company than what I was used to. It felt like the right next step.”  

Her career journey so far  

Lily is currently a Recruitment Manager under our Global Communications team.  

Her role has shifted a fair bit since she joined us in 2023 – initially she joined the New York communications function, but following a restructure, ended up as a delivery recruiter across communications as well as pharma and biotech.  

Having had some time getting exposure to different areas of the business, Lily then moved into the Global Communications team where she now leads and oversees US searches spanning medical communications, promotional advertising, market access, healthcare and PR. 

“It's been a wild ride, but it's all been such a good experience to be exposed to different teams, managers and markets. I've landed back in communications, and it's been good.” 

In the future, Lily aspires to build a small team under her, helping to expand the team and explore different avenues in her area. As she continues to build a strong client base, she’d also love to eventually reach director level and get the chance to mentor junior recruiters.  

The skills behind Lily’s success 

According to Lily, she has become a better active listener since starting her role in recruitment. Rather than acting like a pushy salesperson, she values really listening to someone’s needs and honing more of a consulting approach.  

Working at Meet has also provided her with a better understanding of people generally, and has tested her time management skills, making her more organized. 

“I've learned how to challenge people in the right way and get them to think about an opportunity differently, rather than pushing someone into doing something they don't want to do.” 

Biggest challenges 

When Lily first joined Meet, the US job market was particularly challenging. Candidates and clients were selective, there were fewer opportunities available, and getting people on the phone was often difficult. 

Rather than letting those challenges hold her back, Lily learned to think more creatively about how she approached searches and engaged candidates. 

“I think that difficult time has made me a better recruiter because now we're a little bit out of that job market, and it's taught me some unique ways to get people involved in a process or pull a job from a client.” 

Starting out in a difficult market taught Lily to adapt, think outside the box, and find solutions when things don't go to plan.  

Career highlights 

One of her biggest career highlights has been qualifying for Meet’s global incentive trip to Mexico. It was a goal she’d set for herself when she first joined, having looked up to more experienced recruiters and aspired to achieve what they had. 

“The greatest thing about Meet is that you have total control of your billings and your day-to-day. So, if you're a really motivated person and you have a goal [...] it's really tangible.” 

Qualifying for the trip was proof that, with the right motivation and hard work, she could achieve the goals she’d set for herself. 

Lily’s advice for future life sciences recruiters   

For those considering a career in recruitment, Lily would say that you need the right work ethic, strong organization, and resilience if you want to succeed. When things inevitably don’t go to plan, it’s important that you can find ways to stay positive. 

“The job is really hard. I think people think it can be a little bit of a walk in the park. It's really not.” 

It’s also important to have strong problem-solving skills for when searches change direction, or when a clients’ needs shift. You need flexibility and adaptability in order to find another way forward.  

Ultimately, success in recruitment takes hard work, a willingness to adapt, and discipline to keep going when things get challenging.  

To get more insight into our company culture and values, or to see our current job vacancies, head to Meet’s careers site.