To help graduate and postdoctoral trainees navigate successful careers, the CiRA Research Promoting Office hosted the 10th installment of its Career GPS seminar series on October 17, inviting Zain Rana, Associate Director of Greenstaff Life Sciences, as a speaker to provide guidance on career path choices and share practical advice for job hunting.

During the Career GPS seminar, Rana began with a brief self-introduction, describing his original plan in the U.K. to pursue a Ph.D. degree in cancer biology and become an oncology researcher. However, due to obstacles and serendipity, he moved to Japan, initially as an English and science teacher at school, and eventually became an associate at a global recruiting company. Through discussing his own experience, Rana lectured on the choice that many trainees ultimately must make: the crossroad between a career in academia and industry. Highlighting several case studies, he taught a valuable lesson that everyone has different experiences and outlooks on the two career paths, but there is a possibility of navigating between them if one does not find a good fit.

Rana continued by introducing a wide range of career options—from regulatory affairs and medical affairs to consulting and entrepreneurship—and provided insights into the traits and motivations suited to each path, along with some common challenges faced. Furthermore, he offered practical guidance on application timelines, networking strategies, and tips on resume preparation. During the Q&A session, attendees asked about what to do following rejections and what employers are really looking for in job candidates.

Later, Rana put on a different hat—as an Advisor for BioCommunity Kansai—for a CiRA Open Seminar to focus on strategies for biotech entrepreneurship in Japan. He introduced support systems established by Japanese universities and governmental agencies, such as the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), that help academic researchers turn their innovative science and ideas into startup companies. He then highlighted several startups as successful examples and stressed globalizing as a key strategy to ensure access to the international talent pool and expand to larger markets.

The afternoon ended with a networking session, during which attendees from both seminars had the opportunity to engage directly with Rana to seek personalized advice on their job searches or strategies for establishing their own startup companies.