Sometimes it's hard to be a pioneer. When you're among the first to enter a new research field or a non-traditional career, there's always uncertainty and no well trodden path forward.

That's the impression I got from 12 fellows on a postdoc programme in drug research and regulatory review, launched jointly by the US National Cancer Institute and the US Food and Drug Administration in February 2005 to provide professionals in the emerging field of 'biological' cancer drugs. The first class finishes the programme this spring and only one of the people I visited knows definitely what they want to do when it ends. They all have some idea of the opportunities in this field, of course; that's what made them choose this specialized training programme.

So what can they and others in similarly specialized and novel career paths do? The answer is easy — do their homework. Scientists exploring their career options should fire up their search engines and aim their browsers at some answers. Look for professional associations, trade journals and regional hubs in particular.

For regulatory affairs in the United States, for example, there's the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society. General industry organizations include the Biotechnology Industry Organization and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, covering biotech and pharma jobs. Regulatory-affairs professionals are also in demand in the expanding contract-research field, so a visit to the Association of Clinical Research Organizations might prove fruitful.

If one has a regional preference that meshes with regulatory affairs for, say, Massachusetts, there's the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. San Francisco and San Diego have robust biotechnology associations as well.

If pioneers are still worried, there's no need to fret. They can look to the success of institutions such as the Keck Graduate Institute in California, which combines science and business training — including regulatory affairs — in a masters degree (see page 582). Almost all the graduates from that course got jobs in the life-sciences industry within six months. Being a pioneer does pay off.