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"I sometimes think of it as doing a little 'armchair anthropology,' asking what it's like in this lab, and can I thrive here?" --Chris Golde

If they can't influence others positively, they will be relegated to running assays for the next 10 years.

It's a safe bet that some people in your lab are a lot different from you. A first step in getting along with your lab mates (or anyone, for that matter) is acknowledging that they may be hard-wired to approach problems in a certain way.

"Faced with falling grant-approval rates, researchers need to work harder and smarter to get their projects funded."

"The best applications ... have a plan of research ... that is ... realistic [and] at the same time has this visionary quality," says Anders Björklund, chair of the Neurosciences ERC panel.

"A strong application always demonstrates an appreciation of the background of the field, with appropriate references to the results of others."

"I, like every other graduate student I knew, developed a sixth sense for knowing when the dean's office had leftover hors d'oeuvres after a reception."

I can't help wondering why, if only 15% to 20% of grad students and postdocs go on to academic careers, do we describe the career choices of the other 80% as "alternative"?

"A mentor has many characteristics but must first and foremost care about your professional development and have an interest in guiding younger scientists as they move through their careers."

Most PIs recognize that moving is a sacrifice even if it's a good career move. This gives you some leverage to negotiate.

"I like to move very fast and take a lot of risks compared to the traditional Swedish way."

--Mohammed Homman

Spending some time investigating your interests before starting a Ph.D. will improve the likelihood that you pick a project that keeps your interest over several years.

Government grants for technology-based businesses are very similar to those you might win in academia, but because they are given to small businesses, there is an added focus on technology commercialization.

"Our best people foster a killer instinct."

Value these moments of interaction with your supervisor. … If you are well-prepared, progress-review meetings will make a magnificent contribution to achieving your main goal, the completion of your research projects.

If you have any interest in management consulting, investment banking, or quantitative finance, these information sessions may be a valuable window on the recruitment process.

You may discover that lab technicians or the person ordering supplies can profoundly affect the course of your research and the quality of your experience, so be sure to give everyone the respect that they deserve.

"It might be okay to take a shortcut if you're trying to decide which peanut butter to buy, but in the area of career decisions, shortcuts are dangerous." –J. Edward Russo

You, and others, can assess and document the influence of your work by looking at the characteristics, as well as the number, of the citations.

The roads of Brittany were littered with cyclists who failed to live by this rule; so are the roads of science.