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Our own awareness of our primary driving force is perhaps of greatest help when we need to make tough career decisions.

This ScienceCareers.org feature highlights the sites, sounds, tastes, and ambience of some of our readers' and writers' favorite conference locations, from quaint towns to cosmopolitan cities.

Van Roon's experience at DSM has been "rewarding, because we started an entirely new group; we are learning and making progress."

Hayes has become the youngest professor at the University of California at Berkeley, earning tenure at 30, when most scientists are at still postdocs and many are graduate students.

Go abroad for some time. That is how I got into a field that I could make a significant contribution to.

“We want to train people to go into the workplace with a high level of scientific knowledge so that they can compete in the global economy.” says William Smith, Dean of Faculty of Science, UOIT.

"It's not about being a good salesman; it's about being an intelligent, mature scientist," says Marc Hellerstein, a professor in the department of nutritional science and toxicology at the University of California, Berkeley.

"I still need to worry about money," says Graham Smith. The difference now is that he does not have to bring in money because of profit targets but "because of my curiosity about how the universe works. That's a very different motivation."

Cosma encourages young scientists from nations like Italy not to become oppressed by their national systems, to believe in themselves and what they can achieve, and to be willing to move abroad to achieve their full potential.

"When I came to MSM, I wanted to build something that would incorporate my background in cardiovascular [research] and neuroscience, and stroke was the perfect venue for that."--Byron Ford

"You have to be lucky, because there is a lot of good people and they [too] deserve the position," says Collard.

Many foreign-born scientists have made the United States their home because the country provides some of the best training and career opportunities worldwide. But life as a foreign scientist is not without its challenges.

Above: The
Apatosaurus (
Brontosaurus) Mike Taylor's dad drew for him when Taylor was 8 years old.

[Working in product management] was intellectually stimulating but not emotionally engaging. What did engage me was baseball statistics.

If somebody inside the company is pulling while you’re pushing, stuff tends to get done a lot faster and a lot more effectively.” - David Rosen, Pfizer

"The key is to take advantage of whatever assets you have in your life. Get everything you possibly can out of your opportunities," says Aifantis's former high school principal, Kass Simila.

Not sure a Ph.D. is the best route? Take heart: There are plenty of opportunities in science for those who have a B.S. or M.S. degree.

Psychologists share tips for figuring out what's sapping your enthusiasm—and how to get it back.