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During the first several years of their (independent) professional lives, scientists move past the uncomfortable transition into a stable and solid permanent position.

“Anyone can think of a hundred reasons why something will fail. I want that rare individual who can think of the creative one way in which it will succeed,” --Leo Kim

Often as not, resilience ends up being the difference between success and failure.

The preparation may be facilitated by a book, magazine article, or online career advice column, but the response itself isn't programmed. It is the result of a serious self-assessment and the advance knowledge of what typically happens in an interview.

The preparation may be facilitated by a book, magazine article, or online career advice column, but the response itself isn't programmed. It is the result of a serious self-assessment and the advance knowledge of what typically happens in an interview.

Despite a smattering of specialized coursework, company and university officials admit that the traditional science degree isn't focused on the skills that employers really look for.

It just doesn't pay to start a negotiation close to the bottom line.

Optimism came easily and naturally to some of those successful job seekers, but others chose to cultivate it because being negative, they realized, was an indulgence they simply could not afford.

"You don't have to like or admire your boss, nor do you have to hate him. You do have to manage him, however, so that he becomes your resource for achievement, accomplishment, and personal success." –Peter Drucker

When delivering a job talk in industry, you need to remember why you are there and focus on the expectations of the audience.

There are great opportunities in industry, as well as situations in which your career could languish.

Think about what it was like when you were 16 or 17 years old, and you were learning to drive your parents' car.

Whether it's ethics or collegiality, decisions like this can have very real consequences, especially for people who are early in their careers and therefore vulnerable.

Can you manage your way through a career in industry?

In academia, he says, you are rewarded by the development of the knowledge base. The difference in industry is that you are paid for the judgment.

It's tempting to hang with the tried and true, but sometimes going against the crowd can pay off.

The daily stimulation of the mind, which he likened in our meeting to "putting on the thinking cap," is both a pleasure and a necessary tool for personal growth.

Perhaps the best advice is that because there's nothing you can do about it anyway, you might as well be yourself. There's something liberating about the idea that you don't really have to perform, to pretend to be something you're not.

"The most successful people realize that counting on perfection at all times is impractical." --Michael Zigmond