no technical skill is worth more than knowing how to select exciting research projects. Regrettably, this vital ability is almost never taught. (Location 133)
There has to be a theme to your work—some objective—something you want to know. There has to be a story line. (Location 153)
even experts like to hear things that they understand and particularly to have their colleagues hear (from someone else) why their field is an important one. (Location 160)
Would T. be able to complete projects on his own? (Location 189)
In fact, it is the young scientists who define and carry out what they want, who learn to be scientific leaders, who find the best jobs and have the most productive and satisfying careers. (Location 196)
A more aggressive or aware young man might have spent a significant fraction of his two years not simply building the desired instrument but also asking questions about the direction of his new field, reading as widely as possible in its literature, and formulating a research direction of his own. L. did not, however, and even at the end of his postdoc, no one had told him, nor did he realize that becoming an expert in a field and having an exciting research program is an essential aspect of being a scientist. (Location 223)
Some will argue that L. just wasn’t suited for research, that his fate was predetermined by his personality. This may be the truth. On the other hand, I have the lingering feeling that if L. had been appropriately mentored at some point during his decade of higher education and as a postdoctoral researcher, he would have succeeded in the career for which he had trained, or perhaps would have switched earlier to a more appropriate field of specialization. It remains to be seen how well he will perform in his new job. (Location 232)
Between coming up to speed in her new field, fulfilling her teaching assignments, writing proposals, and building equipment—all essential before any research results could be produced—H. found herself spending 16-hour days in her office, the classroom, and her lab. (Location 265)
by the time she was done, her marriage had disintegrated. Did this impress Dad? (Location 268)
find yourself a “research aunt or uncle,” someone with little or no authority over you, who has enough experience to act as a sounding board and to give accurate advice. (Location 278)
The scientists at your lab will very likely cherish the human contact. They spend a lot of time behind the closed doors of lab and office, and everybody likes to give advice. (Location 279)
(he or she can help you survive if times are tough, sometimes even if you don’t deserve to); (Location 347)
If your thesis, as is more likely, has not attracted much interest, despite your worries, you will probably find a postdoctoral slot. Employers generally feel that a postdoctoral employee is not a big risk. (Location 390)
For the typical employer, a postdoc is cheap labor. (Location 394)
substantial overhead or indirect costs. A postdoc will also be gone in two to four years. A helpful and productive one will be a blessing, (Location 396)
But a failure by those standards is only assessed as unfortunate—not unusual, and not disastrous. (Location 398)
From the postdoctoral employer’s viewpoint, signs of a candidate’s viability are, accordingly: 1. an excellent thesis-research presentation—this implies that the candidate will be a good spokesperson for the supervisor’s research program; 2. not having taken overly long to finish the PhD—supporting the hope that after a sojourn lasting no more than a few years, the postdoc will have produced several publications; and 3. seriousness, knowledge, engagement, and interactivity—indications that the new hire will make for a livelier, more productive, and collaborative research group. (Location 400)
If a postdoc candidate wants to change fields, that is not a problem but a common practice. If the candidate’s thesis work did not produce a major piece of new knowledge, that is not a problem either because a postdoc is hired fundamentally to further the supervisor’s research program. If a postdoc breaks new ground or does something important during his postdoctoral period, he may be offered a permanent job. If not, he will go away, and not much will have been lost. This is the employer’s perspective. What should (Location 404)
You have three important tasks in your postdoctoral years: You must decide in what area of science to make your name. You must finish at least one significant project. And, you must establish your identity in the research community sufficiently to land an assistant professorship or a junior position in an industrial or government laboratory. You have little time to waste because it will not be long after you begin your postdoctoral work that you will be back on the job market. These considerations imply that: 1. you do not want a position where your field of research is undefined. You want to get to work on a significant research project on arrival or shortly thereafter; 2. you do not want a position in which a complex technique is being perfected (which means that your chance of producing results in time for your job hunt is minimal). You want to be involved in one or several short-term projects. (Location 408)
you want to start your reading and learning before you arrive at your postdoc site. (Location 415)
The clock starts ticking when you get to your new location. Whatever you do before you leave the nest of graduate school doesn’t count, for all practical purposes. (Location 415)
Keys to success as a postdoc: Once you do take a postdoctoral position, the keys to success are: 1. finish something; (Location 423)
you should be aware that it is possible and may be desirable to publish an exciting result before the last i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. It is possible, and relatively risk-free, (Location 428)
what you accomplished as a graduate student does not count for much in later life, unless it is very exceptional. If your thesis adviser helps you find a job via his connections, it may be looked on as being despite your performance as a postdoc, and the burden on you to prove yourself in a junior, continuing position may be greater than otherwise. (Location 439)
gain the respect of three or four staff members where you work who will write you good recommendations. (Location 442)
Above all, during your postdoc years, work hard. You have only a short time to prove yourself. Do not slack off now. There is no time to waste. Your postdoctoral years represent the most intensely important period in determining whether you will have a career. (Location 448)
They want you to say what is important in the area of interest, (Location 472)
The main impressions you want to make are that: (Location 474)
a bad idea. The audience cannot assimilate (Location 532)
When I see a beautifully prepared, multicolored slide, what first goes through my mind is, “this guy obviously doesn’t have enough to do.” (Location 541)
for your fellow scientists, go easy on the “professional” look. (Location 544)
writing numerous, relatively short articles, (Location 600)
Writing a paper that presents one new idea or result is much easier than writing a long, complex article. (Location 614)
start thinking about the first paragraph of an article when I begin a project rather than when I complete it. I would not embark on a scientific effort if I didn’t think it was important and that my work would answer a question of rather wide interest. (Location 650)
“Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in … (whatever the topic),” which bothers me every time I see it. If you have been working on a project for several months or a year solely because other people are interested in it, you have a lot to learn about problem selection. (Location 659)
the last section of a paper should provide not just a summary of the results reported but also some idea of how they might affect the direction of future research. (Location 707)
(Incidentally, the reluctance of the managers who hired you to admit that they made a mistake provides an additional, if melancholy, form of job security at a research lab. Firing you after six or seven years if you are not promoted is not built into the system as at a university.) (Location 836)
how you would like to arrange your career and why. (Location 915)
Note: Acdemia mucho peor que privada o gubernamental
Are you a self-starter or a drone who always needs to be told what to do next? Are you a leader or a follower? Will you take an interest in your colleagues’ work, or will you shut the door to your lab or office and never come out? Do you possess scientific curiosity, or do you view research as just another job? (Location 922)
was even worrisome to imagine him as a postdoc. After two years, would V. have found something interesting enough to work on? (Location 951)
Thus, it is absolutely fatal not to have given thought to your scientific direction, not to be able to articulate what you plan to do in the next two or three years and why. (Location 963)
Under no circumstance should you indicate that you are willing to do “whatever the department wants” or, as V. said, that you will arrive without a clear direction and then will look for something “interesting” at the lab. Being collaborative is important, but having no inner compass is fatal. (Location 964)
Even if you are applying for a postdoctoral job and expect to be working under the close supervision of a professional, it is still important that you express personal interests—a (Location 968)
Nevertheless, from the lab’s perspective, your main task as a postdoc is to do whatever it takes to be able to land a good job in a timely fashion when your brief tenure is up. Your task at your postdoctoral job interview is to provide confidence that this will be the case. (Location 976)
you can enhance your chances for success by spending some time on the Internet, boning up on the research interests and accomplishments of the members of the group to which you are applying for a job. (Location 980)
Every lab values staff members whose sharp questions at seminars expose the important qualifications of the science being presented. (Location 1000)
Thinking about what you want to accomplish as a scientist, trying to grasp the big picture that makes your accomplishments meaningful, (Location 1007)
and learning what excites your colleagues—and why—are all vital for your success after you have won a junior position. (Location 1008)
you should keep in mind that your life and your happiness are paramount. (Location 1046)
If the later offer is better, you can take it and apologize to the first offerers for changing your decision to accept. You will not make friends by withdrawing your acceptance, and breaking a promise is certainly not something you should do lightly or often. Nevertheless, your life comes first. (Location 1048)
it is an excellent idea to include in your first grant proposal some projects that are quite far along. (Location 1094)
Flattering your competitors and referees, within reason, by taking their work seriously cannot hurt your chances and may help them considerably. (Location 1105)
A current trend in research funding is to award grants to research groups rather than to individuals. (Location 1106)
Your fears that your competitors may try to steal your methods for their own use may be reasonable. Nevertheless, if you do not explain what you plan to do in enough detail, reviewers might find your plans hard to take seriously. Life is full of risks. (Location 1160)
This means planning not just scientifically exciting projects but ones you can complete in good time. (Location 1189)
choose projects that exploit your advantage. (Location 1192)
Although it is a good idea to build on your experience, (Location 1193)
your chances for long-term productivity and survival in research if you can teach yourself to be problem- rather than technique-oriented. (Location 1195)
You want to be more than simply the master of a particular technique, (Location 1197)
Being problem-oriented does not mean you need to master every technique necessary to solve a problem of interest—often it will make more sense to take on (Location 1199)
What it does mean is that you will be primarily a scientific leader and only secondarily a technical one. (Location 1200)
A problem that will take two years to finish must not be the main focus of your activities if you are a postdoc (Location 1206)
I strongly recommend that you try to teach yourself to be problem-oriented, to plan your research projects so that they address important scientific issues regardless of what techniques you and your coworkers will need to use. (Location 1241)
The most obvious is to aim at an important long-term goal by planning your work as a sequence of short-term projects. (Location 1251)
There is always an opportunity to write a comprehensive review when several small projects add up to a major accomplishment or discovery. (Location 1265)
successful scientific career is to work on more than one project at a time. (Location 1271)
is the only way a young (or any!) scientist should undertake an inherently long-term project. (Location 1275)
having your fingers in several pies, you are more likely to prosper scientifically. (Location 1287)
The clever ideas you learn or develop in one area may be applicable in another. (Location 1288)
be scooped. This is something to worry about if you have chosen to work in a hot area. (Location 1290)
it is important for you to start thinking up, working on, and publishing the results of projects where you are the sole author (Location 1296)
A less risky course is to try to lead rather than follow fashion. One way is to think how a recent technical advance may have made a problem ripe for solution that had previously been untimely and therefore pushed to the back (Location 1304)
Single-mindedness is a more likely prescription for success. (Location 1345)
This chapter’s checklist largely amounts to common-sense ideas. But common sense is in shorter supply than you might imagine, and the market for permanent positions in research is correspondingly far from efficient. Thus, mind the checklist to stay on track; many others won’t. (Location 1371)
no technical skill is worth more than knowing how to select exciting research projects. Regrettably, this vital ability is almost never taught. (Location 133)
There has to be a theme to your work—some objective—something you want to know. There has to be a story line. (Location 153)
even experts like to hear things that they understand and particularly to have their colleagues hear (from someone else) why their field is an important one. (Location 160)
Would T. be able to complete projects on his own? (Location 189)
In fact, it is the young scientists who define and carry out what they want, who learn to be scientific leaders, who find the best jobs and have the most productive and satisfying careers. (Location 196)
A more aggressive or aware young man might have spent a significant fraction of his two years not simply building the desired instrument but also asking questions about the direction of his new field, reading as widely as possible in its literature, and formulating a research direction of his own. L. did not, however, and even at the end of his postdoc, no one had told him, nor did he realize that becoming an expert in a field and having an exciting research program is an essential aspect of being a scientist. (Location 223)
Some will argue that L. just wasn’t suited for research, that his fate was predetermined by his personality. This may be the truth. On the other hand, I have the lingering feeling that if L. had been appropriately mentored at some point during his decade of higher education and as a postdoctoral researcher, he would have succeeded in the career for which he had trained, or perhaps would have switched earlier to a more appropriate field of specialization. It remains to be seen how well he will perform in his new job. (Location 232)
Between coming up to speed in her new field, fulfilling her teaching assignments, writing proposals, and building equipment—all essential before any research results could be produced—H. found herself spending 16-hour days in her office, the classroom, and her lab. (Location 265)
by the time she was done, her marriage had disintegrated. Did this impress Dad? (Location 268)
find yourself a “research aunt or uncle,” someone with little or no authority over you, who has enough experience to act as a sounding board and to give accurate advice. (Location 278)
The scientists at your lab will very likely cherish the human contact. They spend a lot of time behind the closed doors of lab and office, and everybody likes to give advice. (Location 279)
(he or she can help you survive if times are tough, sometimes even if you don’t deserve to); (Location 347)
If your thesis, as is more likely, has not attracted much interest, despite your worries, you will probably find a postdoctoral slot. Employers generally feel that a postdoctoral employee is not a big risk. (Location 390)
For the typical employer, a postdoc is cheap labor. (Location 394)
substantial overhead or indirect costs. A postdoc will also be gone in two to four years. A helpful and productive one will be a blessing, (Location 396)
But a failure by those standards is only assessed as unfortunate—not unusual, and not disastrous. (Location 398)
From the postdoctoral employer’s viewpoint, signs of a candidate’s viability are, accordingly: 1. an excellent thesis-research presentation—this implies that the candidate will be a good spokesperson for the supervisor’s research program; 2. not having taken overly long to finish the PhD—supporting the hope that after a sojourn lasting no more than a few years, the postdoc will have produced several publications; and 3. seriousness, knowledge, engagement, and interactivity—indications that the new hire will make for a livelier, more productive, and collaborative research group. (Location 400)
If a postdoc candidate wants to change fields, that is not a problem but a common practice. If the candidate’s thesis work did not produce a major piece of new knowledge, that is not a problem either because a postdoc is hired fundamentally to further the supervisor’s research program. If a postdoc breaks new ground or does something important during his postdoctoral period, he may be offered a permanent job. If not, he will go away, and not much will have been lost. This is the employer’s perspective. What should (Location 404)
You have three important tasks in your postdoctoral years: You must decide in what area of science to make your name. You must finish at least one significant project. And, you must establish your identity in the research community sufficiently to land an assistant professorship or a junior position in an industrial or government laboratory. You have little time to waste because it will not be long after you begin your postdoctoral work that you will be back on the job market. These considerations imply that: 1. you do not want a position where your field of research is undefined. You want to get to work on a significant research project on arrival or shortly thereafter; 2. you do not want a position in which a complex technique is being perfected (which means that your chance of producing results in time for your job hunt is minimal). You want to be involved in one or several short-term projects. (Location 408)
you want to start your reading and learning before you arrive at your postdoc site. (Location 415)
The clock starts ticking when you get to your new location. Whatever you do before you leave the nest of graduate school doesn’t count, for all practical purposes. (Location 415)
Keys to success as a postdoc: Once you do take a postdoctoral position, the keys to success are: 1. finish something; (Location 423)
you should be aware that it is possible and may be desirable to publish an exciting result before the last i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. It is possible, and relatively risk-free, (Location 428)
what you accomplished as a graduate student does not count for much in later life, unless it is very exceptional. If your thesis adviser helps you find a job via his connections, it may be looked on as being despite your performance as a postdoc, and the burden on you to prove yourself in a junior, continuing position may be greater than otherwise. (Location 439)
gain the respect of three or four staff members where you work who will write you good recommendations. (Location 442)
Above all, during your postdoc years, work hard. You have only a short time to prove yourself. Do not slack off now. There is no time to waste. Your postdoctoral years represent the most intensely important period in determining whether you will have a career. (Location 448)
They want you to say what is important in the area of interest, (Location 472)
The main impressions you want to make are that: (Location 474)
a bad idea. The audience cannot assimilate (Location 532)
When I see a beautifully prepared, multicolored slide, what first goes through my mind is, “this guy obviously doesn’t have enough to do.” (Location 541)
for your fellow scientists, go easy on the “professional” look. (Location 544)
writing numerous, relatively short articles, (Location 600)
Writing a paper that presents one new idea or result is much easier than writing a long, complex article. (Location 614)
start thinking about the first paragraph of an article when I begin a project rather than when I complete it. I would not embark on a scientific effort if I didn’t think it was important and that my work would answer a question of rather wide interest. (Location 650)
“Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in … (whatever the topic),” which bothers me every time I see it. If you have been working on a project for several months or a year solely because other people are interested in it, you have a lot to learn about problem selection. (Location 659)
the last section of a paper should provide not just a summary of the results reported but also some idea of how they might affect the direction of future research. (Location 707)
(Incidentally, the reluctance of the managers who hired you to admit that they made a mistake provides an additional, if melancholy, form of job security at a research lab. Firing you after six or seven years if you are not promoted is not built into the system as at a university.) (Location 836)
how you would like to arrange your career and why. (Location 915)
Note: Acdemia mucho peor que privada o gubernamental
Are you a self-starter or a drone who always needs to be told what to do next? Are you a leader or a follower? Will you take an interest in your colleagues’ work, or will you shut the door to your lab or office and never come out? Do you possess scientific curiosity, or do you view research as just another job? (Location 922)
was even worrisome to imagine him as a postdoc. After two years, would V. have found something interesting enough to work on? (Location 951)
Thus, it is absolutely fatal not to have given thought to your scientific direction, not to be able to articulate what you plan to do in the next two or three years and why. (Location 963)
Under no circumstance should you indicate that you are willing to do “whatever the department wants” or, as V. said, that you will arrive without a clear direction and then will look for something “interesting” at the lab. Being collaborative is important, but having no inner compass is fatal. (Location 964)
Even if you are applying for a postdoctoral job and expect to be working under the close supervision of a professional, it is still important that you express personal interests—a (Location 968)
Nevertheless, from the lab’s perspective, your main task as a postdoc is to do whatever it takes to be able to land a good job in a timely fashion when your brief tenure is up. Your task at your postdoctoral job interview is to provide confidence that this will be the case. (Location 976)
you can enhance your chances for success by spending some time on the Internet, boning up on the research interests and accomplishments of the members of the group to which you are applying for a job. (Location 980)
Every lab values staff members whose sharp questions at seminars expose the important qualifications of the science being presented. (Location 1000)
Thinking about what you want to accomplish as a scientist, trying to grasp the big picture that makes your accomplishments meaningful, (Location 1007)
and learning what excites your colleagues—and why—are all vital for your success after you have won a junior position. (Location 1008)
you should keep in mind that your life and your happiness are paramount. (Location 1046)
If the later offer is better, you can take it and apologize to the first offerers for changing your decision to accept. You will not make friends by withdrawing your acceptance, and breaking a promise is certainly not something you should do lightly or often. Nevertheless, your life comes first. (Location 1048)
it is an excellent idea to include in your first grant proposal some projects that are quite far along. (Location 1094)
Flattering your competitors and referees, within reason, by taking their work seriously cannot hurt your chances and may help them considerably. (Location 1105)
A current trend in research funding is to award grants to research groups rather than to individuals. (Location 1106)
Your fears that your competitors may try to steal your methods for their own use may be reasonable. Nevertheless, if you do not explain what you plan to do in enough detail, reviewers might find your plans hard to take seriously. Life is full of risks. (Location 1160)
This means planning not just scientifically exciting projects but ones you can complete in good time. (Location 1189)
choose projects that exploit your advantage. (Location 1192)
Although it is a good idea to build on your experience, (Location 1193)
your chances for long-term productivity and survival in research if you can teach yourself to be problem- rather than technique-oriented. (Location 1195)
You want to be more than simply the master of a particular technique, (Location 1197)
Being problem-oriented does not mean you need to master every technique necessary to solve a problem of interest—often it will make more sense to take on (Location 1199)
What it does mean is that you will be primarily a scientific leader and only secondarily a technical one. (Location 1200)
A problem that will take two years to finish must not be the main focus of your activities if you are a postdoc (Location 1206)
I strongly recommend that you try to teach yourself to be problem-oriented, to plan your research projects so that they address important scientific issues regardless of what techniques you and your coworkers will need to use. (Location 1241)
The most obvious is to aim at an important long-term goal by planning your work as a sequence of short-term projects. (Location 1251)
There is always an opportunity to write a comprehensive review when several small projects add up to a major accomplishment or discovery. (Location 1265)
successful scientific career is to work on more than one project at a time. (Location 1271)
is the only way a young (or any!) scientist should undertake an inherently long-term project. (Location 1275)
having your fingers in several pies, you are more likely to prosper scientifically. (Location 1287)
The clever ideas you learn or develop in one area may be applicable in another. (Location 1288)
be scooped. This is something to worry about if you have chosen to work in a hot area. (Location 1290)
it is important for you to start thinking up, working on, and publishing the results of projects where you are the sole author (Location 1296)
A less risky course is to try to lead rather than follow fashion. One way is to think how a recent technical advance may have made a problem ripe for solution that had previously been untimely and therefore pushed to the back (Location 1304)
Single-mindedness is a more likely prescription for success. (Location 1345)
This chapter’s checklist largely amounts to common-sense ideas. But common sense is in shorter supply than you might imagine, and the market for permanent positions in research is correspondingly far from efficient. Thus, mind the checklist to stay on track; many others won’t. (Location 1371)
