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This common interview question can be dangerous if you don't know how to handle it.

Since 1998, the best career advice for industry-bound scientists.

Young scientific and technical entrepreneurs are not alone in the Netherlands.

The Rand report concludes that, although adequate data and accurate assessments of labor market conditions are important for many different parties, early career and prospective scientists are especially vulnerable.

I've also learned that entrepreneurship is not about the pursuit of fast money; it's about achieving a long-sought personal goal.

Ultimately, the success of the venture depends on the enthusiasm of the inventor. However, the tech transfer office plays a big role; a skilled, hard-working expert can be a huge advantage.

"If you want to have a safe job--a job for life--then clinical molecular genetics is it, no doubt about it." - Maximilian Muenke

Once they are in, young employees often state how surprised they are at how high tech, innovative, and environmentally-friendly today's steel industry is.

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

"You have a lot to learn, but when you can argue the case of your patent application successfully to a patent examiner, it's great," says Sarah Thompson.

Doing a Ph.D. on visual interfaces and usability is particularly useful, he believes, because it allows him to understand what the consumers would like to use and to guess whether a new product would succeed or fail.

“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

"As soon as some conference deadline comes up, you see us working like maniacs to finish … papers, just like we did when we were in school." --Henrique Malvar, the director of Microsoft's Redmond research lab

"A mother is continually training in how to manage her time and organise her work. This is key [to success in entrepreneurship], beyond having guts and imagination," says Claire Dutertre.

"Personal branding is not about presenting a false image. It is about understanding what is unique about you--your accomplishments, experience, attitude--and then using that to differentiate yourself from other job hunters. Your brand is your edge in the job market." --Levinson and Perry

"I feel like I'm making a useful contribution not only to the company but to the environment," says chemical engineer John Ma of Dow Chemical Canada.

“We are looking for people who have a history of publishing and presenting. If the résumé doesn’t have those two key elements, they’ll be at a competitive disadvantage.” - Ron Webb, Procter and Gamble