PEERING INTO HIS OWN FUTURE FROM HIS LAB BENCH IN THE NORTHEASTERN U.S., LARRY, A FINAL-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENT, IS PRETTY SURE HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS TO DO WITH HIS Ph.D. BUT DO YOU? So there I was, applying a carefully concocted credit calculus to determine the positions of family, friends, and colleagues on my Acknowledgments slide, when my thesis committee decided to diverge from its steady die...
PEERING INTO HIS OWN FUTURE FROM HIS LAB BENCH IN THE NORTHEASTERN U.S., LARRY, A FINAL-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENT, IS PRETTY SURE HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS TO DO WITH HIS Ph.D. BUT DO YOU? I 've seen the future, and I'm feeling a little queasy. On 18 April, I sat for the Patent Bar. After an arduous 6 hours of furious test taking, I found myself, eyes sore from straining to find rules in the Manual of P...
PEERING INTO HIS OWN FUTURE FROM HIS LAB BENCH IN THE NORTHEASTERN U.S., LARRY, A FINAL-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENT, IS PRETTY SURE HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS TO DO WITH HIS Ph.D. BUT DO YOU? Picture this: Sitting in the lab contemplating the six experiments on the docket for the week, you take a moment to assess your current predicament. The two papers you had submitted last fall have been returned by the...
PEERING INTO HIS OWN FUTURE FROM HIS LAB BENCH IN THE NORTHEASTERN U.S., LARRY, A FINAL-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENT, IS PRETTY SURE HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS TO DO WITH HIS Ph.D. BUT DO YOU? What comes to mind when you hear the word "networking"? For many scientists, the term conjures up images of management consulting types with perfect smiles and golden tans (in March!), schmoozing about their new BMWs ...
PEERING INTO HIS OWN FUTURE FROM HIS LAB BENCH IN THE NORTHEASTERN U.S., LARRY, A FINAL-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENT, IS PRETTY SURE HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS TO DO WITH HIS Ph.D. BUT DO YOU? Battle stations! Battle stations! This is not a drill. The time has come to put all the long hours of preparation and training to the test. The masts of a fruitful career have appeared on the horizon: It's time to att...
PEERING INTO HIS OWN FUTURE FROM HIS LAB BENCH IN THE NORTHEASTERN U.S., LARRY, A FINAL-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENT, IS PRETTY SURE HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS TO DO WITH HIS Ph.D. BUT DO YOU? I have a small confession to make: my well of experience has run dry. Over the course of the last four articles, I've presented a few hints and lessons distilled from my own exercises in career exploration, with the e...
PEERING INTO HIS OWN FUTURE FROM HIS LAB BENCH IN THE NORTHEASTERN U.S., LARRY, A FINAL-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENT, IS PRETTY SURE HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS TO DO WITH HIS Ph.D. BUT DO YOU? A wise career choice requires consideration of both the positive and negative aspects of a particular career path, and last month, I took a healthy step back to assess my journey to date. Since then, I have revisited ...
PEERING INTO HIS OWN FUTURE FROM HIS LAB BENCH IN THE NORTHEASTERN U.S., LARRY, A FINAL-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENT, IS PRETTY SURE HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS TO DO WITH HIS Ph.D. BUT DO YOU? Ah, summer. National productivity numbers plummet as sunny days and sandy beaches lure workers from their offices in the annual game of hooky. And you're stuck in the lab building your pipettor muscles. Me, too. Yes, ...
PEERING INTO HIS OWN FUTURE FROM HIS LAB BENCH IN THE NORTH EASTERN US, LARRY, A FINAL-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENT, IS PRETTY SURE HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS TO DO WITH HIS Ph.D. BUT DO YOU? I can only imagine how much effort I would have saved if I had taken the time to learn a bit about myself before setting off to find a career. No, I'm not talking about an Oprah hug-fest where everyone gets weepy and d...
PEERING INTO HIS OWN FUTURE FROM HIS LAB BENCH IN THE NORTH EASTERN US, LARRY, A FINAL-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENT, IS PRETTY SURE HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS TO DO WITH HIS Ph.D. BUT DO YOU? A few years ago, in the midst of an epic battle with a leaking gel rig, a friend of mine called to see if I was going to the "Alternative Careers" symposium that afternoon. "Ugh," I thought, "another seminar when I hav...
