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Good management ability is essential to productive scientists, but most receive no formal management training prior to starting their own lab.

"Laughter is highly relevant to scientific inquiry because it creates a safe and playful atmosphere for intellectual development." --David Sloan Wilson

Within about 4 months, J. received three offers for faculty positions.

"If [a career framework] is just going to be a lot of woolly phrases that don't help anyone, then there is no point." --Lee Higham, Newcastle University

The last year of your Ph.D. is distinctly different from the ones that have come before it, because you'll focus primarily on transforming your hard work into thesis chapters.

Sandrine Etienne-Manneville "knew exactly what she was doing, where the project was going, and what needed to be done," says former postdoc supervisor Alan Hall.

Most people would say I've made all the correct calls, but I'm still disappointed with how it's all come out, even if I have learned a lot in the process.

"Low salaries make many bright people decide to leave research because the joy of discovering something new is simply not worth it when you face problems like having a family and paying a mortgage." --Petr Svoboda, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Prague, Czech Republic

"Andrea treats me like someone who’s intelligent enough to run a laboratory experiment by himself, but she’s always there for questions. She’ll have a long conversation with a former student who’s visiting from med school, or talk to us about our futures, or hang out and discuss TV. She’s your friend, and she cares about you." --Matthew Mansh

The trick is to meet conflict head on with the goal of managing it, not winning.

GREAT is now transforming its committee on postdocs into a body that will have its own independent, university-appointed membership, elected leadership, and meetings.

"When you have happy employees that know that you care about them, they're more loyal and work hard to show you that they can make things work." --Donna Davila

How should you spend your time if your goal is to be a successful, well-rounded, happy person?

"I have no doubt that I would have more published papers if I didn't have my family, but I wouldn't be as happy as I am now, by any stretch." --Barbara Shinn-Cunningham, Boston University

"Substantially more scientists and engineers graduate from U.S. universities than can find attractive career openings in the U.S. workforce, [and] the postdoc population, which has grown very rapidly in U.S. universities and is recruited increasingly from abroad, looks more like a pool of low-cost research lab workers with limited career prospects than a high-quality training program for soon-to-be academic researchers." --Michael Teitelbaum

"It's like the television show
The Apprentice: If you see someone for 6 weeks, you are a lot more convinced that they are the right fit for your company than if they turn up for an hourlong interview." --Rebecca Dowsett, University of Nottingham

Sometimes, accepting a contract position is what an employee needs to jump-start a career.