advice to young scientists

OK, while I’m between conferences (was at AWIS, attending Scicon from tomorrow), here is the promised blog. It’s basically a series of notes I wrote while listening to one of the inspirational speakers at the AWIS conference, Jilly Evans – a New Zealander who now runs a biotech company in the US.

Here’s what Jilly had to say about being a successful scientist.

Do something you are passionate about.

Believe in yourself – what matters most is how you see yourself.

Know yourself – understand what is most important to you in the short, medium, & long term: your needs, your strengths & weaknesses. Make a life plan, & be ready to change as new challenges occur.

Think positively; celebrate success; be a ‘can do’ person.

Don’t sweat the small things, but look at the big picture. Will what’s happening now matter in a year’s time.

Don’t take criticism of your science personally. And don’t always assume that what someone says about you is true.

Choose your friends & your partners well.

You can’t do it all, all by yourself – get help when you need it.

Don’t undervalue yourself – take full credit for your accomplishments.

Be confident & aim high.

Show generosity of spirit to yourself and to others.

Try to balance work with the rest of your life: work smart (not long); prioritise & plan each day; don’t let people steal your time; and say ‘no’ sometimes.

As you can see, this really was an inspirational talk. I hope you find something there for yourselves.

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