Becoming a post-doctoral fellow can feel like entering purgatory. You have lost the comfortable peer support of your graduate program, without gaining the security and status of a faculty position. It is a transitional phase with enormous pressures to perform. Be sure to seek out the social supports that you will need to survive.

It is easy as a post-doc to get "lost in the lab." Spending every waking second on your research, however, may not be in your best career interest. Even as you try to gather the data that will pave your way to the next stage on the tenure track, you must simultaneously attempt to master other duties. Attend conferences and begin to form national networks in your field. Take advantage of university services, such as grant-writing workshops, writing centers and career counseling. This is a time for you to improve skills, such as writing ability or oral presentation style, that you'll need as a professor.

Your relationship with the professor who has sponsored your position is paramount. Choose this person thoughtfully, based on interpersonal as well as research considerations. Then, carefully foster and manage the relationship, beginning with clear communications about both of your expectations and goals. Remember that you are no longer a student: you are a junior colleague. Your demeanor and self-presentation need to reflect your more professional status. Most professors welcome independence and initiative from their post-docs. The most important element in your academic future is the recommendation your advisor will provide.