From PhD student to post-doc, Phil Dee has been sharing his career experiences with fellow scientists in his regular and acclaimed Science Next Wave column since 2000. Now his invaluable and entertaining advice is available in this compact warts-and-all guide to getting your science PhD and subsequent post-doctoral employment as a researcher. Dee offers you the inside track on what life in the lab is really like with down-to-earth suggestions for handling personal relationships in science, maintaining your morale or designing a good poster.