Few professions offer the universal mystique that surrounds being a scientist.
If you can make the grade in this game, you're right up there with the secret
agents. The mystical transformation fron non-scientist to scientist is through
the rite of passage that is the Ph.D. And, yet, this two-pronged voyage of
discovery and self-discovery is just the beginning of the transformation.
Life in the busy years that follow becomes more complex and demanding that you
could ever have imagined. Yet, despite the frantic activity, the boredom and
the frustration, you can go to parties safe in the knowledge that, if anyone
asks you what you do for a living, you can answer without apologising or
shrugging your shoulders: you are a scientist. Enjoy it. You are paid to play.
Epilogue, from "Building a Successful Career in Scientific Research
a Guide for PhD Students and Postdocs", Phil Dee, 2006
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