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Congratulations, you鈥檝e just landed a postdoctoral position in a coveted lab. Before the champagne goes to your head, however, you should be asking yourself: how do I go about making the most of my limited time here?

Besides turning out high-quality, publishable research, a successful postdoc should be cultivating connections and developing the skills that will help advance his or her career further down the road.

As the saying goes, to fail to plan is to plan to fail. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 just go into the lab every day, do your science and not pay attention to the complete picture,鈥� says , administrative director for biomedical postdoctoral programs at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. A strategy for your career will help make your aspirations a reality, she says.

Depending on your, and your advisor鈥檚, preferences, you may want to as soon as you begin your postdoc. This document should spell out your goals for up to five years ahead. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 emphasize enough how much doing a self-assessment tells you where you stand versus where you want to be,鈥� says , a member of the National Postdoctoral Association鈥檚 board of directors and a research associate at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.

Keep focused on your goals by asking yourself at the end of each day, 鈥淲hat did I do today to advance my career?鈥� It could be as little as coffee with a potential collaborator, or perhaps attending a seminar and learning something new.

鈥淩emember that your postdoc is a training experience, helping you prepare for the career you want,鈥� says Robin Moudy, a science and technology policy fellow at the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences with two postdocs under her belt. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a lab tech job.鈥�

Planning with your advisor can only get you so far, however. Connections are essential, whether you want research collaborations or have your eye on a faculty position or a job in industry.

First, get yourself noticed. Jump at every chance you get to present your work, attend conferences and meetings, or reach out to local institutions or your alma mater and offer to give seminars. The higher your profile, the more likely your reputation will precede you when it comes to a job interview 鈥� and the more likely you will be to make a connection needed to land that dream position.

Take a leaf from 鈥榮 book. A postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Newton has been to 24 meetings, conferences, workshops and training events in the past two years. 鈥淚鈥檓 pretty sure that鈥檚 not normal for most postdocs,鈥� he says.

Newton is an exceptionally keen networker and has seized the opportunities presented by his politically hot research area 鈥� managing resources in tropical forests and agricultural landscapes 鈥� which has brought him into contact with interested parties from academic colleagues all the way to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN.

Make friends and鈥�

Even if you aren鈥檛 swapping cards with global diplomats, never be afraid to network with as wide a spread of people as you can, and give them an elevator pitch about your work. New connections may lead you to other scientists you wouldn鈥檛 otherwise meet, or career paths you鈥檇 never considered.

Use your advisor鈥檚 connections by all means, but don鈥檛 ignore people outside your immediate research experience 鈥� even program directors, science journalists and the people you purchase your lab equipment from. 鈥淭hey could be doing something very interesting, but you鈥檒l never know unless you ask,鈥� Timmins says.

Crucially, don鈥檛 let yourself feel awkward. 鈥淎pproaching people is encouraged 鈥� it鈥檚 part of the game,鈥� says , a physicist at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. 鈥淵ou do it once and it鈥檚 painful, but it gets better.鈥�

A networking strategy will come in useful. 鈥淭alk to people who are already in the position you want to have, and to people at different stages in their career,鈥� Operario says. You want to fill in the gaps in your understanding of your career path, so speak to people going through the faculty selection process and those managing a lab in the long-term.

Turning conversations into job offers can be easier if you have applied for or obtained your own funding. It 鈥渕akes things instantly better,鈥� Goldman says. 鈥淧eople who didn鈥檛 have space for you suddenly will.鈥� By the latter part of your postdoc, you should be far enough along to be able to submit a strong application for relevant competitive grants from government organizations such as the or the , or private foundations such as the or even .

The more fellowships you apply for, the greater chance you will be awarded at least one of them. Even if you don鈥檛 win a grant, simply applying for it can show a hiring committee that you are motivated and proactive. Over the past two years, Newton has applied for six grants 鈥� some from his university and others from non-governmental organizations. He received four, was declined for one and is still awaiting results for the other. 鈥淎pplying for grants is great experience,鈥� he says. 鈥淓ven when they don鈥檛 pay off, it鈥檚 useful to learn that process.鈥�

If you鈥檙e based on a campus, it makes sense to take advantage of the opportunities the college setting presents to enhance your value outside the lab as well. Many universities offer CV-boosting workshops in secondary skills such as grant writing, public speaking and teaching, while academic libraries often offer training programs on how to create masterful PowerPoint presentations. 鈥� nonprofit organizations that specialize in helping people with communication and leadership skills 鈥� can help you hone your public speaking and teach you to communicate your research to a non-academic audience.

Social skills count, too. Each year, Timmins invites a manners expert to give workshops, ensuring her postdocs can charm their way into the heart of any interviewer. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e going for an academic position, an industry position or into science writing 鈥� you still have to go through the interview process and connect with people,鈥� she says.

Shine in your science

Extracurricular activities and good manners aside, strong scientific work remains the best way to maximize your postdoc. Unlike your PhD, your postdoc does not need to be limited to a single research question. You can hedge your bets by getting involved with at least one project that has high chances of success, which will offset riskier or more left-field pursuits. This way, even if your main project fails, you will have a backup with publishable results. Try to avoid spending too much time setting up equipment and organizing field sites 鈥� it is better to invest your time in research than logistics.

When it comes to publishing, your job prospects may be severely limited if you haven鈥檛 published at least one paper by the fourth year of your postdoc. A publication in , or is a great target, and will show hiring committees that your research is important. But don鈥檛 put all your eggs in one basket, Goldman says. Aim for a mix of high-profile journals by all means, but don鈥檛 neglect 鈥渟olid, data-type papers, for the ten specialists who care.鈥�

Newton works on two main projects and dabbles in several others. He enjoys being able to study and write about different things, but adds that 鈥渋t requires you to be organized and adaptable, so you can keep several projects moving along at the same time.鈥�

While your years as a postdoc will likely be far from relaxing, if you can manage to not only survive this hectic period but to thrive, your hard work should pay off in terms of your career. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that you can ever ensure you have a job after the postdoc,鈥� says Newton. 鈥淏ut I have a couple of interviews lined up, so I must be doing something right.鈥�

This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淭ime well spent鈥�