The following questions should help you get the most out of your postdoc interview and, with luck, out of your postdoc experience as well.

• If the project is independent, will you be able to take it with you when the fellowship ends? Be wary of a 'conditional project' — if you take on project X first, you will get project Y.

• Will you be granted time to participate in a postdoc council, take courses, learn new technologies, improve communication skills, and so on? Does the mentor/principal investigator (PI) have funds for attending scientific meetings?

• How is authorship handled? How often and where does the lab publish?

• Where is the mentor along the tenure-track timeline? Senior PIs with productive track records are safer. But junior faculty members may be more eager to get more publications out.

• Will the mentor help you apply for small grants or fellowships? How stable is the current funding?

• Is your potential mentor receptive to collaborations with other labs?

• How are research supplies acquired and financed?

• Will you be able to meet lab members to talk freely about the lab and the mentor? A PI's pledges in the courtship phase might change once a commitment is made.

• Can you contact lab alumni? If so, ask them for the five best and five worst things about working with the mentor.

• Is productivity more important than the number of hours you work?

• What is the vacation schedule? Is there sick time? Is there a maternity/paternity policy or leave?

• Does the mentor hold regular lab or individual meetings? An individual development plan helps answer these questions in a written, contractual format.

• Does the institution have a postdoc policy? If so, read it in detail. Are there postdoc term limits?

• Does the institution have a postdoc office or association? If so, does it review all the offer letters to ensure the terms and stipend levels are fair?

If you walk away thinking, “If I could change one or two major things, it would be great”, then keep on walking. Reflect on the interview, talk to your mentors, and trust your gut.