Graduate students and postdocs face many hurdles in their pursuit of research excellence and independence. None more frustrating than making the most of this challenging yet rewarding opportunity. Regardless of what they do in their career, trainees need to gain and master many skills both directly related to their scientific training and beyond. In the recently published book, Making the Most of the Postdoc, I outline the flow of the PhD and postdoc experience from beginning to end by providing actionable advice on how to get the most out of training while laying out strategies for choosing the right research environment to thrive along with planning and executing a successful postdoc tenure. This workshop will provide detailed frameworks on how graduate students and postdocs can build their professional reputations to achieve a successful training experience by understanding their own journey.