Why did you choose a job in this profession?

As I progressed through my engineering degree, although interested in a number of the modules and technical fields I’d been exposed to, no particular specialism grabbed my attention to the extent that I’d have dedicated my career to it. I was therefore keen to find employment that would allow me to put to use the engineering skills and knowledge that I had developed, whilst enabling me to keep a broad practice, dipping in and out of a number of different technical fields.

A career as a Patent Attorney appeared to fit this bill perfectly. As a mechanical engineering graduate-turn-trainee patent attorney, I’d be able to complete work for any client whose invention incorporated some form of mechanical engineering – from clients in the oil and gas sector to clients producing accessories for golfers, and everything in between.

A few years into my traineeship, this has proven true – the role has provided exactly the variety of workload that I had hoped to find.

What was the application process like – any advice?

The application process was a challenging one, and as I understand it to be a competitive one too. That being said, my experience of the process was very positive.

In 2021, the application process involved a couple of short assessments aimed at testing my grammar skills and my ability to provide a written description of an everyday mechanical object. These assessments were followed by a two-stage interview process conducted by a number of senior Marks & Clerk employees and Partners.

The interview stages were aimed at allowing my would-be colleagues to get to know me a bit better, whilst also gaining an insight into my technical knowledge. One of the key abilities tested was my ability to think on the spot, to be able to think through and then describe an unfamiliar technology or concept.

In order to feel as prepared as possible for this style of interview, in the weeks previous I had made a point of running back through my university notes, in order to become reacquainted with a range of basic mechanical engineering concepts. I also spent a lot of time producing written descriptions of both everyday household objects and advanced mechanical technologies alike. This is a style of preparation I’d recommend, as not only did doing so provide me with a level of confidence before interviewing, but it also improved my interview performance overall.

I remember being made to feel very much at ease by the Marks & Clerk employees and Partners I was interviewed by. I also received news of the outcome of my interviews fairly quickly, and had received an offer of employment from Marks & Clerk before the interview stages for other IP firms had begun. This promptness was really useful in enabling me to plan ahead for my start date later in the year.

What are your main duties?

I began work on pending patent cases on my very first day in the office, analysing the relevance of prior art documents cited by a Patent Examiner against a client’s patent application. This involves comparing your client’s technology with those of previous patent documents cited by the Examiner, and determining which features are different (if any). I’ve since carried out this kind of task many a time, as it is one which is pretty vital to understanding how exactly a Patent Examiner’s objections can be overcome. Having identified these differences, it is then necessary to draft arguments in favour of the patentability of your client’s invention over those of the prior art. This back-and-forth with the Examiner is known as prosecution, and forms a large part of my role as a trainee.

Although involved in tasks such as this and others from day one, every work product of mine has been supervised closely by my line manager prior to reaching the client. Oftentimes, this process of supervision involves receiving feedback from my line manager, and discussing any questions I might have as a result, to then collaborate with my line manager in bringing the work product into line with their feedback and into readiness for submission.

These feedback sessions with my line manager are extremely useful, and have helped me to develop my practice considerably over the past few years. This process of supervision is also one which allows for trainees to make mistakes from which they can learn, whilst working on pending patent cases and without the worry that a client’s patent application might suffer as a consequence.

Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to enter the profession?

Do it!

Having attended a few careers fairs as a Marks & Clerk trainee, I’ve seen the hesitation students feel whenever discussion of the qualification process (i.e. the qualification exams) kicks in. I can honestly say, however, that the past few years of my traineeship have been some of the quickest of my life. Working the 9 to 5 and constantly learning on the job, whilst also preparing for the exams, doesn’t leave much time for clock-watching. As a result, I’ve quickly reached a position where I could be qualified in less than a year from now.

Of course, the qualification process thus far hasn’t been all plain sailing, and there have been times where I’ve been doubtful of my abilities and suffered a little from imposter syndrome. Open and honest conversations with supportive colleagues have proven that these experiences are all totally natural, however, and very common. My advice would be, if you’ve secured the qualifications necessary to apply for the role of trainee, you definitely have what it takes to qualify. Stick with it!