Why did you choose a job in this profession?

I studied engineering at university and got involved in my university’s electric Formula Student team in the final years of my degree. When I graduated, I went to work for an amazingly exciting electric vehicle start up called McMurtry as a project manager. While there, I was tasked with building an Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio from scratch.

With only the most basic knowledge of IP, I dived right in and learned as much about patent and design protection as I could, engaged a local firm of patent attorneys and began filing GB patent applications directed to our inventions. My role became that of an in-house patent agent and I loved the work. I learned how to tease inventions out of the engineering team, assess their patentability, and search for prior art. I proofread patent specifications, provided technical drawings and collaborated with attorneys to prosecute the applications through to grant. It was hugely satisfying to see years of hard work pay off when our first patent was granted.

Through this job I was exposed to the patent profession and became really interested in it. I enjoyed the work and I could see myself as a patent attorney. I was excited by the opportunity to work on patents for a greater variety of technologies and businesses, to put my language skills to the test in a way that my engineering career so far had not done, and to feel the satisfaction of successful grant more often. The next steps for my career were clear.

What are your main duties/roles?

The majority of my time is split between drafting new patent applications and prosecuting existing applications. This means reading reports from the UK Intellectual Property Office or the European Patent Office about the allowability (or lack of!) of a patent application and drafting a response to overcome the objections raised.

In addition, I get involved in responding to a lot of new enquiries. I review new inventions to provide an opinion on patentability or registrability of designs, as well as meet with potential clients by video conference to answer their questions about the patent process.

I spend some time every week in structured training as I will soon be taking exams to progress towards qualification.

I work for a few different attorneys and for a plethora of clients so the work is always varied and interesting. I learn something new every day.

What was the application process like – any advice?

I applied online in March. After a brief telephone interview I was invited to an in-person interview with three senior attorneys. The interview was fun and interesting, my interviewers were friendly. I had lots of questions about the firm and the profession and it was great to get these answered.

During the interview I was asked about my technical background, my interest and experience in IP and my understanding of the profession so far. There was also a technical task which involved providing a technical description of an everyday object and identifying differences between it and a similar item.

My advice would be to try to learn as much as possible about the profession, the path to qualification and the firm before you apply. This will help you craft a CV that really stands out to the reader as relevant to the role. See if you can get any relevant work experience. Read up on some of the latest IP news, for example take a look at Murgitroyd Insights.

When you first start as a trainee it is likely that you will work very closely with one attorney for a while, so interviewers are looking for someone who is technically able, but moreover someone they can work and get on with every day. So, as cheesy as it is, my advice is to try to relax and be yourself in your interview. Don’t let nerves get the better of you!