by Chris Buntel » Fri Feb 04, 2005 8:34 pm
The USPTO looks for people with a strong technical background to be examiners. They train new examiners very well, and you don't need to take the patent exam beforehand.
Law firms want people that can help provide service to their clients. Your technical background must reasonably match their client base. Think about the big industries -- pharma, petrochemical, electronics, and so on. Analytical chemistry may not be as marketable for instance.
It is more difficult to land a job in a firm than it was 5-8 years ago, as many more people are aware of this career choice. Still, it can be done with some effort. Go to meetings (I'm at AUTM's national meeting this week), network with attorneys and patent agents, talk to your university's tech transfer office. If you can pass the patent exam, it should make you more attractive to a firm. Can you take an IP survey course at your university, or a basic licensing course through AUTM?
Chris Buntel.