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cerass84
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« Reply #3630 on: 03-23-10 at 09:52 am » |
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has anyone tried calling HR to figure out the status of their application?
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NovaMV41
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« Reply #3631 on: 03-23-10 at 10:59 am » |
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I sent them an email yesterday, no response yet.
And my application status still says "Application Received." I applied later in the open period so perhaps they are just taking longer than expected to go through the 4000 apps and haven't gotten to the later ones yet.
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thebigyellowjoint
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« Reply #3632 on: 03-23-10 at 12:58 pm » |
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Did you check your application on usajobs.gov? My application was updated last Wednesday to show that I had met the minimum requirements for the job.
Would you mind providing more detail on your qualifications? In school? How long practicing? Etc? Thanks |
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dablueman
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« Reply #3633 on: 03-23-10 at 03:47 pm » |
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Did you check your application on usajobs.gov? My application was updated last Wednesday to show that I had met the minimum requirements for the job.
Would you mind providing more detail on your qualifications? In school? How long practicing? Etc? Thanks You guys know that updated status on usajobs (which is an outsourced operation) just means that they forwarded your application on to the USPTO, right? |
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engineerIP
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« Reply #3634 on: 03-23-10 at 03:55 pm » |
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Spoke to HR, they said that they are running late on the "Step 1 notices" due to the large number of applicants and will send them out end of this week, hopefully.
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NovaMV41
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« Reply #3635 on: 03-23-10 at 04:10 pm » |
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Spoke to HR, they said that they are running late on the "Step 1 notices" due to the large number of applicants and will send them out end of this week, hopefully.
Good to hear, thanks. |
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cherryblue
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« Reply #3636 on: 03-24-10 at 06:35 pm » |
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Spoke to HR, they said that they are running late on the "Step 1 notices" due to the large number of applicants and will send them out end of this week, hopefully.
Good to hear, thanks. This has been updated on the USPTO website. The end date for phase 1 has changed to 3/30, for those of you that are waiting. The dates for the other two phases have not changed yet. I wonder if they are going to hire non-experienced after that, given the large number of experienced applicants. |
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fsuchemist
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« Reply #3637 on: 03-25-10 at 05:38 am » |
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My USAJobs account was recently updated stating that I met the minimum requirements for the PTO examiner position. I was rather shocked because when I talked to HR after I initially submitted my application, I was told that I would not be considered because I did not have one year of IP experience. I explained to the HR person that I have a Ph.D. in Chemistry, am a third year law student and have passed the patent bar and he basically told me that none of that mattered for this position because I didn't have direct IP experience. I guess things are finally looking up for me, on the job front, FINALY. I just hope that I will at least get picked for an interview. It would be horrific to have to move home with the parents, poor and jobless, after having spent 12 years straight in higher education. I go to a Tier 1 law school but my grades aren't great. In this economy, law firms won't touch me with a 10 foot pole. The fact that I have no direct IP experience weighs heavily against me as well. Anyone know how many candidates met the minimum requirements? I need something to continue to keep the hope of me landing a job alive!
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tigerswood
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« Reply #3638 on: 03-25-10 at 06:46 am » |
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My USAJobs account was recently updated stating that I met the minimum requirements for the PTO examiner position. I was rather shocked because when I talked to HR after I initially submitted my application, I was told that I would not be considered because I did not have one year of IP experience. I explained to the HR person that I have a Ph.D. in Chemistry, am a third year law student and have passed the patent bar and he basically told me that none of that mattered for this position because I didn't have direct IP experience. I guess things are finally looking up for me, on the job front, FINALY. I just hope that I will at least get picked for an interview. It would be horrific to have to move home with the parents, poor and jobless, after having spent 12 years straight in higher education. I go to a Tier 1 law school but my grades aren't great. In this economy, law firms won't touch me with a 10 foot pole. The fact that I have no direct IP experience weighs heavily against me as well. Anyone know how many candidates met the minimum requirements? I need something to continue to keep the hope of me landing a job alive!
Dont get our hopes to high. What HR told you is a lot more accurate than some third party website stating you meet the minimum requirements. |
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horsechute
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« Reply #3639 on: 03-25-10 at 08:59 am » |
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A PhD in Chemistry and graduate of a tier 1 law school is very impressive, no matter what. Also, people often don't realise how hard it is to get good grades in a top school.
I hope you find something in a law firm. You should if you look very hard. Stay in touch with the PTO, but that would just be one possible option. Frankly, I just read that they mailed out letters to former examiners asking them to come back, and got 4,000 responses (!) for 250 positions. That is about a 6 percent chance for experienced examiners, if the article I read is correct. One thing about examining is that it just takes an eye for obviousness which you develop after years of experience working in one area of technology. That is why they want to rehire old examiners. They are cost effective. I once read the office does not break even on a new hire for 3 years. Sounds incorrect, but that is what I read.
At any rate, I think it does not hurt to apply, but like the other person said, I would not get your hopes up too high. There is only 1 PTO, which is why they have great visibility. Everyone thinks of applying there. There are also thousands of law firms and other places that do patent work. I am pretty sure you'll find something if you look hard.
Just as a thought, I wonder if anyone has considered applying to the European Patent Office for a job. You used to have to know two additional languages (usually French and German), and I think you still do. But I have always heard it is not a bad place to work. It is located in Munich; it used to be split between Munich and the Netherlands when they split examining from searching so the examiners would not be on "search and destroy missions" when examining, but in the end it did not work. Anyway, it might be good experience. Just a thought. Take care.
HC
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patentgirl141
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« Reply #3640 on: 03-25-10 at 10:10 am » |
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A PhD in Chemistry and graduate of a tier 1 law school is very impressive, no matter what. Also, people often don't realise how hard it is to get good grades in a top school.
I hope you find something in a law firm. You should if you look very hard. Stay in touch with the PTO, but that would just be one possible option. Frankly, I just read that they mailed out letters to former examiners asking them to come back, and got 4,000 responses (!) for 250 positions. That is about a 6 percent chance for experienced examiners, if the article I read is correct. One thing about examining is that it just takes an eye for obviousness which you develop after years of experience working in one area of technology. That is why they want to rehire old examiners. They are cost effective. I once read the office does not break even on a new hire for 3 years. Sounds incorrect, but that is what I read.
At any rate, I think it does not hurt to apply, but like the other person said, I would not get your hopes up too high. There is only 1 PTO, which is why they have great visibility. Everyone thinks of applying there. There are also thousands of law firms and other places that do patent work. I am pretty sure you'll find something if you look hard.
Just as a thought, I wonder if anyone has considered applying to the European Patent Office for a job. You used to have to know two additional languages (usually French and German), and I think you still do. But I have always heard it is not a bad place to work. It is located in Munich; it used to be split between Munich and the Netherlands when they split examining from searching so the examiners would not be on "search and destroy missions" when examining, but in the end it did not work. Anyway, it might be good experience. Just a thought. Take care.
HC
that is actually a great idea! but if i'm not mistaken, i think that for an Examiner at the EPO you need to have "citizenship of one of the member states" of the EPO. unfortunately, the US is not included in that list  |
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horsechute
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« Reply #3641 on: 03-25-10 at 10:56 am » |
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You can always obtain dual citizenship. You would probably be a member of both Germany and the U.S. but they apparently have positions in Vienna and the Hague and Berlin as well. I am not an expert on this, so if someone is going to try this route you need to look into it, but I think that if you are a citizen of the U.S. you must pay taxes on what you would earn working for the EPO (or wherever else you live), but if you are a citizen of Great Britain, you can have dual citizenship and not have to pay taxes to GB on income you earn in a foreign country (I am a little fuzzy on this). Also, I was walking home from work one day, and someone told me about two examiners he knew who had worked at the USPTO who went to work for the EPO, and they were happier there, and made more money as well. I asked about the tax situation, and he said the opposite of what I said above, that they somehow retained their US citizenship and did not have to pay taxes on their EPO salary. Frankly, I don't believe it.
I think working in the EPO would be interesting, even if only for a while. Aside from making yourself more marketable, especially if you are interested in biotech (or chemistry), you would be exposed to a different patent system that is in many ways, in my opinion, better than ours (that could be the topic for a whole thread). Also, you would, obviously, be exposed to a different type of lifestyle.
Of course, Europe is in a recession, also. But it is something to think about, including a little down the line when things improve.
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NovaMV41
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« Reply #3642 on: 03-25-10 at 11:21 am » |
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fsuchemist,
I have similar credentials to yours. Masters in computer engineering and am a 3L at a top law school with average grades (B+). I did do a summer associateship last summer where I did some (but not a lot, due to lack of work for even the partners) patent prosecution and have taken a couple patent courses - but I'm not sure if that counts as "IP experience."
Anyways I'm trying to be optimistic but obviously not getting my hopes up.
Good luck!
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fsuchemist
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Posts: 7
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« Reply #3643 on: 03-25-10 at 11:59 am » |
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I am an American citizen, and wouldn't mind working at the EPO. I spent last summer in Brussels taking classes in EU law. The problem with working for the EPO is that I can only speak English. Thanks for the candid replys though. I am going to continue to look for employment, and try to stay hopeful. I have even resolved that I may even have to work for free for a year, just to gain some experience, after graduation. It just seems like very few people are hiring these days, only about 25% of my graduating class has found employment. I have contacted Alumni, sent hundreds of resumes out etc..., and no one seems interested. If anyone has any other novel ideas, please share them. Thanks everyone.
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horsechute
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« Reply #3644 on: 03-25-10 at 06:08 pm » |
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I don't think they are interested in speaking the languages, because they want you to be able to search for references in German and French. I think they are lenient, since they know it shuts out a lot of potential candidates, and some years ago they were considering doing away with the requirement. But they do test you, and I think you can repeat the test. This is something that anyone with a PhD in Chemistry would have no problem with, and I think there was a time when you had to know German to get a PhD in Chemistry - maybe a long time ago. Anyway, if you live in Germany, you would likely need/have to know German anyhow, and knowing French would be useful, and kind of fun anyhow.
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