Working for the USPTO

[JARS JARS Binks]

I, also, want to thank you New Examiner.

I have a question for any other examiners. Has anybody actually been hired through JARS?  How long did it take for them to call you?

According to this:

http://showcase.monstertrak.monster.com/cgi-bin/new/showcase.pl?page=stu_show&emp_id=edlkcc

How long after submitting a resume should candidates expect to hear from you?

Typically 1-4 weeks, depending on what the hiring quota is for the area of your expertise. We hold weekly hiring sessions for supervisors to review paper resumes and JARS (hiring database) applications, plus the JARS applications are available 24/7 for supervisors to review from their workstations.

[peanut butter]

Yes, I was hired through JARS. I heard back from them about a week after sending it electronically.

[guest]

How did you hear back from them - did they call you or contact you through the mail? I also applied through JARS a couple of weeks ago...

thanks.

[Steve12]

I also applied through JARS.  My original application was in June 2004, I first heard back from the office about a job fair in Feb. 2005, then got an offer in April 2005 to start in July of 2005.  So that is a solid 12 months for the entire process.

[Axistek]

Thanks for all the info New examiner.

I currently have an offer to work for the USPTO, but I still have my doubts if that is what I really want to do with my life. Since I have no interest in law or intellectual property in general I'm not sure if the experience I would gain at the USPTO would help me for anything else. Any opinons? Should I take the offer or look for something else?

Thanks!

[Guest]

Some law firms don't even consider USPTO experience to be that valuable.  I doubt it's going to help you much, if any, in getting a job as a scientist/engineer.

If you aren't interested in law or intellectual property, the USPTO is probably not where you want to have your career.  Since we might be heading into another recession in a year or two, that is basically the choice you are making - whether or not you want to make a career out of the PTO.  If you don’t like the PTO and quit in a couple years, you might not be able to get another job for a while.

I think it's pretty rare for someone to be a PTO lifer. Usually the PTO is more of a stepping stone for those who can't get into a law firm yet, but it is an appealing career for certain types of people.  Only you know if this is the place you want to work or if you'd rather get a job in your field.  

[jdhawk05]

Any examiners browsing this message board?  I'd like to hear your alls take on working at the PTO, the experience and training you felt you received, and how many attorneys work there as examiners...

Guest, I see many firms that require examiner experience...I find it difficult to believe that experience at the PTO is a negative, but maybe you can fill me in...

One other thing...anyone read USA Today today (5/2)?  There was an article about the PTO adding 900 examiner positions...any idea of how they will allocate those positions among the different technology groups?

[Anon]

1. Guest does not know what he is talking about. PTO experience is rarely a negative. This is true even in litigation because much of patent litigation is based on what goes on in prosecution.

2. I have heard that the vast majority of the new hires are for the electrial arts and computer sci. arts.

[melwrc]

In defense of the recent guest, he said SOME firms don't consider PTO examiner experience to be that valuable, and that is true.  He did not say it was a negative.

Axistek said that he wasn't even sure about doing IP law at all, and was wondering if examiner experience would help in any other way (e.g. as an engineer).  And I would agree with guest that being an examiner would in no way help in general engineering or any other non-IP area.  As an examiner, you do not engineer anything.  You read big technical disclosures for form.  Time pressure keeps them from truly learning the invention, so rejections are based on quick reads through similar looking prior art.  There is no design work, testing, technical writing, or other engineering type activity as an examiner.  
If you later decide to be an engineer, working at a non-engineering job would be a negative  because you would be further removed from your school and have the same engineering experience level as a fresh graduate.  You could go for the maturity angle and at least having work experience, but gov't work is completely different from working in a corporate environment as an engineer.

[someone out there]

This is the first time I've ever posted here...I thought I should provide some input as a PTO insider.

I'm a patent examiner in the Biotech/Chem Technology Center and contrary to what has been posted here, my tech center has hired Masters and Bachelors level people in the past few years.  So there is hope for those out there seeking placement in the Biotech center.  I only have a Masters, and I am certainly glad I went ahead and applied for the job despite being told that the Biotech Center only hires Phds.  

However, in my Biotech orientation class (I've only been at the office for a short while), the majority were Phds...there were a significant number of former postdocs (plenty of former NIH employees) and quite a few lawyers.  Very much unlike the other Tech centers, where the majority of the new hires only have a Bachelors and are more likely fresh out of undergrad.

If you're interested in obtaining a position as a patent examiner at the PTO, I would recommend contacting  the appropriate hiring coordinators listed on the PTO website.  I emailed one hiring coordinator to set up an informational interview in order to find out more about patent examining and possibilities of employment.  He kindly accepted my request for an in-person interview, and though his Tech center (not Biotech) was mostly done with their hiring for the fiscal year, he invited me to email him my resume following my visit.  Only a week later I heard from a supervisor from the Biotech center requesting an interview.  Then, a couple of weeks later, I was also contacted by a supervisor in the Tech center of the hiring coordinator I spoke to...apparently something had opened up.  Clearly making good contacts will lead to great results in seeking employment at the PTO or anywhere else for that matter.  A bit of luck also helps.

I really like the job and am very pleased with my choice in coming to the office (no regrets... this is normally not typical for me in terms of other major life choices I have made in the past).

Good luck to all applicants.  I hope this helps.      

[Harry Chu]

Question:
Does PTO hire experienced people?
I have 19 years of industry experience in communications (EE mostly)
Thanks.

[Guest]

What are the interviews with supervisors like?  

Do they grill you with technical questions? or is it more along the lines of them seeing if you really want to work there, since they have so many people that quit after a short period of time?

Do they really hire a lot of new graduates?  I've heard lots of people say that.  Is it true?  Is there anybody who got hired into TC 2100, 2600 or 2800 straight out of college?

[Guest]

By straight out of college, I mean with a BS only - no graduate degree and no experience.

[Isaac]

The TC that hire electrical engineers hire both experienced
people and new graduates.  The interviewers are going to
probe as necessary to see if you can understand their technical
areas.  If your transcript or experience indicates lots of
relevant background, the technical probing will be over quickly.
The also want to make sure you can express yourself coherently,
and that you can handle an environment were production is
stressed.

[Examiner Wannabe]

Great thread! Thank you very much to everybody who contributed.

What are the hot areas at the PTO?  

Do they still give recruitment bonuses for Electrical/Computer Engineers and Computer Scientists?

Why do they ask in JARS if you are a registered patent agent?  Does that help you get the job?

What is considered a lot of experience to them?  How do they test your communication skills in the interview setting?  What are some typical interview questions? Or do they just ask the standard generic interview questions, like "why do you want to work here?", "what are your weaknesses?” etc.?

When they say casual dress code, do they mean business casual? Or do they mean actual casual?  Can you come in wearing shorts and flip-flops? t-shirt and jeans?