Summer of IP introductory events:
The full schedule
Our live introductory events are now finished, but recordings are available via the links provided below, along with follow-up resources such as speaker slides where available.
You can find out here about all our Summer of IP introductory events, brought to you by our Careers in Ideas team. Some were broadcast live during July 2023, with the recordings available afterwards in case you couldn’t be there. Others had been pre-recorded for you to watch whenever suited you. All the recording links are below.
Unless otherwise stated, these events provide very general information about IP careers and are intended for secondary school and university students as well as graduates and career changers. In fact, they were created for anyone who’s interested in learning more about a career within IP. And the recordings are all available free of charge.
If you have any specific access requirements, please email us at [email protected] and we’ll do what we can to help.
To download a summary of the events and recording links, please click here.
Make this count!
As you go, note down the events you’ve attended. You can mention them in your personal statement or covering letter when you apply to join the IP sector.
We’d also love you to send us a short blog post about your Summer of IP experiences, as we’re hoping to publish a series of these on the IP Inclusive and Careers in Ideas websites in the autumn of 2023. You can find out more about this on the main Summer of IP webpage.
At the end of your personal Summer of IP journey, you may find you’re really interested in an IP career. We hope you do! If you’d then like a little help getting your first job, why not sign up to our Careers in Ideas Mentoring Hub?
Pre-recorded events
An introduction to Careers in Ideas and Summer of IP
Available online from Monday 3 July 2023
Join Andrea Brewster OBE (Lead Executive Officer of IP Inclusive) for an introduction and welcome to the Summer of IP programme. Hear about Careers in Ideas – IP Inclusive’s outreach campaign that seeks to increase the diversity of recruits into the IP professions. Find out about the events and resources they offer, which are targeted at school, college and university students and their teachers and careers advisers. And learn why diversifying our intake matters so much to the IP professions.
Andrea will also introduce you to Summer of IP and its aims. You’ll find out about the events and activities on offer this summer – which will enable you to learn about various careers in IP and gain practical experience of an IP workplace – as well as how to get the best out of the programme.
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/mOxM2akLwe4
Slides available here
What is intellectual property and why is it important?
Available online from Monday 3 July 2023
Speakers from the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) will lead you through a general introduction to intellectual property (IP) and its relevance to our everyday lives. You’ll learn how the right type of IP can help an organisation or individual to protect the things they create, such as the name of a product, an invention, how something looks, or written or artistic creations. You’ll also hear about the many resources available from the IPO to help school and university students, educators and businesses learn more about IP.
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/G7lbsbzwI20
Introduction to the different career roles in IP
Available online from Monday 3 July 2023
Join Chris Burnett (Birkett Long) for a whistle-stop tour of the different career roles available in IP! Learn a little about each of the various roles – from paralegal to patent or trade mark attorney, from IP Office examiner to IP solicitor or barrister, as well as a whole range of business support roles from administration to HR to finance. Find out about the entry requirements for each role and get a feel for whether it might be right for you.
For more detailed information about a role that interests you, you can then sign up to attend one of the more specific events below.
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/lERe10MbRf0
Slides available here
Why a career in IP? And why now?
Available online from Monday 3 July 2023
Andrea Brewster OBE, who leads the IP Inclusive initiative behind Careers in Ideas, explains why now is such a great time to be thinking about joining the IP professions. [You can also read the transcript here.]
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/EqQUL8-y1fw
Careers in IP: roles and pathways
Available online from Wednesday 5 July 2023
Former patent attorney Julie Barrett, from Purposive Step Consulting, shares her thoughts about entering, and developing, a career in the IP sector. Building on her own experiences, she explains the wide range of roles available; how you can change from one to another within the IP sector; what to consider when planning your IP career; and the transferable skills you’ll gain that can be taken into other fields when you need to. A must-have guide for anyone thinking about joining the IP professions, in any kind of role!
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/lhaJb5oCC3k
(Please note there is a short section, towards the start of this recording, where sound is briefly lost. Please don’t give up: it’s only a tiny blip and the rest of the recording is fine!)
Working as an IP paralegal
Available online from Thursday 6 July 2023
You’ve likely not heard of this career, but there are a range of routes in – for both school leavers and graduates – and good development opportunities. In this webinar you’ll find out what IP paralegals do, how they train and qualify, how they develop their careers, and how important they are for the department or firm they work in. You’ll learn about working with patents, trade marks and/or registered designs, IP renewals, transactions and even sometimes litigation. And you’ll hear from experienced paralegals, working in both the private and the corporate sectors: they’ll tell you how they found their ideal careers and why they enjoy their work so much.
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/tJjnfyVitqg
You may also be interested in…
Our “Meet the IP crowd” videos – short talks by IP professionals in a range of different roles, each talking about the work they do, why they enjoy it and how you can join them.
To access the full set of video links, download this document.
Live events
We hope you were able to join us, either online or in-person, for at least some of our live Summer of IP events. They provided a more interactive and personal insight into many aspects of working in IP – and if you were with us in-person, you’d have been able to network afterwards with people who’ve already found their ideal “career in ideas”. We’ve published recordings of all of them, though, in case you couldn’t make the live event and want to catch up later.
Some of these events were in our Summer of IP Eventbrite collection here.
The different types of IP
Thursday 6 July 2023, 6.30 pm (online)
This was an introduction to the different types of IP. Delegates learned the basics about patents, trade marks, design rights and copyright – what they are and what they protect. Our speakers also introduced a case study to illustrate how the different types of IP apply to a real-life product.
This event was kindly hosted by Powell Gilbert. A recording is available below.
Note that Powell Gilbert also offered two work experience placements in August: more details on our main Summer of IP page.
Registrations now closed
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/lCFOiP5x7Qc
Routes to legal qualification for IP solicitors and barristers
Monday 10 July 2023, 5 – 7 pm (online)
Our panellists at this event explained the qualification routes available to become an IP solicitor or barrister and gave guidance on the application procedure, including preparing your CV and interview tips. They included Beth Collett (IP barrister at 8 New Square) and three IP professionals at Mishcon de Reya: solicitor apprentice Karolina Tomaite, early careers manager Tom Wicksteed and associate Eleanor Wilson.
We allowed time towards the end of the webinar for delegates to put their own questions to the panellists. To help us prepare, we asked them to submit their questions beforehand if possible.
This event was kindly organised for us by Mishcon de Reya. A recording is available below.
Registrations now closed
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/qQRKKfk-HLQ
A day in the life of a trade mark professional
Wednesday 12 July 2023, 5 – 6.30 pm (online)
This webinar featured a panel of speakers who hold various positions in the trade marks profession. They explained about their roles and responsibilities and gave an insight into what each of them does and how their work and daily activities affect one another.
We heard from a trade mark attorney in private practice, a trade mark examiner from the UK Intellectual Property Office, a trade mark paralegal in private practice and an IP solicitor – showing how you can work with trade marks in a range of environments. We discovered the various routes into these careers (many of which don’t require a degree) and the training paths available. There was also a Q&A session towards the end, for delegates to put their own questions to the panellists.
The speakers were Doris Akufo-Addo (Senior Trade Mark Paralegal at Stobbs IP Limited), Cherry Shin (Chartered Trade Mark Attorney at HGF Limited), Hannah Thomas (Trade Mark Examination Team Manager at the UK Intellectual Property Office) and Charlotte Wilding (Partner and Chartered Trade Mark Attorney at Wedlake Bell LLP). The webinar was chaired by Carol Nyahasha, a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney at Elkington & Fife, a member of CITMA Council and leader of our Careers in Ideas Mentoring Hub.
Registrations now closed
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/NN1cO0jiyRg
Life as an IP solicitor / IP barrister
Thursday 13 July 2023, 6.30 pm (hybrid event: London and online)
In this event a panel of IP solicitors and barristers talked candidly about their working lives, their roles and responsibilities, and the highs and lows of their jobs.
It was a hybrid event, both online and in-person in London, kindly hosted by Powell Gilbert. The in-person part was followed by networking drinks. A recording of the main discussions is available below.
Note that Powell Gilbert also offered two work experience placements in August: more details on our main Summer of IP page.
Registrations now closed
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/78Imj1hvNm0
Meet the patent professionals
Tuesday 18 July 2023, 4 – 5 pm (online)
Our panel of patent professionals told us about their day-to-day roles, how they got to where they are, and the highs and lows of their jobs. Delegates heard from a trainee patent attorney in private practice, a qualified patent attorney practising in-house, an IP solicitor, and a patent examiner – showing how you can work with patents in a range of environments. They also had the chance to speak with the panellists in small breakout discussions to ask those burning questions of their own!
This event was a joint project with IP Futures, the IP Inclusive community for early-career IP professionals.
Registrations now closed
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/ARmSmD25F4s
Delegate information sheet available to download here
Working as an in-house IP professional
Tuesday 25 July 2023, 12.30 – 1.30 pm (online)
In this webinar, we heard from IP professionals working in multi-national companies and learned about the approaches, challenges and opportunities of working “in-house”.
Whether you’re a potential new joiner to the IP professions, or an existing practitioner in private practice who’d like to learn more about IP-related careers in industry, our discussion will have provided you with insight into the unique experiences of in-house roles. A recording of the event is available below.
Registrations now closed
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/9SUQmRQDNqg
Applying to train as a patent or trade mark attorney
Tuesday 25 July 2023, 4 – 5.30 pm (online)
In this application skills “masterclass”, we provided invaluable guidance for people who want to apply to become patent or trade mark attorneys. Our panellists, either IP attorneys themselves or involved in the recruitment of IP attorneys, talked about CVs, covering letters and interviews, and generally about maximising your chances of success when applying for a traineeship. Delegates also had a chance to speak to them in person in informal breakout discussions.
A recording of the main panel discussion is available below.
Registrations now closed
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/QzWeDPi3oRw
Additional slides available from panellist Julie Barrett (Purposive Step Consulting) here
Public sector IP careers
Thursday 10 August 2023, 1 – 2 pm (online)
There is IP in virtually every sector. You can become an IP professional in private practice, in industry, in academia, in publishing, in a charity or in the public sector.
This webinar introduced the IP-related careers available in the civil service, including examiner, attorney, IT and communications. Panellists with a range of roles in both the UK’s Intellectual Property Office and government science and engineering teams told us about what they do and why they enjoy it. They also explained the different routes into these rewarding public sector careers.
A recording of the event is available below.
Registrations now closed
Access the recording at: https://youtu.be/rPWNdxKneJQ
Employer opportunities
As part of Summer of IP, several IP sector employers are offering activities and events to help you get a better feel for your ideal IP career. Some of these are “taster” sessions, others are full work experience placements. All are being generously provided, free of charge, to Summer of IP participants. You’ll find a full listing here. Hurry, though – places are limited and there are application deadlines to meet!
Before you take part in any Summer of IP employer activity, we recommend you watch at least the first four pre-recorded events above. They’ll explain how Summer of IP works and give you an overview of the IP sector and the wide range of careers available here. They’ll help you decide which of the career(s) you’re particularly interested in, so that you can watch recordings of other events, or attend employer activities, that cover them in more detail. Some of the later introductory events explained routes into particular careers, even helping you to put your application together or giving you a chance to hear from people who already work in IP. We hope you enjoy them!
For more information about the campaign, return to our main Summer of IP webpage.