During the summer of 2023 our Careers in Ideas team coordinated a programme of outreach activities and events, under the Summer of IP banner. They included introductions to the basics about IP and the careers available here, some more specific events to showcase particular types of career, and opportunities such as taster sessions and work experience placements from IP sector employers.
Over the course of summer, Careers in Ideas (along with the support of numerous intellectual property (IP) firms) provided fantastic opportunities for students to attend open days and evenings where they could ask about a career as, among other things, a patent attorney and what the role entails. The open days offered students an insight into the fundamentals of the training involved in becoming a patent attorney, what is typically involved in the interview process, how to write CVs and cover letters tailored to the profession, as well as the day-to-day expectations of a patent attorney.
One of the firms that provided an open day for students to attend was Venner Shipley. They provided an opportunity for students to work on a claims exercise, where students were provided a teamwork case study to determine if the technology presented was novel and inventive. Along with this were informative presentations outlining the profession. I was able to attend the open day at the Manchester branch which was advertised on the
Summer of IP link. I was particularly interested in attending this open day after having previously spoken to employees of Venner Shipley about their experience at the firm, and what it was like to work there. The discussions I had with members of the firm at the open day were extremely useful in providing an insight into the profession and to learn more about what it is like working at Venner Shipley specifically. The open day provided the opportunity for students to converse with many members of the team at different stages of the training process in becoming a patent attorney.
I found the open day at Venner Shipley extremely beneficial as it provided an introduction into the fundamentals of IP, and how the rights for a patent differ from trade marks, copyright and designs. The open day provided the opportunity for students to work in a small team, which enhanced the interaction between students, as well as to work with a partner from the firm on a real-life claims exercise. This allowed students to analyse a patent in detail and confirm whether claims of the invention were novel. From the experience, I have learned more about the process a patent needs to go through to determine if an invention is novel and can hence be granted a patent, or whether the invention has conflicting claims.
Since the open day provided students the opportunity to discuss the fundamentals of the profession as well as work on a claims exercise, it provided an experience that was authentic, and was an example of what a trainee would be working on. Working on the claims exercise also helped to determine whether the profession is for you, and whether you would enjoy working on new technology that is not directly related to your subject area. Connecting the technical skills that I have learnt throughout my undergraduate degree and PhD and linking this with problem solving on an invention I had not previously seen has intrigued me to pursue this profession after completing my studies. The problem solving that is required in the profession also further intrigues me as it challenges you and is not monotonous due to the wide variety of work you will be working on. Attending the open day has helped to provide relevant experience to add to my CV and cover letter for potential roles. Additionally, this has provided networking with relevant people in the profession and discussing with current trainees about their experience at Venner Shipley and training to become a patent attorney.
Our thanks to all the IP professionals and organisations who helped to make Summer of IP a success, and in particular to Venner Shipley for organising the Manchester open day that James attended.