“At the end of the day, it’s the people at the IPO make the job for me – I’ve always been slightly in awe of the cohort of patent examiners in a single building covering all aspects of technology – a staggering conglomeration of expertise!” Kathryn Orme, Patent Examination Group Head
“I think attention to detail is really important, and a desire to tackle hard problems. Resilience is also needed – some cases can be quite challenging and require a lot of focus to produce a good product for applicants.
Of course you also need to ‘know your stuff’ – but you need to be open to challenge from colleagues during your training and in discussion with applicants. Being able to recognise when you make a mistake and be open to advice is critical.” Jacob Swatton, Patent Examiner
“If you’re considering becoming a patent examiner, my advice would be to go for it! The role is a rewarding one, and the IPO provides a supportive environment with training and development opportunities to help you start a new chapter in your career.” Edmund Hazell, Patent Examiner
“I already had the technical background, so the initial two-month training course covered the Patents Act and the process of how to examine a patent application. The training was a mix of seminars and coursework, and trainees are assigned a personal tutor to guide and answer any questions.
After these two months, trainees join their examining groups and start working on live applications – but the training doesn’t stop there – after the first year, we received another series of seminars relating to more advanced topics, with these types of seminars continuing throughout your career.” Danielle Merrikin, Associate Patent Examiner
“The biggest benefit for me was regaining my free time. Working as a teacher, you don’t have the evenings and weekends. People think that the school holidays are when you get to recharge, but as a rare physicist, I spent the holidays preparing and writing schemes of work. I felt I was constantly working. I can enjoy the flexible working hours and have lots more time for my hobbies.” Tara Meacham, Associate Patent Examiner
“The job is flexible. At the moment, I work from home four days a week, and from the office one day a week. The office is a great place to work, with a good canteen, coffee shop, lounge area with snooker table, pool table and darts table for relaxing at lunchtimes, and good working facilities. There are opportunities to do other things too. I have applied for the job in a service at the local school, and at the moment I am teaching Welsh in a class organized by the IPO.” Mark Morgans, Patent Examiner
