Alternative Science Careers

An alternative career of interest to those with an engineering or science education may be a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

What is a patent examiner?

A patent examiner is a federal employee who examines patent applications to determine whether or not a patent can be granted for various new inventions – many of which are on the cutting edge of tomorrow’s technological breakthroughs. Examiners research the subject matter in applications and then communicate the findings on the patentability to inventors or patent practitioners.

What education is required to become an examiner?

There are career opportunities for examiners with various education levels from a BS, Masters, or PhD in engineering, life sciences, physical sciences, or computer science. The difference in graduate level education is your entry-level position and salary. A scientist with a BS will enter at a GS-5 entry-level position, whereas a candidate with a PhD will start at a GS-11 level.

What is the career progression of a patent examiner?

Patent Examiners may receive a one-time accelerated promotion after six months, from GS-5 to GS-7; GS-7 to GS-9; or GS-9 to GS-11. The full-performance level is GS-13; However, after completion of the partial/full signatory program, Patent Examiners may be promoted to GS-14. All promotions are submitted by a supervisor and will be based on the productive and timely processing of patent applications.

What benefits does a patent examiner receive?

All examiners receive a comprehensive federal benefits package, as well as enhanced federal government salary rates. While it is required to relocate to Washington DC, patent examiners have some flexibility in their work schedules, which may be a nice option for your life style. Examiners have flextime hours with morning arrival as early as 5:30 am and as late at 11:30 am; a 4/10 plan, where you work 10 hours four days each week, with two days off each pay period; and a 5/4/9 plan, that lets you work eight nine-hour days, plus one eight-hour day, with one day off during each pay period. Another enticing option that is available is the hoteling program, which enables employees to work from home.

What training is available for examiners?

It is mandatory for new examiners to attend an eight-month training at the U.S. Patent Training Academy. The program provides training for new examiners in Legal, Procedural, Automation, Life Skills, Technical, and Professional Development. Additional on-the-job training from an experienced Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE) is then provided after you start your first position.

Where is there more information?

Visit the USPTO website at http://usptocareers.gov/Pages/PEPositions/Default.aspx to learn more about patent examiners, to find job openings, and to apply.

Additionally, they offer a “Patent Examiner Informational Session“, which is a video with slides, and “A Day in the Life of a Patent Examiner” video series, which can be accessed through the list below.

A Day in the Life of a Patent Examiner Video Series:

Source: All information from the USPTO website.

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Most people have at least taken a stab at writing a regular resume, but writing a government resume is somewhat different. You can’t just follow the rules of writing a standard resume and assume that it will land you that government job. These days, writing the resume on the Federal resume form is the recognized protocol; it is also called the OF-612 form. Here are some dos and don’ts when it comes to writing a federal resume

Include personal information as requested: Be certain to include your complete contact information, such as your name, address and email, reinstatement eligibility if applicable and job series and dates of previous positions as applicable.

Write school history in chronological order: Unlike standard resumes, you are going to provide your background info and skills in chronological rather than reverse chronological order. So, for education, you’ll want to start with your high school education, and move on up from there.

List any major studied, and include the total credits earned: It might be appealing to use bullet points for these paragraphs, but be careful; while bullet points are great for civilian resumes, they’re less applicable in government job applications.

Be as detailed as possible: Again, while civilian resumes focus on being brief and to the point, federal employers are going to want to know precisely what you’ve done, specifically as it relates to education and experience.

List equivalent experience: There may be times when your education doesn’t exactly fit the qualifications needed for the position, but if you’ve had experience that will qualify you nonetheless, make sure you list it.

There are a few don’ts when it comes to writing your government resume, as well.

Don’t fail to include precise information as it pertains to the job you’re applying to: you can fill in the gaps if you don’t have the necessary education for a specific job by detailing experience, but if specific information is asked for, be sure to include it.

Don’t skimp: write everything to the fullest detail possible.

Don’t make the KSA’s a copy of the resume: Write the KSA as precisely and succinctly as possible.

Federal-Resume.org provides free information about Federal government jobs.

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