I studied Computer Science at the University of Oxford and was keen to continue working in the field, although not in a traditional software engineering role. I enjoyed that the modules throughout my degree taught me a broad range of subject matter and skills, and so I was particularly drawn to work that involved a wide variety of technologies and interactions with clients.
After 18 months working as a consultant, I realised I wanted to pursue a career that aligned more closely with my academic background. Becoming a trainee patent attorney has provided me with the opportunity to apply my technical knowledge, whilst still involving the client-facing work I had enjoyed.
I joined Mathys & Squire just over a year ago now, and have been immersed in on-the-job training. There is a steep learning curve, but the firm offers ‘enrichment sessions’ to learn the basics of patent law, and practice claim drafting. In addition to this, I am fully supported in my development by the Partners I work for, including one-on-one sessions which have assisted with the progression of my work. Along with my cohort at Mathys & Squire, I have recently attended Queen Mary University of London for the PGCert Intellectual Property Law course. The course helped to formalise the patent knowledge that I have gained over the past year, as well as provide a useful overview of the patent process in other countries. It was also very interesting and useful to learn about other Intellectual Property rights such as copyrights, designs and trademarks.
So far, I have been involved in drafting responses and contributing to the technical descriptions of newly drafted patent applications. I have also had the opportunity to work with both large companies and small startups, which has helped me to appreciate their different needs and how to adapt to different clients. The subject matter of work has been varied – sometimes directly related to my specialism, and other times more broadly mechanical in nature. This has been both challenging and engaging, and it really does feel like I am learning new things every day!
One of the highlights has been joining a large cohort of trainees, who are friendly and supportive and make Mathys & Squire a great place to work. Across all levels of experience at the firm, people are willing to help you learn and answer questions, which has made a real difference in my early experience. This has been particularly useful whilst revising for the Module F EQE exam, as the large cohort allows us to work together to understand the content. There is also an active social calendar including casual pub trips, bake sales, and more formal Summer and Christmas parties!
