Application

I actually chose to apply to Swindell & Pearson largely because of a trainee profile piece like this one! Swindell & Pearson appeals to me more than other firms because trainees here have almost daily one-to-one consultations with highly skilled, senior Patent Attorneys who invest huge amounts of time in their training. I also like that trainees at Swindell & Pearson are encouraged to run cases from start to finish rather than just completing piecework for senior colleagues; allowing them to develop into well-rounded Patent Advisors more quickly.

Interview

After sending in my CV and a brief telephone interview, I was invited to the head office in Derby for a face to face interview. I was understandably nervous at first, but I was quickly put at ease by the interviewers. They were my prospective supervisors and included the team’s most experienced and senior Patent Attorney.

The recruiting team are experts in figuring out whether candidates can think in the right way to do the job. They didn’t expect me to know everything straight away: they simply wanted to see that I was an enthusiastic, organised person who could argue a point of view effectively and understand the sort of technology that I would need to deal with. They made a real effort to get to know me and supported me to do my best.

First few days

From very early on I was treated as a full member of the team: not just a trainee. Running my own cases under a highly experienced supervisor meant that I learnt a lot about the job very quickly. It felt a little overwhelming at first, but once I understood the basics, everything started falling into place. The whole team was extremely supportive through the initial learning process. Since the firm isn’t too large, I got to know everyone quite quickly.

And beyond

I have almost completed my second year at Swindell & Pearson. Even at this early stage I am supported to develop my own clients. I have already attended exam revision courses and am attending a drafting course run by a senior Patent Attorney.

By looking at more experienced trainees I can see what I have to look forward to. I will have an even greater variety of work, more independence and my own portfolio of clients.