Perhaps the most commonly known employment in intellectual property is the jobs of patent and copyright attorneys and specialists. However patent attorneys and associates as well as software specialists comprise part of this workforce as well.
Attorneys who specialize in intellectual property require the education necessary for attorneys usually an advanced degree with a Juris Doctorate and then specialize further with certifications or continuing education courses. For example patent attorney jobs will require a Bachelor of Science degree in an approved technology or engineering disciple, a law degree, passing the state bar as well as being registered to registered to practice before the US patent and trademark office. With those qualifications an attorney can qualify for patent agent jobs or consulting jobs or private patent attorney practice.
Intellectual property employment as an intellectual property litigator requires the attorney be licensed to practice law as well as possessing experience in litigation. Attorneys engaged in this branch of intellectual property work will usually cover patents, trademarks and copyrights and advise their clients on their legal rights as well as supervising defense against intellectual property rights violation cases. These positions in intellectual property work require strong analytical and research skills as well as litigation experience.
Not all jobs in intellectual property require a law degree. Jobs such as copyright specialists require an individual with a library or information science degree as well as experience in a copyright firm. Strong research abilities are a must and the individual must be comfortable with research and computers. They are in charge of the clerical details and obtain and researches copyright clearance to use copyrighted materials. These are extremely responsible positions in intellectual property, and every bit as demanding as patent attorney jobs or trademark attorney’s positions.
Jobs in intellectual property are plentiful and even with a tight economy intellectual property is zealously guarded in fact more so in tough economic times. The problem for the job seeker may not be finding employment in intellectual property, but instead the problem is finding the exact intellectual property work that suits your skills and long term goals. Patent attorneys jobs are not rare, however many have geographical considerations or they prefer to work with a large or small firm and then the job search becomes harder.
Copyright specialists also can find employment in intellectual property easily but finding the best match in terms of salary, career advancement potential and location can be time consuming and frustrating for the job seeker.
Patent attorney jobs may be found with law firms that specialize in intellectual property and they can also be found within large companies which regularly develop new products or intellectual property such as software. Companies as well as individual intellectual law firms have intellectual property employment opportunities for copyright specialists regularly.
The jobs in intellectual property are not limited to simply metropolitan areas though they are more common in highly populated areas. Positions in intellectual property law can be found across the US and with small law firms as well as large consulting firms or even major corporations who maintain a staff to take care of intellectual property research and litigation.
The local newspaper even in metropolitan areas may not turn up many jobs in intellectual property since these are highly specialized positions. However, an internet search may yield more, since they draw from a much larger pool than a local paper or employment center. The problem there is finding targeted jobs which are for professionals and not being spammed with general jobs which may not even be in intellectual property.
Most job seekers who are seriously seeking employment in intellectual property will turn to a specialized career site that draws employers interested in their skills. This method is far more effective than a shotgun and hope approach to finding jobs in intellectual property.
If you are searching for jobs in intellectual property and you feel you should be compensated for your skills then it is time to try something different. Go to IntellectualPropertyCrossing.com and sign up for your free trial. See what a targeted search with targeted employers can do for your career. Try it today and stop wasting time searching.
- See Top 10 Reasons Most Law Firms Have No Idea How to Hire and Evaluate Patent Attorneys for more information.
