Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm just curious, how many of you that got selected for an interview have been practicing for more than 2 years or so? I heard that your chances of being selected for an interview diminish the more experience you get and I'm wondering if I should even bother applying next cycle as I'm going on my 4th year of practice. Thanks!

I have been practicing for more than two years and interviewed. There are also attorneys who have significantly more experience who have received job offers. It just depends. I would encourage you to apply if you're interested. The best thing that can happen is that you ultimately get a job offer; the worst is that you don't and you stay in your current position and apply again during another cycle.

[Anonymous User]

I'm just curious, how many of you that got selected for an interview have been practicing for more than 2 years or so? I heard that your chances of being selected for an interview diminish the more experience you get and I'm wondering if I should even bother applying next cycle as I'm going on my 4th year of practice. Thanks!

You should apply. I recently spoke with a relatively new examiner with 15 years of previous experience. He had no experience in trademark law before becoming an examiner.

I was selected to interview with ten years of experience heavily focused in trademark law. I'm not optimistic about my chances of being selected. The interviewers seemed worried about my ability to take direction from someone with less experience.

[Anonymous User]

Was selected for an interview and graduated law school in 2022.
-XS

[Anonymous User]

I'm just curious, how many of you that got selected for an interview have been practicing for more than 2 years or so? I heard that your chances of being selected for an interview diminish the more experience you get and I'm wondering if I should even bother applying next cycle as I'm going on my 4th year of practice. Thanks!

I'm a current examiner. I practiced 3 years before interviewing. I was hired along with others who had more experience, as well as some who were fresh out of law school or just a year out.

[Anonymous User]

I'm just curious, how many of you that got selected for an interview have been practicing for more than 2 years or so? I heard that your chances of being selected for an interview diminish the more experience you get and I'm wondering if I should even bother applying next cycle as I'm going on my 4th year of practice. Thanks!

I'm a current examiner. I practiced 3 years before interviewing. I was hired along with others who had more experience, as well as some who were fresh out of law school or just a year out.

Did you have applications/registrations under your name as the attorney of record before receiving an offer? I have a decent amount and I am worried that this will be a detriment to my candidacy.

[Anonymous User]

I'm just curious, how many of you that got selected for an interview have been practicing for more than 2 years or so? I heard that your chances of being selected for an interview diminish the more experience you get and I'm wondering if I should even bother applying next cycle as I'm going on my 4th year of practice. Thanks!

You should apply. I recently spoke with a relatively new examiner with 15 years of previous experience. He had no experience in trademark law before becoming an examiner.

I was selected to interview with ten years of experience heavily focused in trademark law. I'm not optimistic about my chances of being selected. The interviewers seemed worried about my ability to take direction from someone with less experience.

They always ask this question. Because of their backwards hiring standards, one could very well be "mentored"/hazed by someone who was in pre-K when one was taking one of the best TMs classes in the country. The managers do hire people who convince them that they would defer to someone younger/less experienced/less skilled at legal reasoning and research, etc. It's hard to pretend you'd be happy to put up with that for two years, but some people are able to appear to be eager to please. By the way, the word "hazing" is a direct quote from a current examiner.

[Anonymous User]

Do you all think they will send emails/make phone calls about references this upcoming week or the week of 12/11?

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard back about either references or offers? This wait is agonizing.

[Anonymous User]

Data Point. I received a call from the USPTO this morning, asking if I was still interested in the position and saying they will be checking my references. Good luck to everyone!

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else hear anything back? I would think it's this week for calls or nothing.

[Anonymous User]

Just received a call this morning about contacting references. Wishing everyone luck and manifesting a call!

[Anonymous User]

So should we assume that if we haven’t heard back about references by now it’s a no?

[Anonymous User]

Just received a call this morning about contacting references. Wishing everyone luck and manifesting a call!

Congrats! Received a call on Friday. The hardest part for me is waiting for the TJO after receiving the call; it's somehow more stressful than waiting for the contacting references call. 2 of my references emailed me saying they completed their check and I'm assuming the third did as well...I'm currently in a relatively bad working environment, and I am now anxious to have the offer. Hopefully we get our offers soon.

[Jzawacki]

Just received a call this afternoon (4PM Central)! Best of luck to all the other applicants.

[Anonymous User]

I got a call on the 8th asking for permission to check my references and was told I’d be hearing from HR once my references were checked. Got confirmation that they were checked last week and everything checked out. Still haven’t heard anything back. Has anyone been contacted beyond this point in the process?

[Anonymous User]

I’m on the same boat. I received a verbal job offer last week but not the written job offer.

[Anonymous User]

I got a call on the 8th asking for permission to check my references and was told I’d be hearing from HR once my references were checked. Got confirmation that they were checked last week and everything checked out. Still haven’t heard anything back. Has anyone been contacted beyond this point in the process?

I've received the same contacts and also haven't heard anything since last week.

[Anonymous User]

I received a call on 12/15.

I am a registered patent attorney with ten years of extensive trademark prosecution experience with a boutique IP firm. Considering the backlog, they may be changing their standards by hiring more experienced trademark attorneys who can hit the ground running.

To prepare for the interview, I searched this forum for every question they asked previous applicants, compiled them and then drafted basic answers along with a list of key words, e.g., collaborative, consistent. There were no surprise questions. In my case, the key to receiving a call was convincing the hiring team I am trainable.

Some questions they asked:
1. What does a trademark examiner do?
2. How will you stay engaged during virtual training?
3. How many billable hours/year?
4. How will you handle being red-lined by someone with less experience than you?
5. What are your long-term goals within the Office if you are hired?

[Anonymous User]

I still not have heard anything either. I got confirmation from my references last week that all were contacted and submitted.

[Anonymous User]

I got a call on the 8th asking for permission to check my references and was told I’d be hearing from HR once my references were checked. Got confirmation that they were checked last week and everything checked out. Still haven’t heard anything back. Has anyone been contacted beyond this point in the process?

It's a slow process. Hang in there, it will come.

I received a call on Friday for a verbal offer (after references were checked) with an email to follow. Still waiting on that email.

[MichalaBlue]

Thank you! Congratulations to you! I’m hoping we get the email this week. I’d like to be able to resign from my current position and have a bit of a break before starting lol

[Anonymous User]

For those who have received phone offers: is the projected start date still January 16, 2024, or are they adjusting it to later in January?

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone already handed in their resignation at their current job while they wait for the written offer? They are kind of putting me in a bind with taking so long to send the written offer.

[Anonymous User]

I received a call on 12/15.

I am a registered patent attorney with ten years of extensive trademark prosecution experience with a boutique IP firm. Considering the backlog, they may be changing their standards by hiring more experienced trademark attorneys who can hit the ground running.

To prepare for the interview, I searched this forum for every question they asked previous applicants, compiled them and then drafted basic answers along with a list of key words, e.g., collaborative, consistent. There were no surprise questions. In my case, the key to receiving a call was convincing the hiring team I am trainable.

Some questions they asked:
1. What does a trademark examiner do?
2. How will you stay engaged during virtual training?
3. How many billable hours/year?
4. How will you handle being red-lined by someone with less experience than you?
5. What are your long-term goals within the Office if you are hired?

Thanks for writing out the questions. Re 1, that's a little weird that they put on you what is usually part of a spiel one of them gives before asking questions. Also, if convincing them you are trainable=offer, many more among the 2/3 of unlucky interviewees would have been on the other side of this.

Separately, their response to the backlog has been to hire the same amount of attorneys per year for the past several years.

[Anonymous User]

I received the tentative verbal offer (after references checked) call this week and still haven’t received the email from hr to complete paperwork. Is everyone in the same boat?