Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO Forum

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Nov 13, 2021 11:25 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Nov 12, 2021 2:45 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:27 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Nov 09, 2021 5:47 pm
Hi -

for the first time applying to this role I got a rating and not a request for written response. The rating was tentatively eligible. I used the same Resume as I did previously in the year and I got a written response request for the class that is currently hired.

Did this happen to anyone else?
yeah i got tentatively eligible with no request for written response as well
I also confirm that I recently received a referral and a note of tentative eligibility. I did not receive a request for a written response. This is my third time applying, so it is my speculation that they may be using my previous written response since it was submitted for the Fall 2021 hiring class.
They will ask for a written response, if they want one, each and every time you apply.

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Nov 15, 2021 1:15 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Sat Nov 13, 2021 11:25 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Nov 12, 2021 2:45 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:27 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Nov 09, 2021 5:47 pm
Hi -

for the first time applying to this role I got a rating and not a request for written response. The rating was tentatively eligible. I used the same Resume as I did previously in the year and I got a written response request for the class that is currently hired.

Did this happen to anyone else?
yeah i got tentatively eligible with no request for written response as well
I also confirm that I recently received a referral and a note of tentative eligibility. I did not receive a request for a written response. This is my third time applying, so it is my speculation that they may be using my previous written response since it was submitted for the Fall 2021 hiring class.
They will ask for a written response, if they want one, each and every time you apply.
I also received notification that I was referred to the Hiring Manager and am tentatively eligible. Fwiw, I have never applied for the trademark examiner position before. I imagine if they would like written responses, we will receive some separate notification.

Anonymous User
Posts: 428117
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Nov 15, 2021 11:46 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Mon Nov 15, 2021 1:15 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Sat Nov 13, 2021 11:25 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Nov 12, 2021 2:45 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:27 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Nov 09, 2021 5:47 pm
Hi -

for the first time applying to this role I got a rating and not a request for written response. The rating was tentatively eligible. I used the same Resume as I did previously in the year and I got a written response request for the class that is currently hired.

Did this happen to anyone else?
yeah i got tentatively eligible with no request for written response as well
I also confirm that I recently received a referral and a note of tentative eligibility. I did not receive a request for a written response. This is my third time applying, so it is my speculation that they may be using my previous written response since it was submitted for the Fall 2021 hiring class.
They will ask for a written response, if they want one, each and every time you apply.
I also received notification that I was referred to the Hiring Manager and am tentatively eligible. Fwiw, I have never applied for the trademark examiner position before. I imagine if they would like written responses, we will receive some separate notification.
That is correct, and the request usually comes about one week after the notification that minimum qualifications have been met. https://www.uspto.gov/jobs/trademark-ex ... g-timeline
This process is going to make for a really fun holiday season. --signed, someone who has been asked for a written response (and invited to interview) every time (too many) they have applied.

Anonymous User
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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Nov 17, 2021 6:28 pm

I received a written statement request this evening.

Anonymous User
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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Nov 18, 2021 7:09 pm

I received an email request for written statement yesterday about 5:20pm ET.

No idea if I am going about this the right way or not, but we'll see. Good luck to everyone.

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Anonymous User
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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:11 pm

Looking at the timeline on the USPTO website, will we receive notification if we were listed on the Certificate of Eligibles? Or will we only know if/when we receive a request for an interview?
Also, if I'm looking at this right, it looks like we won't even know about interviews until after the start of the new year, correct?

Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving.

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Nov 26, 2021 9:12 am

I received an e-mail stating I was on the list of eligibles on November 9. About a week later, on November 17, I received a request for a written statement. I've applied before (twice before, actually, and I interviewed both times), and based on the timeline I recall and the timeline listed on the website, I'm thinking that interview requests (for those selected to interview) will be sent about 5-6 weeks later, which would put us at the beginning of 2022.

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Dec 29, 2021 3:29 pm

I received an interview invitation today for the second week of January. The interview will be conducted over video conference. Happy new year to everyone in this thread!

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Jan 02, 2022 9:12 am

So anyone heard anything? Just going off the timeline and prior posts, Im expecting they should be getting back to us this week.

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jan 07, 2022 2:01 am

Haven't heard anything since the request for a written statement. Anyone out there see any movement?

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Jan 08, 2022 1:37 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Wed Dec 29, 2021 3:29 pm
I received an interview invitation today for the second week of January. The interview will be conducted over video conference. Happy new year to everyone in this thread!
Anyone else get an interview invitation? Do they typically send out interview invitations all at once or sort of on a rolling basis?

Congrats on getting an interview invitation!

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Jan 10, 2022 1:08 pm

No update here since sending in my written reply. If they were scheduling interviews in late December for mid January, it sounds grim for me :( ! Congrats to people getting interviews

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jan 13, 2022 1:08 am

Same here, no updates since sending in the written response. This is my third go-around. Got an interview the first time only. Was hopeful that third time may be a charm, but looking grim. I am pretty sure they are now hiring for a class to start in March. Good luck to everyone!

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jan 13, 2022 7:05 pm

I also have not heard anything regarding an interview and it's been silence since the request for a written statement. This is also my 3rd time applying (I had interviews the first two times). Still holding out hope I'll be contacted this or next week for an interview.

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Jan 16, 2022 1:38 pm

Any idea on which day the March class is expected to start? Also no updates since request for written statement on my end.

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Jan 17, 2022 10:56 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Sun Jan 16, 2022 1:38 pm
Any idea on which day the March class is expected to start? Also no updates since request for written statement on my end.
Interviewed for this round. Was told that decisions will be made early February for a March start date. They were not specific on the day in March. They really emphasized the new training protocol and likened it to a formal classroom setting. Training will be entirely remote and they even asked questions regarding my experience in learning remotely. Similarly, they really emphasized the repetitive nature of the job and wanted to make sure I had experience in WFH and had formed good habits that are conducive to focused work outside the office.

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by kulagrl303 » Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:17 am

Is there anything else you can share about your interview? What other questions did they ask? Did they say how many people they were hiring this round? Any more information you can provide would be really helpful.

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Jan 19, 2022 12:11 pm

kulagrl303 wrote:
Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:17 am
Is there anything else you can share about your interview? What other questions did they ask? Did they say how many people they were hiring this round? Any more information you can provide would be really helpful.
If you go back in this thread or search "personality interview questions" broadly on the internet, those are the question types they continue to utilize. There was not anything out of the ordinary, you just have to be really on the ball in answering questions of that style in a way that resonates with the interviewers. Stuff like "tell me about a time you overcame a difficult task" or "what are your weaknesses?" LinkedIn has a video series on how to best answer those questions types. They didn't mention the specific number of candidates or openings. It is my assumption, based on information from the previous round, that there is likely an increase in openings compared to past years to address the office actions delays and heightened demand.

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Jan 19, 2022 5:05 pm

kulagrl303 wrote:
Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:17 am
Is there anything else you can share about your interview? What other questions did they ask? Did they say how many people they were hiring this round? Any more information you can provide would be really helpful.
Scroll back in the thread. A current examiner said that as far as (s)he knew 40 were being hired for March. Why couldn't they have picked those from among the 120 highly qualified people whose time they wasted last round? That would have made the hiring decisions less capricious, arbitrary, and random=the sine qua non of this agency.

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Jan 19, 2022 6:27 pm

Thank you for the interview information. How soon before your interview did you receive the webex invite/link?

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Jan 19, 2022 6:32 pm

Thank you to everyone contributing to this thread. How many days before your interview did you receive the webex invite/link?

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jan 20, 2022 12:07 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Wed Jan 19, 2022 6:27 pm
Thank you for the interview information. How soon before your interview did you receive the webex invite/link?
The Webex invitation was sent a few days before the interview. The link is for a very long block of time from earlier in the morning to the afternoon, but you are instructed to only sign on 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment and then are let in by the admin. I've never used Webex and it was a bit scary because my camera equipment did not play nice with it, like my equipment does for MS Teams and Zoom. Specially, I use a virtually camera (OBS or Logi Capture) and it only allowed me to connect to the camera directly.

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:59 pm

Is anyone else under the impression that the hiring managers can barely be bothered with the motions of the interview, don't seem to like working at the USPTO all that much, and don't even like trademarks at all? I bet if an interviewee asked each of them to say what they liked best about working at the USPTO, they would be taken aback by the question and struggle to come up with an answer.

See also: "Management - from immediate to almost the very top - is horrid. Training is inconsistent. Everyone seems unhappy or resigned to the work they have to do because everyone needs a job, the pay is eventually ok, and there is some job security. The work is mundane and not attorney level work at all, and pro se applicants are at a disadvantage. The new workload is almost unattainable without cutting corners, which weakens the validity of registrations." https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/US-Pa ... =PART_TIME

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jan 25, 2022 11:41 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:59 pm
Is anyone else under the impression that the hiring managers can barely be bothered with the motions of the interview, don't seem to like working at the USPTO all that much, and don't even like trademarks at all? I bet if an interviewee asked each of them to say what they liked best about working at the USPTO, they would be taken aback by the question and struggle to come up with an answer.

See also: "Management - from immediate to almost the very top - is horrid. Training is inconsistent. Everyone seems unhappy or resigned to the work they have to do because everyone needs a job, the pay is eventually ok, and there is some job security. The work is mundane and not attorney level work at all, and pro se applicants are at a disadvantage. The new workload is almost unattainable without cutting corners, which weakens the validity of registrations." https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/US-Pa ... =PART_TIME
Anecdotally, my experience with the hiring managers was pleasant and the people I've met from the USPTO like their jobs (trademark examiners, foreign attache agents, managers, etc.). However, I also don't doubt that some people are burnt out or disillusioned or otherwise don't like the work, and I've definitely see many people voicing concern about the increased work and diminishing morale. The USPTO does appear to be addressing issues, namely, the new training and on-boarding protocol for TM examiners. Also, the pandemic has forced the trademark side to match the WFH standards the patent examiners have enjoyed for many years, which makes the position much more appealing for those not wanting to move to Alexandria. Lastly, I'll note that my current position as a private practice associate can also be called "mundane and not attorney level work at all" with inconsistent training, unattainable billable hours, and demoralizing. So at a certain point, criticism of the trademark examiner position (mostly a starter job) is consistent with most other entry level attorney positions.

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Re: Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Jan 26, 2022 11:57 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 11:41 am
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:59 pm
Is anyone else under the impression that the hiring managers can barely be bothered with the motions of the interview, don't seem to like working at the USPTO all that much, and don't even like trademarks at all? I bet if an interviewee asked each of them to say what they liked best about working at the USPTO, they would be taken aback by the question and struggle to come up with an answer.

See also: "Management - from immediate to almost the very top - is horrid. Training is inconsistent. Everyone seems unhappy or resigned to the work they have to do because everyone needs a job, the pay is eventually ok, and there is some job security. The work is mundane and not attorney level work at all, and pro se applicants are at a disadvantage. The new workload is almost unattainable without cutting corners, which weakens the validity of registrations." https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/US-Pa ... =PART_TIME
Anecdotally, my experience with the hiring managers was pleasant and the people I've met from the USPTO like their jobs (trademark examiners, foreign attache agents, managers, etc.). However, I also don't doubt that some people are burnt out or disillusioned or otherwise don't like the work, and I've definitely see many people voicing concern about the increased work and diminishing morale. The USPTO does appear to be addressing issues, namely, the new training and on-boarding protocol for TM examiners. Also, the pandemic has forced the trademark side to match the WFH standards the patent examiners have enjoyed for many years, which makes the position much more appealing for those not wanting to move to Alexandria. Lastly, I'll note that my current position as a private practice associate can also be called "mundane and not attorney level work at all" with inconsistent training, unattainable billable hours, and demoralizing. So at a certain point, criticism of the trademark examiner position (mostly a starter job) is consistent with most other entry level attorney positions.
The difference is that this aspect of the USPTO job "The work is mundane and not attorney level work at all" does not change when moving up in the GS grades. It's not an entry-level issue; it's a USPTO TM examiner career issue.

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