Job Search Daily Log: Tuesday June 1, 2010 - Friday June 4, 2010

I had a feeling that I wouldn't be able to keep up daily posts to this blog, but I never thought it would take me less than a week to start combining 4+ days of job searching into one post!

While still at home in Erie, I found out that I didn't get another job: As a Patent Attorney with the USPTO's Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences. This one had taken quite a long time from application to denial, but I heard that is common place for a government job! I think I applied originally back in January. I went through several stages of hiring from being told I was qualified and then being sent to the hiring committee. To being told they filled the position, and then back to being told they were still in the "hiring process". And now being denied...so say tuned I might get the job next week!

This week has been kind of slow, what with the holiday and all. But I did apply to a few new positions.

I started the week off by forwarding my resume to a contact at the defense contractor Serco who had seen a press release concerning patent-related jobs within that company. However, it turned out that these patent jobs were in Harrisonburg, VA which as you can see from the map(below)is nowhere near where I want to be. Its about 3 hours to Annapolis and almost 5 to Pittsburgh (you might have to zoom out in order to see this). I mean I'm getting desperate for a job, but I don't want to be out in the stix by myself!


View Larger Map

Next up, I applied online to a patent attorney position at a company called NALCO, which is located at their corporate headquarters in Naperville, IL which I just visited over the Memorial Day Weekend.

Here was the job posting: "Patent Attorney
Job ID: 6852003
Position Title: Patent Attorney
Company Name: Nalco
Industry: Chemical
Practice Area: Patent Prosecution, Patent Litigation, Trademark Prosecution, Trademark Litigation
Type of Practice: Corporate
Location(s): Napervill, Illinois, 60563, United States
Posted: May 28, 2010
Entry Level: No
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Duration: Indefinite
Min Education: BA/BS/Undergraduate
Min Experience: 1-2 Years
Required Travel: 0-10%
Company: Nalco
view full company profile
APPLY FOR THIS JOB
Contact Person: Angela Spore

Apply URL: http://nalco.com/careers/apply-north-america.htm
Save Job Email Job Print Job Apply For Job
Job Description
Nalco has an opening for a Patent Attorney in our Legal/Patents Group located in Naperville, IL. The Patent Attorney will primarily be responsible for independently drafting, filing and prosecuting US patent and trademark applications and directing the filing and prosecution of foreign patent and trademark applications. As needed, the Patent Attorney will assist with the drafting of licenses and other agreements involving intellectual property; research and present opinions relating to patentability and infringement; review technical papers and product bulletins prior to publication; and counsel company personnel on all aspects of intellectual property law and practice.

Job Requirements
The minimum qualifications the candidate will have include:
Undergraduate or Graduate degree in a physical science
JD from an ABA accredited law school
Current license to practice before the highest court of at least one state and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Chemical knowledge required
1-3 years of U.S. patent application drafting and prosecution experience"

They are probably looking for someone with more of a chemistry background, but it looked like I am at least minimally qualified.


Lastly, I applied on Friday to a posting I found on the Patently-O job board.

The job posting read: " Patent Agent / Associate - Law Firm - Alexandria, Va.

Buchanan Ingersoll & RooneyBuchanan Ingersoll & Rooney's Intellectual Property Group is experiencing growth regionally and nationally. The Alexandria office has an immediate opening and seeks an intellectual property patent agent or associate for the Firm's Chem/Biotech Practice Group with 1-4 years of patent drafting and prosecution experience. Preferred candidates will have strong academic credentials and technical expertise in the area of biochemistry or molecular/cell biology or organic chemistry or related disciplines, graduate degree preferred.

The law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney provides competitive salaries and an associate bonus program.

Contact:
Interested candidates may mail or email their cover letter, resume, law school and undergraduate transcripts directly to Laurie Lenigan, Director of Legal Recruiting"

I will leave you with this quote, that I actually found on the American Eagle career site: "A salary of $42,000 in Pittsburgh would require a $68,000 salary in San Francisco to maintain the same standard of living." It is going to be tough to leave Pittsburgh given this staggering statistic, but right now I need to start a career!