Disclaimer: our trainee blogs are written by trainees for trainees, offering career insights and industry perspectives.
When I left school at 18, I thought my future lay in the creative world of set design for the film and television industry, but life had a few unexpected twists in store. My path took me from the arts to the sciences. From designing interiors on an arts degree to exploring the fundamental forces of the universe, and ultimately, to an entirely different kind of creativity – protecting innovations as a trainee patent attorney. This is the story of how I navigated a winding and unconventional road to discover a passion that merged my technical skills with a newfound love for intellectual property law.
Upon completing the foundation year of my art degree, I realised that whilst I enjoyed it, it wasn’t my professional passion. I made the difficult decision to withdraw from the course, choosing to preserve my student finance for the moment I would discover my true calling.
Soon after my withdrawal, I secured a position as a dispensary assistant at a local pharmacy. In my spare time I started reading science-fiction and popular science books, as well as watching documentaries such as the BBC Horizon series. Having been relatively uninspired by physics and maths at school, I found that I was now fascinated by what I was reading and watching; I wanted to know how the world and the universe worked at a fundamental level.
“It sounds very cliché, but it really ignited the spark of passion for me.”
At the time, my parents thought my newfound interest might just be a phase, but they were fully supportive of me as I enrolled on a Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) at Birkbeck, University of London, in physics and mathematics. Since I had not studied these subjects at A-level, this was my opportunity to catch up and potentially pursue a scientific university degree. Although it was challenging to start once I found my footing, it became clear that this was where my true passion lay. I successfully completed the course and secured a position on the integrated master’s degree course at King’s College London (KCL).
Probably another massive cliché, but my years at KCL proved to be formative in becoming the person I am today. During my studies I realised that my interests lay in theoretical physics, particularly particle physics and gravitational physics. I focused my modules and final master’s year in these areas, and upon completing my degree, I was offered a fully funded PhD studentship in the particle cosmology group at the University of Nottingham.
Fast-forward four years, having completed my PhD, I embarked on what I thought was the start of my career, as an academic researcher. Over six years, this role enabled me to live and work near and far, from South Africa, back to Nottingham, then to Czechia, and finally Manchester. Although I very much enjoyed the research side of this role it became increasingly clear that the path ahead was fraught with challenges. With funding opportunities dwindling post-Brexit and post-pandemic, securing a permanent position in the UK seemed increasingly unlikely. By the end of 2023, I realised it was time to explore new opportunities outside of academia.
I was keen to continue using my technical skills and to be involved in research and development. After several different keyword searches in Google, I came across an advert from Appleyard Lees, looking for someone to start as a trainee patent attorney in the physics, engineering, and software division. I must admit that at the time, I had no idea about the IP profession, but reading through the job description and the requirements, it piqued my interest.
“After conducting further research into the IP profession and exploring the Greenshoots content on Appleyard Lees’ website, I was inspired to apply to become a trainee patent attorney.”
The recruitment process at Appleyard Lees was well structured and supportive. I was offered the role of trainee patent attorney, and I was delighted to accept.
I’m now three months into my training and enjoying the dynamic mix of learning patent law, whilst working on real patent applications with my line manager. It’s a steep learning curve, but I am pleased to have been able to use transferable technical skills from my time as a researcher.
If you have a similar background to me and you are looking for an exciting change, I recommend considering training as a patent attorney at Appleyard Lees!
Our #JourneyToIP blog series showcases both the traditional, and often unconventional paths our trainee attorneys have taken into the world of intellectual property. Discover journeys from engineering and space tech.
