Trainee Patent Attorney
How did you decide to become a patent attorney?
At university, I attended a course on intellectual property for start-ups. After that, I quickly realized that I wanted to become a patent attorney. I was fascinated by the fact that beyond my field of expertise I can deal with various technologies and learn different aspects of new inventions, associated patent laws, and businesses.
I found that being a researcher in academia or industry is not the only way to use my research experience and years of study at the university. Besides the course, I talked to several patent attorneys working at patent law firms and in-house patent attorneys to know more about the job. Then I was convinced to become a patent attorney. So far, as a patent engineer in the course of training, I really enjoy it.
What do you particularly like about your job?
The job is intellectually rewarding. During my training as a patent attorney, I can take enough time to understand invention disclosures of our clients and discuss them with my mentor to learn how to translate the invention disclosures into patent applications. As I progress, I anticipate becoming more time efficient. Since every case is different, I’ll never get bored.
So far, as a patent engineer in the course of training, I really enjoy it.
Songi Lim, Trainee Patent Attorney
What does your day-to-day work look like?
At the moment, I’m mainly involved in processing patent applications. I’m assigned client cases and then there’s a lot of reading on the agenda. I regularly discuss my work with my mentor. We have daily meetings, as well as spontaneous discussions as needed. I’m also learning a lot about the legal side of the profession.
How did you come across 2SPL and how did the recruiting process work?
I was actually actively contacted on LinkedIn by one of the partners at 2SPL while I was searching for a patent attorney trainee/candidate position at a patent law firm. I had two virtual interviews and one on-site interview. I requested the on-site interview to learn more about 2SPL and Munich, as I had to move to Germany from Lausanne, Switzerland.
It was great to have an opportunity to have the provisional day onsite. Even though the time was limited, I immediately liked the friendly working atmosphere. In the end, I listened to my gut feeling and the positive impression was confirmed.
What has been your funniest experience at 2SPL so far?
In my very first week at 2SPL, I was invited to take part in the photo shoot for the new website. As I knew that there was no strict dress code in the office, I did not bring my formal attire. My boyfriend sent me my suit from Switzerland, but the package got stuck at a German custom as an imported good outside of EU.
When I told my mentor about the tricky situation, he took it with humor and even accompanied me to the custom. That was definitely an experience I will remember.
What do you like about 2SPL?
The flexibility in work organization. Personal life situations are taken into consideration. I moved from Switzerland to Germany for my job at 2SPL and had a lot of administrative work to do alongside my work. The opportunity to work remotely if necessary and to be able to organize my working hours independently made it much easier for me to settle in.
What three words would you use to describe 2SPL?
Friendly, flexible and dynamic