Thinking of moving from engineering to legal

[zzapp]

Looking for a new job at the moment and looking for some insight. Option 1 is to stay in high tech engineering R&D. It's good fun, I'm good at it, and it's reasonably well paid (I'm looking for £40k, and I think I should be able to get it). Option 2 is to re-train as a patent attorney. This seems much better paid (longer term), but does strike me as potentially more dull.

Any thoughts? Should I leap at the chance if I'm offered a training position?

[shirt]

a guy I know is a patent attorney, it sounds far too dull to me to even consider it for a second or two.

what particular industry are you in at present?

[zzapp]

shirt said:

a guy I know is a patent attorney, it sounds far too dull to me to even consider it for a second or two.

what particular industry are you in at present?

Looking at roles in defence, aerospace, engineering consulting etc.

[shirt]

£40k shouldn't be an issue at all in that case.

if you're not geographically tied, look at european companies with uk facilities and make the jump to their head office. airbus in toulouse is a verry nice package.

on another note, there's an ad for general dynamics in todays times.

[zzapp]

shirt said:

£40k shouldn't be an issue at all in that case.

if you're not geographically tied, look at european companies with uk facilities and make the jump to their head office. airbus in toulouse is a verry nice package.

on another note, there's an ad for general dynamics in todays times.

Am geographically tied. Two kids. GD are indeed recruiting heavily, what with FRES coming their way. CV has already gone there. Holiday season means everything is like treacle at the moment it seems.

[spikeyhead]

If you enjoy engineering don't even consider pattent attourney, it's duller than dullsville.

[zzapp]

spikeyhead said:

If you enjoy engineering don't even consider pattent attourney, it's duller than dullsville.

I know enough about it to know what it entails - I've got 6 patents to my name, so I've worked with them through the process on a number of occasions.

What makes you say it's dull? I don't totally disagree, I reckon it's a bit on the dull side, I just wondered how you'd formed the impression.

[spikeyhead]

zzapp said:

spikeyhead said:

If you enjoy engineering don't even consider pattent attourney, it's duller than dullsville.

I know enough about it to know what it entails - I've got 6 patents to my name, so I've worked with them through the process on a number of occasions.

What makes you say it's dull? I don't totally disagree, I reckon it's a bit on the dull side, I just wondered how you'd formed the impression.

I worked in the design department of a company that mostly existed to generate and manage patents. Had numerous discussions with the in house legal guys, all of whom were bored. Whilst it is fun working on something state of the art, documenting someone elses design in legalese isn't. All of them said that working in the Patent Office is even worse. So boring that experts in each field would also have to spend a small amount of their time with an outside speciality, so if your expertise was combine harvesters then you would perhaps be given door locks just to relieve the tedium.

It's certainly not for me, it's certainly possible to earn more money contracting, expecially in the right fields in Europe. (I'm currently sat in an office in the Netherlands, cursing a hangover)

[zzapp]

spikeyhead said:

I worked in the design department of a company that mostly existed to generate and manage patents. Had numerous discussions with the in house legal guys, all of whom were bored. Whilst it is fun working on something state of the art, documenting someone elses design in legalese isn't. All of them said that working in the Patent Office is even worse. So boring that experts in each field would also have to spend a small amount of their time with an outside speciality, so if your expertise was combine harvesters then you would perhaps be given door locks just to relieve the tedium.

It's certainly not for me, it's certainly possible to earn more money contracting, expecially in the right fields in Europe. (I'm currently sat in an office in the Netherlands, cursing a hangover)

Interesting stuff. I'm leaning towards sticking with the interesting stuff at the moment.