The attractive aspect of this, if you have a science or engineering degree - or maybe even if you don't (see e.g. http://www.oppenheimercommunications.com/Patents/PatentAgentCareers.shtml for a technical writer's story)?
It's one 100-question multiple guess exam and bang, you have a new credential which opens new doors - not many one-shot career-changer projects like that.
Maybe. Wonder why more people aren't doing this?
One attractive aspect would be that some credentials actually REDUCE your practical options. (Law degrees are infamous for this if you get interested in a job as a non-attorney.) But I don't think a patent agent license would do that.
One review course, the PLI course, is pretty expensive, about $2800. 10% discount if you're IEEE, taking it down to about $2500.
According to Oppenheimer, he did it without such a course. But you'd still have to prepare.
Showing posts with label pathway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pathway. Show all posts
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Next steps in midcareer grad school guerrilla theatre - gathering transcripts and taking inventory
I used to think that getting copies of college transcripts for your own use was close to worthless, because they aren't "official" copies which can be sent anywhere as part of an application. But they are useful for some purposes.
Specifically, working deals out. Unless you're headed for some nice canned after-hours program (which is generally limited to masters' degrees), you'll need to negotiate.
And you'll need to find someone on a university faculty to negotiate with. Some professor somewhere will need to decide that you can be an asset to her or his program. You'll need to agree on a "Program of Study", which is a contract between you and the school - representatives of the school and department actually sign off on the POS and there is an actual signed document which you will need to keep a copy of in your important papers.
Chances are, if you're contemplating a midcareer graduate school move, you've had a few stabs at after-hours graduate school already, maybe even gotten a graduate degree of some sort already. It's best if the Program of Study for your newly contemplated program is a shorter path, taking work you've already done into account, than a longer one. You don't want to start all over again if you can help it. The "unofficial transcript" (photocopy of the one you ordered from your school) can be a way for you to inform this kind of negotiation.
How do you find someone to negotiate with? That's the tricky part.
Specifically, working deals out. Unless you're headed for some nice canned after-hours program (which is generally limited to masters' degrees), you'll need to negotiate.
And you'll need to find someone on a university faculty to negotiate with. Some professor somewhere will need to decide that you can be an asset to her or his program. You'll need to agree on a "Program of Study", which is a contract between you and the school - representatives of the school and department actually sign off on the POS and there is an actual signed document which you will need to keep a copy of in your important papers.
Chances are, if you're contemplating a midcareer graduate school move, you've had a few stabs at after-hours graduate school already, maybe even gotten a graduate degree of some sort already. It's best if the Program of Study for your newly contemplated program is a shorter path, taking work you've already done into account, than a longer one. You don't want to start all over again if you can help it. The "unofficial transcript" (photocopy of the one you ordered from your school) can be a way for you to inform this kind of negotiation.
How do you find someone to negotiate with? That's the tricky part.
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