Is this a good time to become a patent agent? (plus other patent agent questions)

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m considering taking the patent bar, but I’d like to do a bit more research before I dive in. More specifically, I’d like to know what the job market is like for patent agents at this time? It doesn’t seem like a profession that would be so susceptible to the current economic climate, but, then again, what industry hasn’t been affected by this recession?

I just graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, and I’ve considered applying to law school to study patent law, but I would rather pursue this route first before I commit to law school. One possibly prohibitive factor: I had a rather lackluster GPA in college. I had a few problem semesters several years ago, was asked to take leave from the university, and returned to finish my final year strong (like straight-A’s-for-all-but-one-class strong). Will my 2.8 GPA significantly hamper my attempts at getting hired as a patent agent? I’m confident that I can portray in an interview that, despite past academic indiscretions, I’ve come out of it a mature, conscientious, hard-working adult.

Last, what is the best way to prepare for the patent bar? It sounds like I need to get myself a copy of the MPEP and look through that. A couple of sites recommend 150-200 hours of studying for the patent bar before taking it. Will it be sufficient to study the MPEP myself for a couple months, take some past exams (assuming they are made available for studying purposes), and then take the test? Should I instead take a review course (most of which appear to be pretty expensive)?

2

I’m gonna give this one bump. Are there no patent agents/attorneys on the SDMB?

3

I became a patent agent two years ago. I did it mainly for fun, so I don’t know what the job market is like.

I found the best way to prepare for the patent bar was Jim Longacre’s course at http://www.passthepatentbar.com/index.html. It’s expensive and slightly dated, but the material hasn’t really changed much.

If you do buy the course, you can ask Jim questions on the job market and getting hired. He’s a great guy–I wrote him two questions once, and he was very helpful.

Good luck!

6

I was considering becoming a patent examiner or agent a few years ago, even applied for a job at the USPTO and interviewed there, but in the end it wasn’t the right match for me. I also took a review course and I would highly recommend going that route in your studies…if not an in person course then at least a good online or DVD-based course. Good luck!

Edited to add that I just noticed that this was a zombie thread, but I’ll leave what I wrote in case it helps anyone else in the future.