Today is International Women in Engineering Day, celebrating the work of women in engineering careers internationally.
We asked two members of our engineering team to discuss their own routes into the industry and what excites them about working with engineering-focused IP.
“When I explored career paths after university, the breadth of engineering patent work really stood out. One day you’re untangling the details of complex machinery or advanced control systems; the next you’re polishing claims for a new consumer gadget. I enjoy that contrast.
My university background is in physics, but I don’t feel that’s a disadvantage in working with engineering IP. Bringing different skills and viewpoints to our work with clients is encouraged! The variety of backgrounds and expertise among our attorneys is a real strength of our team.
I appreciate being able to use my scientific skills in such a wide-reaching way in my career. You’ve got to be ready to encounter unfamiliar technology in this job and also act as a bit of a consultant in guiding clients through the intellectual property process. You’re constantly learning – and getting to understand whatever invention that’s put in front of you is always exciting.” – Maryam Ahmed, Patent Assistant
“My background is in engineering and what really drew me to it as a discipline was the challenge of finding interesting ways of creating new things and solving problems. People don’t always see it this way, but the design and innovation aspects of engineering really make it a creative industry.
I initially thought I would go into research after my studies, but I found that communicating and writing about ideas was the part of the work I enjoyed the most. As a patent attorney in engineering, you’re undertaking a quite specific form of scientific writing. You need a good technical understanding to do this job: an ability to assess the facts, help inventors describe their inventions and find ways of overcoming prior art. IP can be a really intellectually rewarding industry to work in.
We have a lot of brilliant women working in our patent team at Boult and the IP industry is taking deliberate steps (such as through the work of IP Inclusive) to be more diverse and support women in their careers.
I hope that we can help raise awareness of scientific and engineering opportunities among girls and young women, to help them explore STEM at school and as a career path (and potentially IP further down the line). For those already studying engineering, I would say that becoming a patent attorney is a great career to consider!” – Frances Baxter, Senior Associate
At Boult, we’re proud to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day by highlighting the experiences and insights of the talented women in our team. Their stories reflect the diversity, creativity and intellectual challenge that a career in engineering-focused intellectual property can offer. We hope their journeys inspire others to consider the exciting possibilities within STEM and the IP profession.
