Anonymous wrote:

Unless your husband works for a world-famous scientist with strong ties to industry he has very little chance of getting a science R&D position. That's what I was told by someone in HR at Novartis. She received 500+ applications for one open position.

He does work for someone like that. His lab is really excellent placement in industry--it's the sort of lab where his advisor can make a phone call to recommend placements before the job listings are even open. His lab isn't as connected with pharma companies, but they've had a lot of excellent placement in more materials science oriented companies. His advisor is a jerk, but he's well connected and my husband has done well there and has an excellent pub record and has been the rockstar of the group, so I'm not really worried about his employability.

Unless your husband works for a world-famous scientist with strong ties to industry he has very little chance of getting a science R&D position. That's what I was told by someone in HR at Novartis. She received 500+ applications for one open position.

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. Another element I want some opinions on, since it is an anonymous parenting forum after all--what is it like to have a baby in law school?

If I do decide to go to law school after my PhD, it seems like in the scheme of things, it's not the worst time to have a kid (not that there is ever a great time). There is not my current worry about chemical exposure from bench work, and while law school is intense and demanding, so is being a lawyer, dealing with billing your hours, keeping up with clients, etc.--from my experience watching my Dad's career, way more intense than I could imagine any type of school being.

I will probably be ~27 when I finish my PhD (right now I'm a few months away from 26), so if I jump straight into law school, I will be 30 at the youngest upon finishing. If I start as an agent, then perhaps mid 30s. I definitely want to have a kid in the next 5 years. I know that working full time or doing school full time, and children is always a tough combo, but does anyone have any advice/experience about how law school and babies/toddlers mix? I know that this particular career path is a lot of school, but I think there are a lot of potential benefits in the long run in terms of finding a niche where there is a pretty decent, recession proof market, having earning potential (and having more disposable income if DH decides to do something that is less lucrative), coordinating geographically with DH's career ambitions, and finding an area that aligns with my interests and aptitude.

Thanks to everyone who has offered advice. I'm reaching out to my dad's colleagues, people I met at a conference, and some peers of mine who are in the patent office as examiners, but this anonymous forum has been very helpful.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks so much for your advice. In the bubble of graduate school, and can be really difficult to get a handle on what options are out there besides getting a postdoc and going into academia (which is a completely miserable job market). I have a few friends in graduate school who got jobs as patent examiners through USPTO and they seem to generally enjoy the work. One question--DH is interested in a more traditional type of PhD career and will likely want to do a post-doc followed by academia or working as an R&D scientist, and for this stage of his career there are not as many options in the DC area. Do patent evaluator jobs exist in branches outside of DC? All my peers who have gone onto that path have ended up in DC.


We are looking at biotech hubs to best coordinate our careers (San Diego, Boston, San Francisco), and it seems like a lot of IP firms are based out of those areas (as well as job opportunities in consulting, biotech, and great academic post-docs). It seems like one path some take is getting hired as a technical specialist, and becoming an agent once they pass the patent bar--however most firms as you mentioned don't seem to want to train PhDs. Would your advice be to look for smaller boutique type firms?

My father is a Big Law lawyer (although he's in tax law, and doesn't know much about IP), and he has made me very skeptical of entering law school, and it does seem like working as a patent agent offers an opportunity to make a decent living without incurring a lot of risky debt. Another question--I feel sleazy asking this since my parents have always instilled a sense of independence in us, but would it be worthwhile to try to network with some colleagues/partners in my dad's firm?