Louise B.
About me
| Louise B. | |
| Biology | |
| Molecular Biology | |
| Research Postgraduate | |
| 1999 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| IP Exploitation Manager | |
| Fera Science Ltd. | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Science and research | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2002 | |
| £50,000 |
Like this profile?
Add this profile to your favourites so you can return to it later from your account.
A day in the life of a IP Exploitation Manager in the United Kingdom
My career goals when I graduated
Wasn't entirely sure, but thought I wanted to stay in academia.
My career history
After I finished my A levels, I worked as a lab technician for four years in a small spin-out company (whilst studying for a HNC in microbiology part-time). The company then sponsored me to do a BSc at Teesside University in Process Biotechnology. After that I worked for the same company for a further year, before studying for my DPhil. Following that I worked for two years as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Alberta in Canada. This made me realise that I didn't want to stay in academia, so I moved into the IP and technology transfer area, initially at Sheffield Hallam University then at Fera (and its predecessor Central Science Laboratory).
What has helped my career to progress
Being open to taking on new opportunities as they arise - whilst my basic job hasn't changed much since I joined CSL/Fera, I have been involved with a number of other activities such as managing a failing EU-funded project, management of the team etc. By demonstrating that I was willing to take on these additional responsibilities, some of which were high profile within the organisation, I became known by the Exec and have hopefully become a valued member of the management team.
Courses taken since graduation
Numerous CPD activities via organisations such as PraxisUnico; Certificate in Patent Administration.
How my studies have helped my career
Without my science background and qualifiactions, I would not be able to do the job I do now - partly because I wouldn't understand what our scientists are doing, and also because I would not be taken as seriously by them (or the academic collaborators that we work with).
What surprised me about my career so far
How important it is to have a good network of contacts - whilst most jobs are advertised externally, who you know is also really important.
Where I hope to be in 5 years
Managing a larger team - currently only manage a small team of two people. Still in same or similar area of work, possibly back in the academic sector.
My advice to students considering work
Take any opportunity you get to network and obtain work experience (e.g. through internship schemes, work shadowing etc.) - you need to differentiate yourself from other candidates, many of which will have identical qualifications to you.
My advice about working in my industry
If you are interested in moving into the IP area, there are a number of career options. IP manager like myself, IP solicitor, patent or trade mark attorney. There is lots of information available on the internet about IP, so make sure you have done plenty of prep on the subject area before applying and/or interviews in order to be able to demonstrate an understanding of the issues.
Other advice
If you are not sure what you want to do next (e.g. whether to do a PhD or not), don't rush into anything. You can always go back into studying later, and once you start working for an organisation there may be opportunities to study part-time whilst working - a number of Fera staff are studying part-time for a PhD through the work they are doing in the lab.
Contacting me
Happy to talk about my experience of careers in the IP area.
What I do
I am responsible for anything to do with intellectual property at Fera - identifying the IP, protecting it in conjunction with external legal professionals, managing the portfolio and leading on some commercial exploitation of it. I also lead on protection IP in collaborative projects and in work with customers.
Skills I use and how I developed them
Communication skills with people of all levels - developed through day-to-day delivery of job, networking, attendance at conference etc.; project management skills - developed on the job, as well as through DPhil and final-year undergraduate project where I was project manager on a multi-participant industrial project; analytical skills - developed through DPhil, and on the job via assessment of funding application, ideas generated etc.
What I like most
Still get to talk science most days, with fellow scientists and people who share my passion in science.
What I like least
Difficulties in funding technology development - so called 'valley of death'.
What surprised me most
Bureaucracy within government and difficulty in obtaining decisions on anything (Fera used to be a Government Agency).
Next steps...
If you like the look of Louise’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Louise a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Louise to be your mentor.