BACK TO THE FEATURE INDEX
Thousands of patents are filed every day, covering a wide
range of products from new genetic sequences and the latest
communications technology, to eccentric inventions such as
concentrated beer tablets, nappies for pet birds, and Chinese
herbal medicines for purging evil and curing death!
As an analyst you can work on a variety of patents from all over
the world, and typically in a day I will work on 10 to 20
patents.
Patents are a valuable source of information for companies
wishing to be at the forefront of their technology, but how do they
keep up with the constant onslaught of new patents and sort the
useful from the frankly wacky? This is where Derwent Information comes in.
Derwent provides value-added patent and scientific information
to a wide customer base, including major pharmaceutical, chemical,
engineering, and electronics companies, patent offices, research
organisations, and the financial and legal sectors. Top companies
use our products because patent, journal, and conference data from
all over the world are summarised, classified, and indexed to
produce high-quality, easily readable, and searchable abstracts
available in one database--the Derwent World Patents Index--and on
several platforms and formats. These data allow customers to keep
up with technological advances and competitor activities to prevent
patent infringement and to ensure that their own research is
new.
If you had asked me a year ago, who or what Derwent was, I
wouldn't have had a clue. So how did I end up working here? I
graduated in 2000 from University College London with a physiology
and pharmacology degree, and an overdraft facility pushed to the
extreme! Whilst mulling over my options in the university careers
library, I realised that I had no desire to be, or experiment on, a
laboratory rat. What did interest me was patent law, a mixture of
science, language, and law. So, I went to the London Graduate Fair
to explore further career options and it was there that I found out
about Derwent and its patent analysts.
The role of an analyst is to summarise the content of a patent
to produce a clear and concise abstract, identifying key areas of
interest, such as what is new and the use and advantages of the
invention. The analyst must then classify, code, and index the
patent according to the subject area, which enables customers to
quickly find patents of interest.
When I first started, most of my time was spent training. This
involved learning more about what patents were, how to understand
the legal jargon used, and how to select and précis the key areas
of information. Length of training varies according to technology
area but is usually 6 to 9 months. I work in a team of 10 people,
with scientists from chemical or biological backgrounds. Even
though you work on your own daily stack of patents, the ability to
work as part of a team is essential. I find sitting next to several
people with chemistry training extremely helpful when I encounter
strange chemical names or structures that mean nothing to me.
As an analyst, you can work on a variety of patents from all
over the world. They vary in length, time to process, and subject,
but typically in a day I will work on 10 to 20 patents. Some,
especially those claiming genetic sequences, are huge documents,
requiring superhuman strength to even lift!
Most of the patents I work on are similar in nature, so there is
a large degree of repetition and routine. However, as a patent
analyst, you work on cutting-edge science information constantly.
You have the opportunity to read and find out about the next big
thing before it reaches the masses. In fact, a project called
Technology Trends was set up by Derwent analysts specifically to
spot new trends, changes in technology, and also to find the
stranger patents that are an endless source of amusement. The
information compiled by the Technology Trends team helps all
Derwent's staff keep up to date, and is used by the marketing
department to provide customers with examples of emerging
trends.
Projects like Technology Trends give analysts the opportunity to
add variety to their routine and develop and improve skills other
than their technical ones. There is scope to work on
cross-departmental project teams, to voice ideas and opinions on
how to solve specific problems, and find more efficient procedures.
It is very satisfying to see an idea that you have contributed to
develop and make a difference to the day-to-day running of the
company.
In the time that I have been at Derwent, I have been involved in
several projects. I am part of the New Starters Initiative, which
was set up to address issues for new Derwent recruits, such as
improving provision of information and training, as well as to
provide social events for them. I helped out on the Derwent stand
at this year's graduate fair, and it was strange to think that at
the same time last year, I was one of the many students talking to
Derwent staff and handing in my CV. I have also been involved in a
project team, producing training manuals for other trainees ... and
let's not forget writing this article for Next Wave!
In addition to providing variety and developing skills, these
projects give analysts the possibility to meet people within other
departments, such as sales, product development, and customer
services. Career development opportunities are available and
insight into these areas is invaluable when thinking about your own
career and future in Derwent. As an analyst you can progress to
many different roles, positions such as team leader, trainer, sales
manager, or senior analyst.
So where do I see myself in the future? I have had a brilliant
year at Derwent; I like working at the cutting edge of science,
using my scientific skills outside the laboratory, and the
fantastic people and easygoing and friendly work atmosphere. I
haven't got a crystal ball, but I plan to see what the next year
brings, hopefully branching out into another area such as
training.