Resume Advice....

[DarkThinker]

So I am a fresh Engineering Grad and I am the inventor on a couple of invention patents I produced while at my University doing independent research. In reality, I get most of the royalties after the University recovers patent filing costs and what not.

So anyways, there are some positions that I am interested in applying for very soon at some big and well known companies in my field.

My dilemma is, should I include my patents on the resume or should I not?

I have arguments in my head that go both ways, one is that it will make my resume look better and it will show that I have been doing my share of extracurricular work...on the other hand I have a thought that says, patents might scare some companies because they would be afraid I would entangle them with other's IP.

So I am stuck in the middle here...and I am not sure which version of my resume I should file... I really want this position and I don't want to blow it away with including the two patents....on the other hand this is a competitive position and I am afraid I would be doing myself a disfavor.

 

[DingDingDao]

If you have doubts, omit the patents. I doubt it will make the difference between getting the interview or not.

 

[DarkThinker]

I see what you are saying, but with competitive positions, you need every last bit that distinguishes you from the next guy in the pile, so that would make a difference in this case if I get the interview or not.

 

[Rumpltzer]

Entangle them in other's IPs?? Are companies really that paranoid?

I list my patents and company trade secrets under the "Awards" section (the last part of my resume). I don't specifically call them out by name, I just list them as "Recipient of ## U.S. Patent Awards" or something like that. My last interviewer asked what they were, and we talked about it.


I work (and apply) for researchy types of jobs where patent (or often company trade secret) awards are encouraged.

 

[magomago]

place them. I would think it shows you can think

 

[Titan]

If you're looking at IBM, they live for patents. I interned there one year. They keep breaking the yearly patent record since the mid-90's The culture there is to try to get every engineer to patent so that would stand out to them. I even heard tale of a guy who supposedly negotiated to keep his own IP rights, but sorry no detail there. Lots of guys become "master inventors" there.

 

[DarkThinker]

I see. It makes sense that placing them under awards and just putting "Recipient of ## U.S. Patent Awards" definitely gives the person looking at it a difference perspective than diving into detail....hmmm

 

[DarkThinker]

Yes indeed, IBM is the mother of all that is patents for sure.

 

[Gibson486]

I had 2 patents coming out of college. It did jack shit. It still took me 9 months to get a job and I ended up in an industry that is unrelated.

My thoughts....just put it on there. No company would reject you b/c they are afraid of patent infringement. Since you are coming out of college, they know that your college owns like 70% of the royalties for that patent and that you probably did not do it all on your own. In other words, if they "steal" the patent, they know the university will not be all over it because the university does not even know they filed it for that specific one.

 

[DarkThinker]

Gibson486 what did you major in and which state where you trying to get a job in?

I am pretty much flexible to go to most states I don't care much about relocating at this point.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: DarkThinker
Gibson486 what did you major in and which state where you trying to get a job in?

I am pretty much flexible to go to most states I don't care much about relocating at this point.

I have a BSEE. I tried just MA at first, then I I tried everwhere and eventually got a job in MA. I worked in Electronics and acoustics my whole time in college, but I now am in 3 phase power and control systems.