Out & About in IP: Careers, Progression and Inclusion in Manchester

On Thursday 27 August, I’m swapping my usual spot for a stool at Appleyard Lees in central Manchester, joining the panel for Out & About in IP, a careers evening hosted by IP Out and IP Futures under the IP Inclusive banner.

If you’re wondering how to break into intellectual property, or you’re already a few years into your career and thinking about what comes next, this should be two hours well spent.

There’s no stiff Q&A format or forced networking. Instead, it’s an opportunity to hear from people working across different areas of IP about how they built their careers, the decisions they’ve made along the way and some of the things you don’t always hear when considering your next move.

Different Routes Into an IP Career

One of the most interesting things about the evening is the range of experience on the panel.

Kevin Rich will be chairing the discussion, bringing experience as a patent attorney across both private practice and in-house environments.

He’ll be joined by Charlie Hilton-Balfe, who recently qualified as a physics and electronics patent attorney; Stephen Kelly, a names and records administrator at Forresters; and Jordan Mitchell, whose career has taken him from paralegal to trainee trade mark attorney.

Together, the panel demonstrates something important: there isn't one route into a successful career in intellectual property.

Opportunities exist across:

• Patent and trade mark careers.
• Private practice and in-house teams.
• Fee-earning and business support roles.
• Graduate and trainee pathways.
• Experienced lateral moves.
• Specialist technical disciplines.

Understanding those different routes can make a huge difference when deciding where you want your own career to go next.

The Recruiter's View of the IP Market

I’ll be bringing a slightly different perspective to the panel.

Sitting on the recruitment side means I get to see the moves happening across the market and the conversations taking place behind them.

That includes where demand is growing, what firms are genuinely looking for when they hire and why the obvious or "safe" career move isn't always necessarily the right one.

Having built my recruitment desk within the US IP market and now expanding that work across the UK, I’ll also be sharing some of the differences and similarities I see between the two markets.

For anyone considering their next career move, understanding what's happening beyond individual vacancies can be incredibly valuable.

What Does Inclusion Really Look Like in IP?

As an IP Out event, the evening will also explore careers in the profession through an LGBTQ+ lens.

The focus isn't simply on what inclusion looks like in a policy document, but what it actually means in the workplace and throughout someone's career.

Creating a profession where people feel able to progress, contribute and be themselves requires more than statements of intent. Events like this create an opportunity to have those conversations openly and hear directly from people working within the industry.

Join Us in Manchester

Whether you're trying to secure your first opportunity in IP, considering your next move or simply want to hear from people who've taken different routes through the profession, Out & About in IP is a great opportunity to learn more and meet others working across the sector.

There are still a few tickets remaining, so don't miss out.

Thursday 27 August | Appleyard Lees | Central Manchester

I'm looking forward to joining the panel and meeting everyone there!

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