It is very likely that what you thought of as your “dream job” has changed over the past two years.

With more people accustomed to a new type of work-life integration, remote working, and limited in-person responsibilities, the way people work is transforming—and you are not alone if you are looking for a change in the near future.

In the United States, for example, 26 percent of the workforce is planning to look for a new job when the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic decreases, according to the “Pulse of the American Worker Survey: Is This Working? A Year In, Workers Adapting to Tomorrow’s Workplace,” published in April 2021, by Prudential Financial, Inc. This movement comes alongside substantial economic growth forecast through the rest of this year and into 2022, according to U.S. government predictions.

INTA’s In-House Practice of the Future Think Tank identified this issue, and its implications, last year in its “In-House Practice of the Future Think Tank Report.”

Among recommendations for “enhanced talent retention,” the report called for human resources teams to ensure relevant training and skills development for all employees.

“Whether it is to enhance technology skills or to provide more advanced communication and presentation skill trainings, a company should provide support so that established employees have the opportunity to transform with the business (and legal team) as is required on an ongoing basis in business today (and tomorrow),” the report said.

INTA’s “IP Law Firms of the Future Think Tank Report,” also published last year, identified additional areas that may help with employee retention. The report noted that “diversity and inclusion drive company performance and enhance innovation and are also instrumental in the recruitment and retention of next-generation talent.”

It also suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic-related shift to remote work “could be fantastic” for firms, not only to “become more aggressive in their hiring policies for remote workers,” but also to “improve employee retention,” by allowing “their current staff to work remotely on a permanent basis, with the result that they may have a better quality of life.”

So, if the pandemic has presented new challenges and opportunities for firms to retain and recruit staff, what about those legal professionals who are looking to make a move?

We asked several members of INTA's Trademark Administrators Committee what legal professionals can do to stand out from the pack and raise their chances of a “dream job” in the world of intellectual property (IP).

Been There, Done That

Alex Rushent, brands consultant at Lewis Silkin LLP, joined the firm at the beginning of October 2020. He was motivated by change (not the pandemic), having spent nine years with his previous employer.

After something like “a dozen interviews, all remotely,” Mr. Rushent was successful in securing the new position. He is responsible for overseeing any internal or bespoke client project requiring technology solutions which enable the attorneys to manage their enforcement efforts more effectively and efficiently.

Mr. Rushent had been working from home for approximately five years before the pandemic, so was used to doing things remotely. “Onboarding didn’t feel very different,” he observed.

However, he added, “As everybody has probably found, it’s much harder to build rapport and relationships remotely,” and that can be challenging.

For example, although he had multiple calls with the firm’s managing partner during the interview process, Mr. Rushent first met him in-person only recently—one year after joining the firm.