Every year, the EPO offers a limited number of three to six-month internships to engineering and science students who hold the minimum requirement of a technical bachelor’s (or equivalent level) degree.

This is a unique opportunity to discover one of the world’s leading patent offices and to work in a truly international environment. Interns work side by side with examiners who tutor them throughout the internship. They carry out complex re-classification work on patent applications and receive training relating to patents and other areas of IP, and various aspects of an examiner’s work.

Aims of the internship

As an intern, you will

• receive training relating to IP in general, the patent granting process and classification systems, and the tools used by examiners
• re-classify patent applications under the supervision of an examiner
• get an insight into the latest R&D trends
• report on your experiences to your tutor and the HR department

Technical fields

• mechanical engineering
• chemistry
• electronics
• electricity
• physics
• computers

Requirements

You must:

• be a national of one of the EPO member states.
• hold a technical bachelor’s or a technical master’s degree (or equivalent qualifications) at the date of application, preferably in one of the above mentioned technical fields.
• have a very good knowledge of English.
  Knowledge of technical French and/or technical German would be an advantage.
• provide evidence of your own health insurance.
• your  degree should have been obtained no more than 2 years prior to the date of application.
• working hours : per default 40 hours/week.
  If this is not possible, please indicate in your cv/motivation letter the number of hours that you are available. Full time presence is required during the initial training and follow-up training days.
• duration : per default 6 months.
  Please indicate on the application form if you are only available for a shorter period.

Benefits

• The EPO makes a contribution towards living costs. It does not cover any other expenses.
• Two days leave per month, in addition to the Official holidays.
• Opportunities to participate in social events such as the activities of clubs and societies.

Locations

Munich, The Hague or Berlin.

Dates

The next interships will start on 15 April 2013.

Following session is foreseen for Summer 2013.
(Application procedure for the session starting on 4 February 2013 has been compeleted and is closed.)

Application

Apply online

The deadline to apply for the April session is 13 January 2013.

In the application form, under the tab «Training area» please select Science & Engineering April 2013 for the location(s) you are interested in.

In your cv/motivation letter you should clearly indicate the following:

• the period that you are available. Per default this is a period of 6 months, 40 hours/week.
• the educational/vocational technical training you have completed  and the degree or qualification you have obtained.
• provide details on the subjects of your main studies.
• provide details on your language skills.

Applications which are not filled out completely will be rejected without further evaluation.

After submitting your application you will see a confirmation web screen. You will not receive a separate confirmation notification by e-mail. You will be informed about the outcome of the selection procedure within 6 weeks  after the deadline for applications has passed. If you are shortlisted, you may be required to submit further supporting documents (e.g. a university diploma). There will also be an interview with an examiner, most likely via Skype or telephone.

Please note that EPO operates a strict policy of pre-employment screening for new staff. Before the screening process commences, you will be asked to give your written consent. Screening is pre-requisite. Those who do not give their consent will therefore not be considered.

Retrieve your draft application

If you submit your application as a draft, you can retrieve it here.