Get an offer that you can’t refuse
In the soap opera, “Days of our Lives”, Aiden got an offer that he couldn’t refuse, but he did not take it simply because he didn’t want to be indebted to the DiMera clan. That was fiction. In real life, wouldn’t it be wonderful to get an offer that you can’t refuse? You can get such an offer, believe me. All you need is a patent, or even better, a list of patents in your name.
It is 225 years since George Washington signed off the first patent and the US Patent and Trademark Office is busier than ever. In 2014, it issued more than 300,000 utility patents, and these are only for the inventions, not designs, mind you.
Somebody recently was telling me about a person who has 3 patents in his name and exclaimed “How lucky he is!” Lucky? I enlightened him to the fact that luck has got nothing to do with it. All you have to be is brilliant enough to develop a never-before-thought-of idea and then work hard towards building prototypes; your patent attorney will do the rest.
But once you get that patent, don’t ever forget about it. It is a very powerful tool to shape your career. In fact, your patent can be so potent that you may be flooded with job offers and at least one among them will be one that you can’t refuse. But for this, hiring companies need to know about your patent. A simple way to inform them is to mention it in your resume. And don’t just mention it in some obscure corner, as if as an afterthought. Even better, fill in the Patents page of your LinkedIn profile. There is provision here to enter all the details starting from patent application number to date to patent URL to patent description. Add each of your patents on this page.
This list indicates to the hirer that you have advanced thinking capabilities, that you take initiative and that you are the right fit for their company which focuses on path-breaking innovation. There are companies like Google who specifically looks for people with patents. One glance at you patent list and you’ll make it to their candidate shortlist. Next, you are invited for an interview and before you know it, you will receive an offer that you just can’t refuse. And if you get multiple unrefusable offers from different companies, I can only say that it is a real good problem to have. All thanks to your patent/s. But remember all this will not happen unless you add your patents to your LinkedIn page.
Author James Gleick said: Patents have long served as a fundamental cog in the American machine, cherished in our national soul. Your patent can prove to be the cog in your career. Wear your patent proudly on your sleeve. Companies will make a beeline for you. And you will have finally arrived.
