“Consistently do a great job. Cultivate a reputation as someone who has a high quality work product and a strong work ethic.”
We’re not bragging, but we hear this quite a bit from employees at the USPTO: “When I heard the USPTO was hiring, I jumped at the chance to join!”
Such is the story for Montia, who is on her second stint at the agency, having left briefly to explore life at an intellectual property law firm. What brought her back for good?
“The USPTO has afforded me the flexibility to pursue the career I want, and the opportunity to practice law in a field that I love, in an environment that is supportive of both my career goals and my desire for true work-life balance.”
Montia’s work in Trademarks at the USPTO has taken her across the globe and back to attend and participate in committees on trademark law, and to conduct media interviews and speaking engagements before legal professionals and entrepreneurs. She currently serves as Director for Trademark Register Protection in the Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Trademark Examination Policy. and has held several positions within the organization to expand her skillsets and advance her career.
After serving as a trademark examining attorney and a petitions attorney upon her return from the private sector, Montia worked on a detail as Chief of Staff for Trademarks under former Commissioner Mary Boney Dennison and as a senior supervisory attorney in the Office of Trademark Quality Review and Training. What she appreciated most about her various experiences at the USPTO has been "the opportunity to learn about so many areas throughout the Office and to make wonderful connections with colleagues along the way," she says. "All of these experiences are invaluable!"
Montia sees her position as Director as the culmination of her 20+ years of trademark experience. She is thrilled at the opportunity to continue collaborating with colleagues across the Trademark legal community while shaping policies and strategies to protect the integrity of the Trademark register to ensure it remains valuable for businesses.
As she climbed the ranks within Trademarks, Montia adopted this career progression trifecta:
- Cultivate a reputation as someone who does a great job, has a high work ethic and treats people well.
- Consider where you want to be in five years, 10 years, and beyond. Then continuously assess whether or not what you’re doing right now will get you there. If not, be open to change and to the potential that you may need to step outside of your comfort zone to get on track.
- Look for ways to challenge yourself, to learn new things, and to grow both personally and professionally.
According to Montia, there are no typical days at the USPTO, and she prefers it that way. Without hesitation, she encourages women to join the USPTO. When considering career growth and advancement, its culture of diversity and inclusion, and being a place where women are highly regarded and respected, Montia says the USPTO is unmatched.
“Working with intelligent and accomplished colleagues at the top of their respective fields who share a commitment to excellence and enjoy the quality of life that the USPTO has to offer… it doesn’t get any better than this.”