“I have always just wanted to help people. So, all my career goals and plans revolve around being of service to people and the world.”
"I have always just wanted to help people"
For Virginia Commonwealth University student and USPTO Innovation Intern Andrew, service is everything.
“I have always just wanted to help people,” shares Andrew. “So, all my career goals and plans revolve around being of service to people and the world.”
He’s not alone—a similar vision inspires thousands of other early career professionals who also seek out the federal service.
Andrew’s understanding of innovation is rooted in this same passion for helping others. He defines innovation as “using creativity to be more efficient.” More specifically, he believes it is “finding a problem and then addressing that problem to help others—by sharing your solution.”
The Innovation Internship experience
Andrew is currently majoring in marketing analytics, with a minor in risk management and insurance. Before starting at the USPTO, Andrew held a different in-person internship with a real estate company. In that role, he learned how to operate within a professional setting, as well as how to anticipate his colleagues’ and customers’ needs.
Now as Innovation Intern, he enjoys a remote and flexible schedule, working either before or after his university classes. In this way, he is able to log on to his laptop and complete projects at times that are convenient to him.
“The flexibility is amazing. Being able to tailor my schedule to what works for me is perfect. It allows for my work-life balance to be exactly where I need it to be,” Andrew says.
Andrew loves how many new things he is learning. “The most interesting feature of my assignments at the USPTO is the learning about the world. I work on projects where a lot of research is needed. With these projects, I am learning about other countries and how they handle intellectual property, as well as how the USPTO operates. I have gained so much knowledge about the world that I am able to use in my regular life,” he describes.
Andrew encourages other students to apply as well. “I think the two most important qualities that an Innovation Intern should have include communication and dedication. Being a good communicator and being dedicated to what we do at the USPTO will lead to success 100% of the time,” advises Andrew.
That success is something Andrew has enjoyed. As he completes his internship, the skills he gained will continue to serve him in the future, no matter how he continues to serve.