If any of you have friends, relatives, or even passing acquaintances who are looking for a good job, my office is looking to hire a LOT (as in more than 500) new employees in the next year or so. We need US citizens with engineering or science degrees interested in becoming Patent Examiners. I've been working here for 15 years, and I've found it to be a challenging and rewarding career with a great benefits package and decent pay. If you know of someone who might qualify, please have them visit http://usptocareers.gov for information about the job and the applications process. I'd be happy to answer any questions about the general nature of the job and what I like/don't like about it, but specific questions about specific positions or the application process should be directed to the appropriate contacts on the careers website.