Is it wrong to want to go back to being an examiner?

I am a current engineer who left the USPTO soon after they got rid of telework for probies. I know it sounds crazy to want to come back after all the nasty stuff admin has been doing, but honestly I really enjoyed working there compared to what I'm doing now. It's been way more at my current job, where my boss is expecting me to be independent and find myself projects to work on. It makes me anxious whenever I have to attend a team meeting and my boss seems disappointed I'm not doing enough work. It's especially tough because I'm surrounded by senior engineers who seem capable enough to jump into any project and be productive.

But at the USPTO, everything I need to do is right in front of me. Examining, while stressful at times, never really completely stumped me, since my AU had amazing primaries who were willing to steer me in the right direction. Sure, it felt like busy work, but it was simple enough where I could just listen to music and be relaxed the whole day. Obviously now it's different since it's no longer remote, but the campus itself is very nice and has tons of amenities. Not to mention the pay is better than most federal jobs (private sector pay doesn't really get higher until you have experience, and I'm a recent graduate)

Am I going crazy for wanting to come back?

Posted Dec 3, 2025, 1:51 AM UTC

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