I applied online at USAJOBS and received periodic updates through email up to the interview. The interview was by phone and most of the other posts covered the details thoroughly. Very relaxed and comfortable. I am currently in the waiting process. Have specific examples ready for the interview questions! Don't answer them with hypotheticals. I suggest you review all the questions posted on glassdoor and be familiar with the material on your resume. The questions I received were: - Describe a situation/project where you had to prepare a technical paper/presentation. - When was the last time you had an assignment that had to get completed quickly? How did you organize/manage your time? - Give an example of a time when you had to make a persuasive argument, how did you accomplish it and what was the outcome? - Give an example of when you received constructive criticism, and how you handled it. - If you have more than one task, how do you get them done? - What software/databases have you used to conduct patent/literature searches? - Expect to answer questions regarding gaps in work/study, assuming you have one. I didn't get any questions on the USPTO itself but I suggest you go over the link they provided to be familiar with what USPTO does, what a patent is, etc. Remember that while the interview questions are behavioral questions, you should also try to demonstrate your technical competency if possible through your examples. They'll want to know which department is best for you. On a related note, do some research into the USPTO departments before the interview so that you can tell them what departments you'd be most adept in. EDIT: I was not selected. I hope you had better luck than I did.