Presidential Management Fellows Applications Must be Completed by October 15

PMF Goals

The Office of Personnel Management’s PMF program is designed to attract to the federal service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic disciplines and career paths who have a clear interest in, and commitment to, excellence in the leadership and management of public policies and programs. By drawing graduate students and recent recipients of advanced degrees from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, the PMF program provides a continuing source of trained men and women to meet the future challenges of public service. Presidential Management Fellows, who serve for two years in a federal role that aligns with their graduate studies, go on to a very broad range of careers in public service or the private sector

Study the List of Potential PMF Jobs

Begin your preparations now to apply for the Class of 2014 by studying the list of PMF jobs.  You can read the list of PMF Coordinators who will answer questions about PMF specific questions at their agency. Choose a target agency from the 2014 PMF agency list or look up the OPM classification standards for a specific job title.  The initial PMF resume should be prepared for the “Program” (or at the the track) rather than a specific Agency.  If a candidate makes it to the next level, they should tailor a new resume to the Agency(ies) that he/she is interested in.

Compensation

Participants who are placed in a PMF position are compensated; they receive the full salary and benefits of a federal employee, in the GS-9 to GS-12 range. “Depending on the Agency, Presidential Management Fellows may also be eligible for  student loans of up to $10,000 per year and $60,000 in total.”

Preparing to Apply

Here are key points to help prospective PMFs prepare for the initial application, which is to be completed online, beginning Oct. 1st. You can read about the step by step application process here. Those who are considering applying should also review PMF Assessment Process and the very detailed PMF Assessment Preparation Guide (see pdf at the bottom of this page) before Nov. 5. Stay up-to-date on the Class of 2013 program by signing up for the PMF Listserv.

Who Is Eligible for the PMF Program?

Eligibility: To be eligible to apply for this year’s class of Finalists, applicants must have completed an advanced degree (graduate or professional degree) within the prior two years of the opening of this announcement or pursuing an advanced degree that will be completed by August 31st of the following year, including the successful defense/completion of any required thesis/dissertation.

The qualifying advanced degree must be from an accredited academic institution. All eligible applicants will be reviewed on school accreditation. Those having or obtaining advanced degrees from foreign academic institutions may be asked to use a credential evaluation service. Additional information can be found under the “Become a PMF/Eligibility” section at www.pmf.gov.

PMF STEM track Qualifications

In addition to the application requirements for the PMF Program, those interested in applying for the PMF STEM track pilot will meet, or have met within the previous two years of the opening date of the application announcement, all degree requirements for one of the following advanced degrees eligible for the PMF STEM track pilot.  These will be listed under the qualifying degree section on the application and indicated as “(STEM Eligible)” next to their names.

Further Qualifications

Although applicants are students or recent graduates, many have extensive experience in public administration, technology, science, health, human resources, business, and financial management. The Office of Personnel Management will assess each candidate’s interpersonal skills, oral and written communications, problem-solving skills, adaptability, integrity and motivation to serve.

The Assessment Process

After the initial application period ending Oct. 15th, if you score sufficiently high on the on-line assessment, are found eligible, and your application/resume is complete, you will be deemed a semi-finalist and invited to the in-person assessment. Then, if you are selected as a finalist, you’ll be eligible to be appointed to a participating federal agency in a PMF position sometime in the next year for a two-year term. If you don’t get the application right, you won’t get to those next steps, and you’ll miss the chance to join the PMF Class of 2014. The PMF Assessment Prep Guide is here:  http://pmf.gov/media/85296/2014_pmf_assess_prep_guide_09-30-13_final.pdf

Last year’s PMF Finalists

Check out the list of Current Finalists from the Class of 2013. You can search by person’s name, university graduate school, status and agency. You can also see current PMF appointments by agency. This is a great list to target your agency, if you are a finalist.

Tips for Preparing Your Federal PMF Resume

The PMF resume is longer than the typical private industry resume. Refer to the sample resumes in the Student’s Federal Career Guide 2nd Edition, by Paul Binkley, Ed.D. and Kathryn Troutman, which is available via Kindle and eBook. Draft your two- or three-page federal resume offline in advance Oct. 15^th deadline.  Get ready to copy and paste the resume into the online application system.